Page 58 of Nine

Trig stretches and then opens his eyes.

“I’m hungry. Let’s go get breakfast.”

He rubs his eyes and then stares at me.

“You’re already dressed? What time is it?”

“Seven.”

“Give me a few minutes to wake up and throw some clothes on.”

He looks down at his hand. A white bandage is wrapped around his knuckles.

“Did you do this?”

“I woke up really early. Housekeeping had a first aid kit. They let me borrow a few things.”

He sits up, leans over, and plants a kiss on my cheek.

“Thank you.”

He pulls back and examines my face.

“Your freckles really stand out today.”

“I didn’t think you noticed that I had them.”

Without missing a beat, he answers. “I notice every mark on your body.”

I clamp my lips closed and briefly look away. I’ve never been one to blush, but he makes my cheeks feel hot. Trig seems to have that effect on me. I look back to notice that he’s staring at my hair. It’s probably because it’s the first day I’ve tossed it up into a messy bun.

“What color is your natural hair?”

I can see him looking at my roots.

“My roots are pretty bad, huh?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know much about that stuff.”

“My real color is a mousey brown, but I’ve had this red color for as long as I can remember. I was thinking of changing it. You know, part of the whole rebirth thing.”

“You’ll look good in whatever.”

I play with my fingertips, scared to ask after last night.

“Do you think I could have some money to go to the hair salon here? I saw one when we checked in.”

Trig stands up and lets the sheet drop.

“You don’t have to ask me for money. It’s here. Take what you need.”

I look down. It feels weird to ask him for cash. It’s not mine. I didn’t earn it, but at the same time, I’m broke. Everything I made in Vegas is gone.

“Would you want to come with me?” I reluctantly ask.

“To get your hair done?”

Trig looks confused.

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