“Oh, Dee. What have you done to yourself?” he mumbles under his breath as I struggle to stop panting from exhaustion. “Okay, you need a shower, and I need to help, so I’m sorry if this is embarrassing, but I can’t see any other option.”
He leans me against the basin, and I try to hold myself up as he grabs hold of his shirt, pulling it off over his head. I forgot how ripped he is. He continues to get completely undressed, then takes the hem of my shirt and pulls it up over my head. It’s hard for me to hold my arms up long enough for him to take it off, but somehow we manage. Joseph pulls at my underwear, dragging them down my legs to the floor, then our bodies connect as he holds me to him.
“How are you doing?” he asks.
I feel every inch of him, but there is no connection.
No awkward weirdness.
No attraction.
Nothing.
Simply a friend helping a friend.
“I can’t wait to get in there. I need this so badly.”
“In we get,” he says, picking me up off the floor so I don’t have to walk.
Joseph slowly turns me around so I’m under the water spray, and the feeling is amazing. He rests my feet on the tiles, and I wrap my arms around his neck loosely. I move my head under the water and let it caress my face and hair.
Then my mind starts to drift as I remember the first time I had a shower withhim.
The thought ofhisincredibly firm hands on my body.
Howhemassaged my scalp, bringing goose bumps to my skin.
My chest tightens, and I squeeze my eyes shut to force the memory out, but it doesn’t work. All my senses are attuned tohim. All my body wants ishishands on me.
“Hey,” Joseph says, bringing me back into the now.
I fling open my eyes and look at him. I can’t believe how perfect this man has been. A girl couldn’t ask for better support than Joseph.
He brings his hand to my face and wipes a tear I didn’t know had fallen. “I willalwaysbe here for you. I love you, Dee.”
And hearing that.
Those three little words.
Words I wanted to hear the most from thatoneman.
And knowing now that I never will.
I break down.
Tears explode, and I sob into my hands.
Joseph pulls me closer to his chest, and I wrap my arms around him as my legs go weak. He holds me longer than I thought possible, and eventually, my sobs subside to a slow trickle and unsteady breathing.
Joseph takes out the body wash and cleans me thoroughly as I stand there in a daze, just blinking. He then washes my hair, and the tears start again when he massages my scalp. Once he’s satisfied I’m clean, he guides me out of the shower and takes a fluffy white towel, wrapping it around his waist. Then he wraps one around my hair before drying me with another.
“Dee, can you promise me something?” I look at him and nod once. “You need to eat. Once you’re dressed, I’m taking you downstairs, and you’ll sit with Danny while I make something.”
I nod because there is no point in arguing.
Once I am dressed in comfortable pajamas, he sits me down and blow-dries my hair.
Danny is sitting on the edge of my bed, waiting for us. I can’t help but wonder how Danny feels about Joseph being in there with me, but their relationship seems solid enough, so I don’t give it a second thought.
