I sighed.“Unfortunately, no.”
She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, weighing the truth of my statement.
“Listen,” I began.“I will not lie or be deceptive ever again, okay? I realize that might take a while for you to believe, but I’m saying it, so mark my words.”
Another moment passed before she seemed to decide the risk was worth it, and her expression softened an ounce.“Fine,” she said, pausing before adding a pained,“Thank you.” She shuffled forward and waved me off.“Now go away.”
I grinned with pride, rounding her and taking a few backward steps toward the door.“Have fun,” I said before leaving the shed, shutting the door behind me.
I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face as I walked back to the cabin. Every fiber of my being was trying not to focus on the fact that Betty was naked in there, just a few feet away from me. It’s not like she hadn’t gotten naked in the bathroom before now, but something about being naked in a wide-open space like that was erotic.
My heartstrings tugged with each step I took away from her, as if it knew it wasn’t natural to leave her behind like that. I’d get her back, I knew it. There was no world where we wouldn’t end up together. My life living alone was coming to an end, and I was grateful that fate had put us in this situation, despite the hardships. I had to seize this chance and allow myself this one pleasure.
It was high time I had something good.
Chapter 16
Betty
As the shed door shut, the overhead lights reflected on the steaming water. The sight of it was panty-melting after days spent brandishing a rough construction sponge. The contraption resembled a stew pot boiling on the stove. I couldn’t help feeling like a lobster about to be dropped into hot water to die.
I was beyond caring about what things looked like at this point—if it did the job, then good. My hair was a mess, and it felt mere hours from spawning lice, if that were even possible. Besides, if I had to drag that rough sponge across my hoo-ha one more time, I was going to scream—and not in a good way.
The fire crackled, casting a warm glow around the shed. My organizational sights hadn’t yet narrowed in on this space, but it was on my list. It needed some TLC.
Being in Gray’s world was enlightening. His flaws were on full display, the largest being the lack of organizational skills. He kepteverything.
I took off my boots and pulled off my socks, cringing when my bare feet touched the cool, gritty cement floor. Lordy, maybe he had a spare bath mat? Perhaps next time I’d bring an extra towel to stand on or learn how to build myself a raised wooden floor.
I assessed the contraption before me with a critical eye. It looked like an item you’d find at a steampunk convention, or a lab experiment, and I was the specimen. It also felt untrustworthy—what if I cooked to death?
I held the shopping bag he’d given me open and set it on the bench, then chose a few soap bottles to unwrap and sniff. They seemed like pretty standard drugstore brands, ones I recognized from commercials but had never used. Back home, I splurged on high-end soaps and lotions and rarely frequented the pharmacy—perhaps that wasmyflaw, because upon giving them a chance, they smelled just as good as the expensive ones.
I squeezed some vanilla body wash into the tub, swishing it to make bubbles. The water felt warm to the touch, not scorching, but like that of a lukewarm bath.
Without further hesitation, I wriggled out of my clothes, letting them fall to the floor with a thunk. It felt weird being naked in this giant room. I was still paranoid Gray might have a camera hidden somewhere. Getting ahead of it, just in case, I gave the entire room the fuck-you-finger, twirling to show off my naked body with pride.
Satisfied, I braced my hands on the side of the tub and stepped in. One inch at a time, I knelt, allowing the water to climb my legs until I acclimated to the temperature and was fully submerged. Leaning back with a sigh, I closed my eyes. I let my hands sink, feeling the warm water flowing into the tub from a vent near the base.
I snuggled closer to the warm vent, my long-lost chemistry brain remembering the science behind the mechanics. The word for it escaped me, but I recalled the experiment back in high school. It wasn’t something I bothered committing to memory because I didn’t see how it would ever apply to real life, and yet again, here I was.
Beside me on the small bench, I found a bottle of shampoo and conditioner, sliding it from the slumping plastic shopping bag. The label read,“Formulated for brunettes”. Gray’s thoughtfulness made me chuckle as I wondered how much the female shampoo aisle had stumped him. I could picture him standing there, large and out-of-place holding a pink bottle and squinting at the label with that grumpy look of his. I couldn’t help but grin.
At the bottom of the bag, I spotted a pack of razors that made me squeal with joy.Taking them out, I ripped into the package, soaping up my legs and armpits before running the razor over my skin.
I sighed, bald armpits at last.
I lovingly set the razor back on the stool like a cherished keepsake and slouched further below the surface of the water. Tilting my head back, I let my hair drift around me until it soaked through, then reached for the shampoo. I washed it twice, desperate to scrub out every bit of oil, dirt, and God knows what else.
Next, I smoothed on the conditioner over my scalp and let it sit while I washed my face. The water had grown warmer, or maybe I was just acclimating, but I let myself lean into the feel of it warming every crevice—a comfort I hadn’t felt since getting here.
My body was in climate shock, and I’d spent most of the last few days in the greenhouse where it was tropical, trying to overcompensate for the sudden cold. I’d also been sneaking my phone out there, hoping to get a signal. There was nothing; even roaming the property yielded no luck. Didn’t he have a Starlink or some other internet? How else did he stay in contact out here?
There had to be a way. I needed to keep looking around.
The only thing I’d seen that might be of use was between the kitchen and the bathroom up at the cabin. There was something resembling a power bank with plugs and buttons and blinking lights, but I hadn’t yet decoded how to use it. Everything was old and somewhat analog, and nothing screamed‘Wi-Fi signal’to me. There was a laptop often sitting on the desk, plugged in, but without access to the password, it was useless. I’d tried.
Clementine would know how to crack it in seconds. I should have paid closer attention when she helped me hack into things. She made it look so easy.
