Page 20 of Full of Wrath

“I’ll just stay for the first five minutes of it.”

“Or I could help…,” I offer nonchalantly.

Sadie wants to say yes. I’m smart enough not to push as she makes her mind up.

“You’ll help Waverly wash her hair?”

I give her a slow nod. Even though I want to jump up and just take off running into the bathroom to help, I understand I have to allow Sadie time to ease into me doing this for Waverly. I’m already going to have a fight on my hands trying to talk Waverly into being okay with it. I don’t need a battle on two fronts.

“Well, you all did sleep together last night.” She says it in an unsure way that sounds more like a question than a statement.

“Memphis would never hurt Waverly or do anything she didn’t want him to do, babe. If she has a problem with it, all she has to do is shout, and I’ve never known Waverly to be quiet about anything. Let him do this for her.”

My eyes turn to my brother, and I give him a silent thank you as Sadie nods her head.

“Okay. But if there’s any problem…”

“I’ll come find you before any yelling needs to be done.”

I’m already on my feet and half out of the room. My girl might not be aware of it yet, but I’m about to take care of one of those problems she mentioned to me this morning.

Chapter Nineteen

Waverly

Islip into the tub and lower myself into the hot water. It’s bliss, and I kind of hope Sadie takes her time coming to help me so I can have extra time to just relax. And to think about this morning and last night.

I guess the thing that is really holding me back is the why of it all. Why does Memphis want to be with me? What does he see when he looks at me? Why would anyone pick me, especially at this moment in my life when I’m kind of at my lowest? Does he have a hero complex? Is that what this is for him, a way to be the hero and save the damsel in distress?

I close my eyes and think about all he told me. He said he had some firsts with me too. At the time I was too caught up in…well, everything to wonder what those could be, but now I want to find out so badly. What can they be? How old is Memphis? A blush lights my face. I let this man get me off and I don’t even know that much about him, like how freakin’ much older he is than me. Way to go, spaz.

The door opens and I sit up a little straighter. Guess my time for reflection is over.

“Thank you for doing this for me. I realize there’s like a ton of things you would rather be doing than this.”

Hands land on my shoulders and for a split second fear rises inside of me because they’re not feminine hands. I gasp and look up only to find midnight blue looking down at me.

“Rest assured, baby girl, there is no other place I would rather be.”

“Memphis! What are you doing here?” I don’t even care if my voice is high and sounds a little hysterical. I scrunch up and use my arms to hide everything the water can’t.

“I’m here to help you, sweetheart.”

Is he for real right now? “H…how?”

He laughs and touches my face with those rough hands of his. Fuck! I always secretly hoped my lover would have those types of hands. Not that Memphis is going to be my lover. I just…I close my eyes and try to gather my thoughts. They fly away as soon as I open my eyes and find that he has taken off his shirt.

“Wh…what are you doing?”

“I told you, sweet girl. I’m here to help. You mentioned something about this when we talked this morning, remember.”

“Of course I remember. No, wait. This was not what I meant. I wasn’t asking…”

His hands trail up my arm and over my shoulder as he interrupts me. “Lucky for you, you never have to ask.”

“Memphis, you…can’t. You can’t be in here.”

He leans forward and dips his fingertips in the water beside my bare leg. “What do you do first? Your hair or your body?”