I heard the water start and followed him. “I can’t say it now, you’ll just think I’m saying it because I don’t want to look like an idiot.”
“You know what I’ll think? Neat trick,” he challenged, stepping into the shower, holding his hand out. “Are you joining me?”
I took his hand and he guided me under the water. “I want to say it, for real, when I’m sure.”
He smiled. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yeah. Okay.”
“Are you mad?”
He cupped my face as I blinked up at him. “Why would I be mad?” he asked.
“Because I need more time.”
“I will never be mad at you for needing time, Rufus.”
“I just don’t want you to think I don’t care about you.”
“I don’t.” He kissed me quickly, then poured shampoo into his palm and began to massage it into my scalp.
“You are so uncomplicated,” I said, leaning into his hands.
He chuckled. “When you meet my brothers, will you please repeat that? Make sure they’re all together, otherwise, you’ll need to tell them each individually. In my presence.”
“What about my plans to go home?”
“You can go home,” he said.
I raised an eyebrow. “I can?”
“Yep. But not without me.”
“You have a job.”
“I do, you’re right. But I also have a shit ton of personal days I haven’t used.” He guided my head under the water and I closed my eyes as he rinsed my hair. “I’d love to see where you live. Meet your people.”
“I don’t really have any people anymore. I’ve been gone for too long. I have a room in Lyric’s house where I keep my stuff, but those are my only ties.”
“Then why do you need to go home?”
I wiped the water out of my eyes and sighed. “Honestly? I don’t know. I guess I just always thought I would.”
“What do you have there? A house?” he asked, stroking conditioner through my hair. “Pets? Friends?”
I shook my head. “Just Lyric. And that’s huge, but she’s got a busy life and I’d probably never get to see her anyway.”
“You don’t have friends there?”
“When your sister becomes one of the richest children in the world, you soon figure out who your real friends are. I found out quickly I had none. The three of us kind of turned inward and clung to each other.” I bit my lip. “God, that sounds so sad.”
“No it doesn’t. It sounds smart.”
“You think?”
“Yeah.” He smiled. “If you didn’t protect yourself from the jackals, baby, who would?”
