As much as I want to stand here and argue, a shower does sound nice. I share one last look with him, then shut myself up behind the bathroom door.
Ashower was just what I needed, and I only feel a little bad about using most of Dax’s hot water.
I don’t usually hog all the hot water in someone else’s home. This is an exception, though, since I was comatose for half a week. The minute I stepped in, I felt everything melt away. There’s something about standing under a stream of imported Hell water that actually feels cleansing.
As I’m wiggling my ass into a pair of black jeans from the bag, a knock sounds at the bathroom door.
“Just a minute!” I shout.
Once the pants are on and buttoned, I throw on a tank top over my bra and open the bathroom door. A puff of hot air hits Dax square in the face, and he reels backward.
“Fuck!” he coughs, waving it away.
“Sorry.” I shrug. Dax wasn’t who I was expecting. “Did I take too long?”
“No.” He shakes his head, finally free of the heat. “I just wanted to check in and make sure you were okay.”
I look at my toes, then up to my arms. With a shrug, I say,“Yup. I’m all in one piece.”
“Be serious.” He frowns.
“I’m always serious.” He gives me a withered look and I relent. “Okay, I’m lying. I’ll be serious now.”
“I know you probably don’t care what I think anymore,” he says with a sigh, rubbing at the back of his neck with one hand, “but I don’t like this.”
“Which part?” I ask, gripping the duffel bag in one hand.
“Shit, all of it,” he says. “The new guy is a vampire, Jill is a witch, and I have no idea ifrightis right andleftis left anymore.”
“It’s… a lot to take in, I get it.” In reality, I had very little personal time to process all of the new changes that came speeding my way after Halloween. But then, I’ve always done well at swimming with the sharks when I’ve been thrown into a feeding frenzy. Change is a balancing act, and sometimes you just have to bend over backwards to get your footing again.
Dax levels his gaze with mine, and I realize then I haven’t thanked him yet.
“You took care of me,” I say, stating the fact.
He nods. “That’s what friends do.”
“And you’ve always been a good friend,” I assert, stepping forward. “I wouldn’t be where I am today if you hadn’t been there for me. Not just for the other night, but for all the nights before this.”
“All we did was hook-up,” he remarks.
“You know that isn’t true.” He knows I’m right, too. We spent our time talking about everything. Before we ever fucked, we were friends. He pulled me out of a bad place, and in all that time we were together, I was finally able to get myself back on my feet.
“It isn’t enough to keep you from leaving, though.” His voice blanches.
I bite my lip. “That’s not fair.”
“But it’s true.” He turns it back on me now, and while I would still argue that he’s wrong, he has a point. I’ve already made up my mind about Gray. Vampire or not, I’m going to see this thing through to the end.
Shitty ex-boyfriend be damned!
Dax scrubs his face with both hands then runs his fingers through his hair. “Well, you’d better get going. Your vampire is waiting for you.”
“What’ll you do?” I ask, shuffling through the duffle bag for something warm. I pull out a sweater and slip it on. It’s thick and soft, and it’s my favorite color—black.
“I’ve got to get back downstairs,” he says, avoiding my eyes. “Cleaners are finishing up.”
“Cleaners?” I ask, but then the lightbulb goes off.Ooohhhh, cleaners.
