“There, that should be better,” he mumbled as he knelt down next to me. “Can you look at me, Jaz?”
I felt pale as I slowly turned my tired eyes to face him, my cheek pressed against the cool surface of the toilet seat. “Yeah?”
He reached up and smoothed a loose piece of hair away from my forehead. “Hey there.”
I burped, and the taste was awful. I grimaced before my head turned back into the toilet, and another round of gagging involved nothing but bile screaming up my throat.
It hurt like hell.
“Gee,” I whimpered as I spit it out into the toilet.
I felt him move again, away from me, and the tears started out. How in the hell I had come to depend on him so much, I wasn’t sure. But when I heard the shower start up, my body relaxed.
A shower.
A nice, hot shower.
Where I could scrub all of this off my body.
That’s what I needed.
“Come on, little firefly,” he said as he helped me to my feet. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
The steam was already clouded the room as he helped me out of my clothes. I lived in camisoles and sweatpants, even in the summertime. Though fall was just around the corner, and I couldn’t wait.
I wondered if any of my baggy sweaters were ruined by those men in my apartment.
The thought made my eyes water.
“Come on, I gotcha,” Ghost muttered as his hand fell to the small of my back.
Thenakedsmall of my back.
I wasn’t really aware of him getting me out of my clothes. All I knew was the solid pelting of the hot water as it battered down against my skin. The instant I stepped into the shower with him behind me, I tilted my head up toward the ceiling. I allowed the hot water to pelt the nastiness of the vomit off my face.
I did my best to stomach what my life had become.
“You’re doing so well for me, little firefly,” Ghost said.
I felt something rubbing up and down my back.
“What’s that?” I croaked out.
“Just a washcloth with some soap. Hold still for me, firefly.”
I smiled softly at the nickname.
He washed my backside down, from my neck to my heels, before he turned me to face him. That was when I realized he was still in his clothes, and I couldn’t help but giggle.
“I figured you showered with your mask on,” I said as he wiped at my face, “but I didn’t figure you for a man who showered withallof his clothes on.”
His chuckle filled the empty parts of me. “Can’t have you all distracted while I’m trying to take care of you.”
“Oh like you’re not distracted right now? Men can barely function when a pair of tits are on display.”
“So I have permission to stare at you like a drooling dog?”
My eyes slid open at that comment and I looked up, watching him watch me like a hawk. His eyes didn’t roam over my body. He didn’t drink in my nakedness like I’m sure most men would have done. He just kept those eyes attached to my face.
