“Okay then…lover boy,” he smirked.
I crossed the room and punched his shoulder playfully, looking down the hall to make sure that Shiloh didn’t accidentally overhear his lame comment. I jumped at the sight of my mom walking towards us, focusing on her phone.
She looked up with a smile. “Oh good, the pizza’s here. I thought I heard the doorbell.” Her smile fell and she looked between Jae and I. “Wait if you’re both here, who’s in the shower?”
“Shiloh,” Jae and I answered.
“Oh,” my mom nodded her head slowly, probably wondering why she was showering at our house. “Did she just arrive?”
“Uh, yeah. Right when the pizza came.”
She nodded again with a smile, “Well don’t finish the pizza without her.”
“We won’t,” we said in unison.
My mom passed through into the kitchen flicking on the kettle to make tea. Jae tapped my arm to get my attention.
“In all seriousness, you’re gonna tell me whatever she says, right?” He looked at me like he was genuinely worried about Shiloh. Despite his jokes, we both knew something was wrong.
“Obv—” I turned my head toward the hall, straining my ears. “Did you hear that?”
Jae scrunched up his face as if that would help him hear better and our eyes met when we heard the faint yell of my name from upstairs.Shit!
“Coming!” I shouted as I rushed upstairs.
I gripped the banister, nearly tripping over the last step as I saw Shiloh standing in the bathroom doorway clutching a towel around her body. I was expecting her to make some sarcastic comment or tell me off, but she just stared blankly at me. I tried to school my expression but couldn’t help my gaze from taking in her exposed skin.
Her face and chest were flushed red from the shower, drawing attention to small circular scars scattered across her collarbones.
Be cool, Enoch. Be. Cool.
My eyes followed her movements as she switched the hands that were holding her towel to her body, revealing a tattoo in the crook of her arm.
Damn, why does knowing she has a tattoo make her even more attractive?
“What-what’s up?” I asked, diverting my gaze to her eyes.
I was relieved to see that they were significantly less swollen and red after her long shower.
“Um, my clothes got wet. Can I borrow something?” She pushed the dark red strands of wet hair that were sticking to her arms onto her back.
“Of course, just a second, I’ll bring you something,” I smiled, turning on my heel before I found myself staring at her body for longer than necessary.
I bugged my eyes out in shock as I walked across the hall to my room, my mind swirling.Damn, she’s really beautiful, especially with her hair all wet and…She has a tattoo?
But those scars…holy shit…those were definitely burns, cigarette burns.
How the hell did that happen? Was she abused as a kid or something? Or was that from her boyfriend? Oh fuck, if that motherfucker is abusing her, I am going to chop his dick off.
Shit balls. Is that why she was acting weird, just now? Did he do something to her? It was a weird request to ask to shower. Oh my God.
Oh my God. If she was…and I just let her shower…No. No. It’s fine. Stop overreacting, Nox.
Before I could go down a rabbit hole, I grabbed a pair of sweats and a shirt from my dresser. I was at my door when I turned around and grabbed a pair of boxers, the really soft ones I only wore to bed, just in case she needed some sort of underwear too.
I let out a deep breath and put a smile on my face as I left my room. Shiloh was still in the doorway of the bathroom, only now she was leaning against the door frame. She gave me a genuine smile as she grabbed them and stepped back to close the door.
I let out a breath and ran my hands through my hair.
