Page 289 of Mayhem and Minnie

Ah, the sacrifices I make for my little heathen.

When I’m satisfied with how clean she is, I step out of the shower.

She’s watching me intently but doesn’t make to move.

“You should…erm, wash your private parts,” I mutter.

Her cheeks redden.

“Oh.”

“You will wash, all right?”

She takes a moment to think about it then says, “Can’t you do it for me?”

I blink. My own body heats up.

“That would not be wise, Minnie.”

“But it would be nice,” she whispers.

“I’m sure it would be. But I don’t trust myself with you completely naked.” I take a deep breath. “Wash up and I’ll meet you back in the room.”

She eventually nods, and I leave, although that might actually be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

While she’s finishing up, I tidy up the bed and make sure everything is in order.

Minnie comes out with a towel wrapped around her body. She’s suddenly shy as she surveys the room.

“Come. We need to rest. We’ll be waking up early in the morning,” I tell her as I slide between the clean sheets. Ah, I missed the smell of fresh laundry.

She nods and gets into bed too, a distance away from me.

I turn off the light, but neither of us goes to sleep immediately.

“Uhm, Marlowe?”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry about my outburst from earlier today. You’re right. I shouldn’t have suspected you.”

“It’s fine.”

“No. It’s not fine. I…” She turns to her side to look at me. “I’ve been so suspicious of everything and everyone for so long that it’s become second nature. But I want to clear something up.”

“You really don’t have to, Minnie,” I tell her.

It happened in the aftermath of a trying event. Adrenaline ran high, and for a moment, we actually feared for our lives. Not to mention the little surprise of what my blood can do. All things considered, I understand why she said what she said.

“It wasn’t you directly that I was suspicious of,” she mentions, sliding closer to me. “It’s the House of Moirai. They’re all sneaky bastards, and I wouldn’t put it past them to do this to you to get back to me.”

“You keep mentioning the House of Moirai. But why would they want to do anything to you?”

“Because I messed with the natural order of things,” she adds slowly.

“By getting involved with a human?”

She hesitates.

---