Page 5 of His Love

Paisley

I woke up to whimpering. It took me a minute to realize it was my own. My whole leg hurt—so bad—and I was really uncomfortable and shaking. Shaking my head to clear it of the cobwebs only made it ache too. I struggled to sit up, but finally managed, then immediately wanted to lay back down. I was so thirsty and everything hurt. My room was unusually dark… I didn’t think I was in my room. I studied the soft pink flamingo I was holding close for a minute before I remembered I was at Axel’s house. The horror of realizing why I was so cold came after. I had wet the bed. I was soaked.

Panic filled my belly and clawed at my chest.

Oh, no. I’d bet this was his Little girl’s bed and I’d just saturated it with my urine. Pulling myself up on my good foot, I threw my injured one over the side of the crib and tried to climb out. I couldn’t reach the ground and the floor was way too far away to just let go. Pulling my leg back in, I waited, hoping an idea would come to me. Maybe there was an escape latch somewhere on the rail. Trying to lean forward while trying to feel for a latch, would end up being my downfall, literally, when I got tangled up in the blanket and fell into the side of the crib. Pain tore through my ankle and I cried out in agony.

The nursery door flew open and Axel ran to me. He was only wearing boxers and his hair was dripping. “I was in the shower and didn’t hear you through the monitor at first. What’s wrong, baby? Did you wake up scared?” He reached for me, but I scooted backward in the crib.

The only thing I could do was be honest. He would find out soon enough anyway. “I’m so sorry,” I cried. “I had an accident.”

“Oh, honey, it’s okay. All Little ones have accidents and you were so tired from all the medication, I wondered if this would happen, but I didn’t have consent to put you in a diaper. Let me help you get cleaned up, yeah?” He had asked me before they gave me the strong pain medicine if he could bring me back to his house to keep an eye on me. I’d agreed since I didn’t know how I would react to the medicine, and the doctor said I shouldn’t go home alone. We probably should have thought further ahead.

I didn’t want to make him angry if he wasn’t already, but I couldn’t resist asking him, “Was this your Little girl’s bed?”

He smiled softly and rubbed my arm. His touch went a long way in soothing me. “It was, and that’s okay. I’m not upset and she wouldn’t be either.”

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

“I know you didn’t, baby. I promise I’m not upset, but let’s get you cleaned up before you get too cold.”

I nodded at him and he let the side down before picking me up under the armpits and setting me on his hip.

“You’re going to get wet,” I cried as I tried to wiggle free.

He held me tighter to him and chuckled. “It’s just a little pee.”

“It’s a lot of pee,” I argued.

“You worry too much,” he teased as he carried me down the hall and into his room. “Junie’s nursery has a bathroom built in, but I don’t think there’s any linens in there. We can get you all squeaky-clean in here,” he said as he set me on a bench in his bathroom. The mirrors were still steamy from his shower and it smelled strongly like his citrus scent.

After turning the faucet on in the bath, he walked back to me and knelt between my legs. Placing a hand on each of my knees, he looked up at me. “I want to help you, darlin’, but I won’t do anything that’s going to make you uncomfortable. I would like to give you a bath and tuck you into my bed for the night, but if you’re not up for that, it’s okay and I will understand.”

I rubbed my fingers over his tattooed hand, tracing the patterns in his ink and considered my options. After being taken from my mother at age four, I’d been placed in foster care. I had no memories of my mom, and due to my nevus flammeus, I’d never been adopted.

I’d needed several surgeries as I grew older and nobody wanted to adopt a child that would come with a chance of medical debt. The foster families were nice, but I was a difficult child. I had severe anxiety and later depression due to my physical appearance, so I was moved around a lot. At fourteen I was placed in a group home where I stayed until I turned eighteen and transitioned to the Independent Living Program. I’d never really been shown any affection. I craved it now. The idea of someone taking care of me—even if just for the night—sounded like a dream come true.

“I would really like that,” I finally said. Despite my decision to allow him to care for me, my skin still tingled with embarrassment as he undressed me.

Using gentle movements, he sat me in the tub sideways and propped my foot on the edge of the tub. My back rested against the other side. He rolled up a towel and placed it under my ankle. “Is that comfy?”

I nodded and crossed my arms over my boobs nervously.

“You’re so beautiful, Paisley. You don’t need to be embarrassed.”

Heat rose to my skin for the second time and I was surprised to realize I could turn even more red.

Axel didn’t seem to notice as he soaped up a cloth and began to wash me. “How badly is your ouchie hurting, Little one?”

“Is kinda ouchie, but not as ouchie as when I first woke up. I think maybe I bumped it in my sleep.”

“I”m sorry, baby. I bet that did hurt,” he said as he looked at me sympathetically. “You can have some more pain medicine in another hour. Do you think you can make it that long?”

I nodded and he pressed a kiss to my forehead.

“You’re a brave girl, Paisley.”

I didn’t feel brave, but it was nice he thought that.

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