“Please,” he adds. “Close your eyes.”
That single word gets me. I roll my eyes in dramatic surrender before closing them, and his chest shakes with a silent laugh.
Warmth surrounds me a second later, the scent of fresh flowers and vanilla wrapping around me.
“What… Where are we?” I whisper.
“Open your eyes.”
My jaw drops.
The bathroom looks nothing like it did before. Candles line the edges of the countertop and the windowsill, their flames flickering softly, casting everything in a warm, golden glow. Rose petals trail across the tile floor, some clinging to the porcelain edge of the tub, which is already full of bubbles hugging the sides.
I swallow hard, my chest tightening as I take it all in.
“Roses?” I murmur, spotting the jar of long-stem roses on the counter.
He follows my gaze and shrugs, one corner of his mouth lifting. “I had a friend once. She said roses were romantic.”
“Had?” I raise a brow at him.
“Yeah.” His lips twitch. “I don’t call her my friend anymore. We’re a bit beyond that.”
“Is that right?” I tease.
He says nothing, a smirk playing on his lips as he gently sets me down on the edge of the tub.
I eye the steaming water, then look back at him, a sad smile tugging at my mouth. “I can’t get in that. My cast.” I gesture to my leg.
“Sure, you can,” he says easily. “I’ve got it figured out.”
He reaches for a folded stack of thick towels and a smallbath stool, positioning it at the end of the tub. “We’ll prop your leg here, and I’ll be here the whole time. I promise it won’t touch the water.”
Steam curls around us, the air heavy and warm. I eye the tub, my body aching to sink into it. To relax. To shut everything off, even just for a minute.
I nod and push my hands against the edge of the tub, determined to get to my feet on my own so I can undress. My weight lands wrong on my good leg, my balance pitches forward, and I go to brace myself on the one that’s in the cast without thinking. The second it hits the floor, pain shoots up my side. I hiss, stumbling back, clenching my teeth. Hunter’s hands are on me instantly, firm around my waist, steadying me before I can fall.
“I’ve got it,” I snap, shrugging his hands away.
The words come out sharper than I mean them to.
He freezes for half a second before stepping back, hands dropping to his sides, giving me space without argument.
A heavy sigh slips out of me as I sit back on the edge of the tub and peer up at him.
“I’m sorry. It’s just… It’s frustrating.” I point to my leg, to my head. “I’m so over it. The stupid cast. Needing help just to stand.” I glance away, blinking hard. “I want to feel normal again.”
He stands in front of me, one hand sliding under my chin, tipping my face up until I have no choice but to look at him and his handsome face.
“Baby,” he says, his thumb brushing along my jaw, “you are human. You don’t need to apologize. You’re allowed to feel frustrated. To be over it all.” His gaze doesn’t waver. “I can’t pretend to know what it’s like to be in your position, but I am here. I’m not going anywhere.”
He shifts closer. “Take it all out on me if you need to. Yellat me. Push me away. Feel it. All of it, because that’s the only way through. Some days are going to be worse than others.” He pauses, pressing his forehead briefly to mine. “But the good days will come, and when they do, they’ll far outweigh the bad ones. I promise you.”
My chest swells, and those three little words, the ones that have been hovering on the tip of my tongue all week, beg to be let out. I bite down on my cheek, holding them back. I’m not quite sure he’s ready to hear them. Not sure we’re there yet. I haven’t forgotten about the letters. About his past. I’ve just needed a moment of peace from them. Time to breathe. Time to let him have the space to bring them up on his own.
“Thank you for being so patient with me,” I say.
He smiles. “Come on, let’s get you in the bath before the water goes cold.”
