Does that mean she’s spoken about them indirectly?
“I understand,” I said, even though I didn’t.
“Don’t worry about it, kid. I’m still with you. I’ll always be with you.”
“Yep.” I wiped at my eyes, grateful for the shower. “Of course.”
“I swear I’m not trying to change the topic,” Nyx said slowly. “But do you think the jaguar could be interested in me?”
I hiccuped on a watery laugh. “You can’t be serious.”
“Have you seenher fangs? Those canines arelethal. Razor-sharp. And her quads are insane.”
“You’re out of your mind.” I laughed, aware that she was distracting me, but still grateful for it. “I thought you were into men?”
Nyx hissed. “Don’t be a closed-minded prude, Alexis—it’s not cute.”
I chuckled weakly.
After my skin had pruned and I’d run up what must be a small fortune on the water bill—I tried not to feel bad about the cost but definitely did—I stepped out of the shower.
Pulling a fluffy towel off the wall rack, I marveled at how warm it was then held the luxurious item up in front of me.
Weight left my neck as Nyx flopped into it.
After we were both dried, I investigated the marble bathroom. New products were laid out across the sink, presumably for my use.
I pulled a brush through my wet hair and pretended not to notice that the handle was engraved with gold.
Then, feeling like a thief, I piled fresh hair ties on both wrists before I could talk myself out of it. I was used to picking people’s old ones off the ground, so seeing a stack of new ones was too good a chance to pass up.
I brushed my teeth until my gums bled.
Then repeated the process three more times.
When I finally emerged from the bathroom, my emotional support sheet was gone, and someone had replaced the comforter with a fresh white one.
The room itself was minimalist with high ceilings and a low bed.
Everything was pristine.
It was paradise.
Charlie.
Guilt filled me, and I tried not to think about him all alone in our cardboard boxes.
A pile of clean clothes was also waiting for me on the bed, and there were sports bras in every size with the tags still on. I pulled on the smallest one—grateful neither of them had paid close enough attention to notice.
A T-shirt fit nice and oversized like I liked, but the only pairof sweatpants had to be rolled at the waist and tied off to avoid a flashing situation.
As I pulled them on, I noticed the shirt smelled like amber and fire, and the pants smelled like mint. I sniffed them a couple times—just to confirm.
After what seemed to be ages of primping, I felt reborn.
I went out onto the deck.
I’d always loved swimming in the murky pond behind the trailer park, but I couldn’t evenimaginewhat it felt like to float in the turquoise sea.
