She followed behind Hunter up the stairs and then made a left on the second floor. Gazing over the railing at the view of the room they were just in, she noticed the house was very luxurious. She had never lived in a place like this. Not even close. The whole thing was actually very foreign to her.
SNAP.
Jin froze at the sound. She looked over the railing to see Winston snapping a wet cloth over the counter playfully. The sound it made echoed in her mind, and her insides froze as she continued to stare blankly.
Chasen watched the girl as she stopped walking, her green eyes twitching slightly at the sudden sound. He furrowed his brows as he watched her body posture. Her small fists trembledslightly at her sides, and his heart sank immediately. She was … afraid. His eyes wandered back to her face. She just stood there quietly, but it was clear she was having a flashback. He watched as she shivered slightly from whatever she was deep in thought about.
“You coming?” Hunter asked, trying to pull her out of her memories.
Jin snapped her attention back to Hunter and plastered a smile back over her face. “Yep, coming.”
Chasen sighed and followed behind her. Something disturbed him over this whole situation. Something he was almost afraid to find out. He balled up one of his fists, then slowly released it. Jin being here was not a good thing, not a good thing at all.
Hunter led her into his large bathroom. He laid a shirt of his and some joggers on a stand near the shower. “I hope this works until we can get you some proper clothes tomorrow.”
Jin gnawed on her bottom lip and looked down at the ground, a bit embarrassed.
“Is this not okay? I can find you something else to wear?” Hunter asked, noticing her unusual expression. Chasen leaned in the doorway and watched her with interest.
“Um. No, this is fine. Thank you. I … do you think …” She sighed loudly. “I don’t know how to work the shower.” She clenched her eyes shut hard, afraid to look at anyone.
Hunter glanced over at Chasen with a wave of concern.She’s never had a shower before?He looked at Chasen’s unreadable eyes for a moment before a gentle smile formed on his face.
“Come on over here and I’ll show you. It’s pretty simple,” Hunter spoke to her in a calming tone. He watched her peek up at him, and he nodded his head in the direction of the shower.
“This knob here gives you hot water. And this knob gives you cold water. You turn them both together to get the temperaturethat you want. I’ll set it to a temperature that I think is comfortable. Here, feel. Is this good for you?” Hunter leaned away from the shower and allowed her to reach her hand in. He watched a genuine smile spread across her face. She looked up at him and nodded.
“Yes, it feels perfect.”
Hunter cleared his throat. “There’s a towel hanging here for when you’re finished. You can toss your clothes in the hamper here and we’ll get them washed for you.”
“Thank you,” she said in her soft, sweet voice.
“Chasen and I will be just out here if you need anything.” Hunter turned and walked out of the bathroom. Chasen shut the door behind him, giving her privacy to shower. The two looked at each other and Hunter frowned.
“What do you think about that, Chase?”
Chasen shook his head and stood there in silence. Something seemed off about all of this. Something seemed off about her.
CHAPTER SIX
Jin opened the door and walked out. She’d pulled the string as tight as she could on the joggers and folded the pants up to help fit her body, but there wasn’t much she could do about the shirt. She looked like a small child wearing her father’s t-shirt. She glanced up at the two guys and then giggled as she held her arms out. “At least I’m clean now.”
Hunter chuckled. “Sorry. I don’t have anything smaller, and Chasen’s clothes would fit even bigger. I can send Sam to get something from Renee tonight, if you want.”
“No, this is fine. Thank you.” Jin flexed her fingers in front of her as she glanced between the two men awkwardly.
Hunter cleared his throat. “Okay, I’m going to get showered up real quick.” He turned and gave Chasen a look of warning before he disappeared into the bathroom.
The sound of the shower running filled the empty room. Jin glanced around her new home. On the far side of the room stood an expansive window, its glass panes glistening in the fading sunlight. Next to it, an elegant door opened onto a spacious balcony, offering a sweeping view of the territory. Her eyes lit up at this and she made her way over to it, placing her hand on the cold handle and pulling it open. Immediately the evening air hither, and she closed her eyes to breathe it in. She looked up at the tiny dots that invaded the night sky. Everything seemed very peaceful here. They were all happy and got along well. She felt his presence first, then saw him lean his arms on the banister beside her.
“It looks like this was a happy place to grow up.” Jin smiled, looking out at the distant sky.
Chasen glanced at her, then looked ahead. “It was. And it is. It’s always been like one big family here.”
“That sounds nice.”
“What was it like where you grew up?” Chasen watched her immediately tense. Her lips curved downwards, and her gaze dropped to her hands.
