"Anthony, you guys were holding hands," she said again, her voice barely a whisper.
Anthony stared at her blankly, unsure of what to say. His silence only made Claire's heart ache more. She needed him to say something—anything that could make sense of what she had just seen. She wanted him to tell her that it meant nothing, that it was a harmless gesture, but he said nothing. The longer he stood there in silence, the more her frustration grew.
"Say something, Anthony," Claire whispered, almost pleading. "Please tell me it didn't mean anything."
Finally, Anthony spoke, but his words did little to soothe her pain.
"Look, Claire, just forget about it," he said. "She was just concerned, trying to cheer me up."
Claire's breath hitched in her throat. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Cheer you up? By holding hands with you in an intimate way?"
Anthony didn't respond. His silence spoke volumes.
