“Wait,” I say much louder than I meant to, my shaking hands clinging to the tile to keep myself upright.
Tristen glances over his soapy shoulder, the bubbles bursting along his skin.
“Yeah?” There’s a twinge to the end of his question, like maybe he’s waiting for the other shoe to drop. Like maybe he’s expecting me to lose my shit.
Honestly … I kind of am.
But not in the way I expected?
“I … don’t know how … aren’t I supposed to, like …” I gesture low, my face alight, my tongue getting too thick to speak right.
His head tilts curiously, hands still working over his body as he spins to me and hikes a leg to wash his back side.
The idea that he might be touching his hole right in front of me has me snapping my heated gaze away from him and ignoring the way the thought makes my stomach swirl.
This curtain needs replaced. It’s ugly.
“Supposed to what, bubs?”
The gruffness of his voice had a shiver running down my spine, weakening my already weak knees.
In fact, I’m fuckingexhausted.
“Reciprocate,” I mumble and shiver, crossing my arms over my body and curling closer to keep the fading warmth from running away too fast.
Wariness slips in with each tremble, that feeling ofexposuretoo much.
“Shit,” Tristen says but he sounds far away as I slide farther down the shower wall. “C’mon, bubbles. Let’s get you warmed up.”
Water pelts my skin, stinging the sensitive scars, and I hiss into Tristen’s arm.
“I shouldn’t have done that.Fuck. I knew better.” He sounds muffled, like water got in my ears, but I feel him close. So close.
Is he touching me?
“Goddammit, I should have fed you first.”
Grumbled curses follow each step of the way as Tristen towels me dry and holds my useless body up at the same time.
“Arms feel too heavy,” I mumble, the edges of my vision fogging up like steamed glass. “Need sleep.”
“I’m gonna carry you back to bed, baby. But I need you to eat when I wake you up.”
I grumble some kind of response then I’m airborne again, flying through the room like I’m weightless. Bare. Moving through time in a glass.
Tristen makes me feel like that sometimes.
But then he’s gone.
And I’m all alone again.
It’s okay. I’m used to being alone.
Chapter 70
Emmett
Reality slams me likea bike colliding on the track, my head pounding like an explosion went off next to it.
