Page 18 of Gift from the Tree

Dirty. Oh my God.

Looking down at my body, I’m still wrapped in Gaster’s cloak, thankfully completely covered, but I know what’s hiding underneath it, and thinking about my ripped romper, torn underwear, and bloodied skin, my heart rate spikes, my vision blurs, and I start hyperventilating. Trying and failing to catch my breath.

A pair of hands gently grab my cheeks, bringing me back to the moment before I slip too far into the panic. Looking up and into the sea of cobalt, worry and guilt are reflecting back at me.

“Where did you go, little wanderer?” Draken asks softly.

“I need to get this off. I need to get this off and I need to shower,” I choke out, trying to hold the tears at bay.

“Right away, Willow. I was waiting for you to wake up enough to see your surroundings. I’ll start a bath and fetch you some clothes. Gentlemen, if you’ll please step out.” Gaster jumps into action immediately, making me want to give him a hug.

“But—” Draken starts.

“No buts. Willow’s been through enough for right now and needs a moment. You can come back as soon as she’s ready for you too.”

Draken looks at me with such worry, I almost tell him to stay just so he won’t look like that anymore. But so much has happened and there’s still so much going on that I just need a minute for myself to collect my thoughts and figure out what I need to be asking.

Or maybe he shouldn’t be here because you don’t know him, Willow. What is wrong with you?

Instead of listening to the sound of reason in my mind, I give Draken a small smile and a nod, trying to let him know I’ll be fine.

“We’ll be right outside if you need us,” Corentin says before ushering everyone but Gaster out of the room.

When the door shuts, I release a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. That’s one intimidatingly attractive group of men. It’s hard not to feel like this big-ass room is small when they’re all in here like that, sucking up the space and all logical thinking. Now that they’re gone, I feel like I’m back to reality.

Fidgeting awkwardly on the bed, I decide to get up and explore a little while I wait for Gaster to come back out of the bathroom. It takes me a second to get my balance on my wobbly legs, but once I do, I make my way straight to the wall of books. It’s so beautiful and the ranges of different genres lining the shelves make me want to just pluck one off and crawl back into bed.

Glancing behind me, I’m surprised to realize its true size. It’s at least two king beds and stretches almost clear across one whole wall.

Why in the world would one person need that much room?

Before I can grab a book and bury myself beneath the covers, Gaster comes out of the bathroom holding a towel and a robe in his arms, waving me over and motioning me in with a flick of his wrist.

“I made some more tea and it’s sitting there on the side of the tub. The controls are much like the ones you have back in your realm if you need to adjust the temperature. I also added some healing oils into the water, so sit for at least fifteen minutes and let them soak,” Gaster instructs while pointing everything out to me.

This bathroom is gigantic and reminds me of an oasis. Floor-to-ceiling mirrors, his and her sinks, and a dark ebony wood vanity sits on one wall of the bathroom, but that isn’t where my attention is focused.

Water’s flowing out of the wall like a waterfall into a large soaker tub that could easily fit five people in there. On the opposite side of the waterfall are three short steps that lead you into a standing shower with five showerheads coming from multiple directions. There’re plants hanging and weaving around the bath and shower, filling the space with the smell of eucalyptus.

I want to live here forever. I never want to leave this room.

Before thinking about it too hard, I throw my arms around Gaster in a hug. “Thank you so much, Gaster. This is amazing.”

“It’s my pleasure, child. Today has been hard and I know you have many questions. Take as much time as you need. I’ll leave some clothes for you on the bed.”

As he steps out the door, I unhook the cloak and lay it on the counter, then turn toward the mirror to get the first look at myself since I got ready back at the estate. My hair’s half falling out of my bun and what’s left of my romper is hanging off me in tatters. Blood speckles my face and body, a multitude of bruises color my skin, and small cuts litter me, blending with the eight distinct white scars that already disfigure me. The sight of myself has my stomach rolling, so I rip the remainder of my clothes off and walk into the shower rather than the bathtub, not wanting to soak in bloody water.

Turning the showerheads on, I find they’re very similar to mine back home, so I crank the heat up to as close to scalding my skin as I can get it and watch as the water turns pink. Taking my hair out of my bun, I grab the bottle of shampoo sitting on the shelf and viciously scrub my scalp to the point of pain.

The smell of eucalyptus and the sweet, fruity shampoo slowly calm my nerves, but I’m not convinced my hair’s as clean as I need it, so I add another squirt to my hand, rubbing it between my two palms rapidly, and for some reason, the repetitive motion of creating the perfect suds becomes meditative, helping to redirect my focus from the heartache and anger I’m feeling to numbness.

Rushing through the rest of my shower while making sure I get all the blood off me, my mind becomes solely focused on getting to the glorious tub waiting for me. The remaining tension that lingers like a thin thread snaps as soon as my foot steps into the hot water.

Completely submerging myself, leaving only my head out, I grab the mug, chugging the delicious contents as I lean my head back into the built-in headrest and let my mind clear. For a few minutes, I’ll pretend everything is fine.

A knock at the door startles me, causing my head to slip under the water before I can catch myself. Coming up quickly, coughing, and snorting water out of my nose, I hear Gaster through the door.

“Willow, are you all right? It’s been about an hour. I wanted to check on you.”

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