Page 71 of Shatter

I'll get my revenge. It just won't be today. Today, I have an evening off, and a sexy man I'm in love with beneath me. This is where my priorities are.

His eyes are closed, peaceful.

"I want my natural hair color back," I whisper. I know it seems like something small, but it was the first thing my mother took away from me. It feels like the last thing chaining me to her - to my life before. I don't know what I expect Harrison to do about it, but I wanted him to know. This is it. There's no going back now. I am well and truly done with Athena and acting.

He doesn't even open his eyes. "Salon or are we shaving it all off?"

We.

And this is why I love this man. This massively monumental moment in my life and there's no debate, no argument. There's just simple support and problem solving. It lets me know that no matter what we go through, he's a partner I can lean on.

Excitement bubbles up in me, the reality of reclaiming my hair is so close I can taste it.

But, I think about his question. "If I have to spend one more hour in a salon chair I might scream."

A sting spreads across my butt cheek and I realize he's smacked it. "Alright then, get in the bathroom."

"What? Now?"

He opens one deep brown eye at me. "Would you like to wait?"

The reality bubbles up and overwhelms me. I'm about to shave my head.

I get up and walk to the bathroom before hesitating in the doorway. I hate the insecure thought the moment I have it, but I can't do this without knowing.

"Will you still find me attractive with no hair?"

He doesn't miss a beat before his hand finds my lower back and pushes me gently into the bathroom. "Nuh uh. We're not doing that. I'm not your keeper, and I'm certainly not going to tell you what you can and cannot do with your own body, Little Bird." His tone is harsh, but at the sweet nickname I melt.

He drags a stool in front of the mirror and guides me to sit. We're both still clothed, and as I look in the mirror at the mountain of a man behind me, there's a softness to his eyes I've never seen before as I watch him stare down at my head.

"We don't have to do this right now..." I whisper, worried that he's going to miss my blonde hair, even though the dark roots are now unmistakable.

He levels me with a look in the mirror before kneeling beside me and rummaging around under the sink. He retrieves a black plastic case and props it on the counter before pulling out a set of clippers. He plugs them in without preamble and sets the blade to the lowest setting. Nerves skitter under my skin.

I nod, and he flicks the clippers on. The buzzing sound reflects off of the tile walls, matching the buzzing in my ears. Harrison gently tilts my head down and lifts my hair off of my neck before dragging the clippers up behind my ear.

I'm really fucking doing this.

My smile feels a little manic, but the excitement at doing something so powerful - so magnificent - is addictive. Something prods at my back with the second pass of the clippers and when I look up at Harrison in the mirror, he's biting his bottom lip, hard. The only thing behind me is him, so I have a good idea what's touching me right now.

I giggle.

When his eyes find mine in the mirror, he apologizes. "Sorry, babe. You have no idea what you're doing to me."

Confused, I quirk a brow.

"Seeing you take back your life, your power, makes me fucking feral. I'm dying to be inside you after this," he explains.

I consider that for a moment.

"Do it. Do it now."

He shakes his head and me and blows out an unsteady breath. "No. This is your moment. If things don't work out between us, I don't want it to tarnish this memory."

Goddamnit. Harrison is always so thoughtful.

"But it's you, Harry. The only reason I'm doing this is because of you. You give me that freedom."