Page 49 of Psychological War

Or I could head back upstairs and shower with her even though my body hurt and ached.

I don’t even know why I acted like this was a huge decision. As fast as I could, I made my way back up the stairs and down the hallway to the last room on the right.

Closing the door behind me, I made my way to the bathroom. The moment I opened the door, I was hit with steam.

I felt like a teenage boy about to see my first girl naked. I don’t even know what changed, but she was different. She had this different type of energy about her that I couldn’t quite understand.

Shredding my clothes once again, I opened the glass shower door. Salem was standing underneath the water, her head down. With her back to me, I could see all the different white scars, some raised and some with burn marks. Her skin was pale, a few freckles scattered across her shoulders down her arms.

“Are you going to stare all day or what?” she asked, breaking the silence. I wanted her to talk about anything just so I could hear her voice.

Stepping further into the shower with her, I couldn’t help but smile. She was so tiny and fragile.

“You and Dimitri seem to be friends,” I muttered, taking another step towards her.

“I think we tolerate each other.” A small laugh left her mouth. I wanted to kiss and devour her. “But is that what you really want to talk about?” she said, cocking her head to the side, arching a brow.

“Are you going to tell me what happened?” I asked. Salem frowned up at me. I don’t know what came across her face, or what she was thinking, but it was something unsettling. She was upset, and she didn’t hide it from me. Not like she normally did.

Shaking her head, she motioned for me to step forward. Doing so, I got my hair wet and hissed when the warm water hit my split lip. Stepping back, I reopened my eyes to find Salem staring hard at me. Worry swarmed around her eyes. It warmed my heart that she was worried about me, but it also felt odd. No one truly worried about me.

“Come here.” Salem stepped onto a bench in the shower. Now she was an inch or two taller than me.

Reaching over, she grabbed the shampoo bottle and poured a small amount into her hand. “Turn.”

Doing as she asked, her hands began gently massaging the shampoo into my hair. The back right side of my head was tender, but she barely touched me as she washed my hair.

I don’t know how long she continued to work the shampoo into my hair until her voice met my ears. “I lost control.”

“When?”

I didn’t think she was going to touch until finally she said, “When he knocked you out. I lost control. I didn’t think I had it in me until I saw him hit you on the head and I saw your body fall.” She stopped washing my hair. “Step under the water.” Doing as she said, I rinsed my hair out.

Stepping back I waited until she began working conditioner into my hair.

“I didn’t even check to make sure you were alive or not. I just shoved you into the trunk. I drugged your boss and then drove everyone here.” I don’t know if she was saying this for me, or if it was for herself.

“Where is it?” I asked.

She said nothing, still working the conditioner into my hair. I knew it didn’t take that long; she was evading my question.

“Salem,” I snapped.

“North Carolina, it took ten hours.”

“North… Carolina?” My voice was heavy with irritation. I don’t know why I was irritated we were here, but fuck.

“Salem? Did you say ten hours?”

It took too long for her to respond.

“Salem.” I grunted.

“Under the water again,” was all she said. Should I have said something else to her? Yes. Did I? No. I stepped under the water and once again rinsed my hair out. Salem said nothing as she washed my body, careful of every inch of me.

When I was done, Salem turned the water off and grabbed a towel. Wrapping it around her body, she grabbed another one before drying my hair and began drying my body. I don’t know what I deserved to have her take care of me like this, but fuck, I needed to step my game up.

Once we were both dried off, I followed her back into her bedroom where she grabbed a large shirt and tugged it over her head. She dragged the curtains over the windows that I hadn’t even realized were there. Crawling into bed she patted the spot next to her.

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