“I’m coming,” I hear myself saying as I wind down the hall.
There’s a partially opened door on the right side of the hallway that leads to the bathroom. As soon as I push it open, I find my neighbor on the floor, a light purple, plastic shower curtain wrapped around her body.
“Now, how the hell did you get into this mess?”
CHAPTER 3
Ellyn
The pain in my hip has to be obscuring my hearing. Because there’s no way in hell this man just victim shamed me.
Not when I’m naked, sprawled out on my bathroom floor, and in pain.
Also, did I mention that I’m naked?
I blink and look up to see the hulk of a man towering over me.
“Don’t look at me,” I scream, scrambling to try to cover myself with the shower curtain that I ripped down as I fell.
He narrows his hazel eyes, drawing his thick, dark eyebrows together.
“How am I supposed to help you if I can’t look at you?”
Though the question makes sense, I wiggle, still trying to cover my entire body with the curtain.
Huge mistake.
The pain in my right hip and wrist spikes from a throbbing to a searing burn.
“Hssss.” I grimace.
“Stay still, now,” he admonishes. “You’re only going to hurt yourself more. Here, let me?—”
“No,” I shout, clutching my injured wrist to my chest, both in an attempt to comfort myself while also ensuring my breasts are covered. “I’m naked.”
“I’ve noticed,” he responds dryly. “But we need to get you some help.”
“My robe.” I point toward my bedroom with my uninjured hand.
He shakes his head before exiting the bathroom.
With his presence gone, I try to breathe through the pain, but with each inhale the throbbing reignites.
A beat later, he returns with my pink, silk robe in one hand and one of my white, fluffy towels in the other.
“Look now, you shouldn’t be doing all of this moving. You could have a broken hip, or worse, a fracture in your spine.”
“My spine is fine.” I try to reach for the robe.
“Are you a doctor?” he asks while unraveling the towel.
“Are you?” I counter.
“No, but I’m the only one here helping you.” He moves closer. “I’m going to cover you with the towel and then help you to put your robe on, alright? Don’t move too much.”
The command in his voice reaches past the pain and embarrassment to hold me in place. I remain as still as possible as he separates me from the shower curtain, while laying the towel across my body.
I keep my attention trained on his face as he does this, watching him avert his eyes to avoid ogling me in my vulnerability.
