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“You need to get dressed. I’m taking you to your sister.”
“I don’t want to go there,” she argues.
“I have a fucking meeting,” I say, climbing out of the bed.
She doesn’t argue with me further as I head back into the bathroom. I’ve showered more times in the last two days than I ever do, but no amount of scrubbing at my skin makes me feel any cleaner. I know I’m not physically tainted with my sins, but having committed so many with my hands, I’m almost disgusted at using them on her.
She doesn’t join me in the shower. She’s sitting on the side of the bed when I finish and go back into the bedroom.
I watch her for a long moment, wondering how opposed she would be to me pushing her to her back and forcing her hips up for the next hour.
“You can’t ride across town naked.”
It was her warm clothes-free body that enticed me to touch her when I woke up this morning. If she just pulled on one of my t-shirts, I could keep my fingers in her all the way to Ayla and Nash’s house.
She stands, walking past me into the bathroom, and she gets dressed faster than I can manage. I hate the sight of that fucking diner uniform on her body. It does too much to accentuate her curves, the top dipping lower than needed to wait tables. But I get the appeal. It’s purposeful, the uniform possibly drawing in more customers than the shitty food they serve there. I hate whoever thought it was a good idea to sexualize their staff.
“Ready,” she says without bothering to look in my direction before grabbing her powered-down phone from the bedside table and walking out of the room.
The ride to the house is silent. As much as I want all emotions left in the past where they belong, it makes me feel like I’ve done something wrong. I hate to feel things, especially regret or remorse.
She leans forward when I pull up close to the house, and I can see by the look on her face that she hates it here. I hate that I insisted she leave the house. I should’ve asked her to stay, asked her to be waiting for me on that bed once the meeting is over.
“No one’s here,” she says, but she climbs out of the truck anyway.
I follow her. She doesn’t question why I step inside with her or why I follow her to her bedroom.
She doesn’t speak as she strips down. No noise is made when she steps into the shower and washes quickly.
I don’t shy away or hide the fact that I’m watching her, and she doesn’t attempt to hide a thing from me either.
“You hate it here,” I say when she steps out and begins to towel off.
The towel in her hands looks luxurious, something she didn’t even come close to having back at the other house. Yet, she never complained.
“I told you I didn’t want to come here.”
“Why don’t you like it?”
I swear to God I’ll rip Nash’s heart out if she says he’s done something to make her feel uncomfortable.
“I guess I’m still a little shaken up about what happened the other night.”
She takes a deep breath before hanging the towel back up and heading to her closet for clothes.
“Has he hurt you?”
She’s silent for a minute as she moves hangers around, deciding on a t-shirt and jeans.
“Who? Nash? Other than giving me his unsolicited opinions on occasion, he rarely even speaks to me. They spend a lot of time alone in their room.”
“They ignore you?”
She frowns as she slips a pair of lacy panties up her thighs before reaching for the matching bra.
“I’m not a child. They have their own lives and like to spend their time how they want. I don’t get an opinion about it. I’m just saying it’s lonely. It’s why I work so much and one of the reasons I’m going to try college again.”
There’s nothing she’s doing that’s overtly sexy, but I think it turns me on to watch her dress as much as it does to watch her pull each item of clothing off.
“Alone doesn’t bother me usually, but I’ll be fine. You don’t have to stay and babysit me.”
I watch her face, checking her eyes, but I can’t see even a hint that she’s trying to manipulate me. The thought of her in the house alone annoys me. Knowing she’s scared to be here? I’ll never be able to focus.
“Put some shoes on, and you can come with me.”
She chews on the corner of her bottom lip and she looks at me.
“Or you can stay here,” I tell her and walk out of the room.
She may think she’s getting an option, but honestly, I’ll go back into the house and drag her out if she doesn’t do as I say.
