Page 43 of Paper Thin Love

Why? Why is he invested in a girl he just met?

I nod, but we both know it’s a lie.

He snorts like a bull being challenged.“Fine. Have it your way.” He glances at his crutch, then back at me.“Pick that up. I need your help.” He commands.

I could fight. Deny Dash. However, he’s got leverage over me now and if I want to know his true intentions, I need to see how he’s going to wield it.

Bending down, I grasp the crutch.“You still owe me a favor when we’re done,” I warn him, shoving it to his chest.

“Let’s hope you live long enough to cash it in,” he snidely retorts.

Chapter 18

Mila

“Why are we at your dorm?” I ask hesitantly as we stop at his door, my unease growing with each passing second.

Dash doesn’t answer me. Instead, he flashes his phone over the keypad, and the door clicks open. He pauses, scanning the dark interior before stepping in.

“Did you think an ambush was lurking inside?” I voice, trying to mask my anxiety with a hint of sarcasm.

“Better safe than sorry,” he replies, his tone unreadable as he finally crosses the threshold, leaving me no choice but to follow.

“I thought you had friends in high places now,” I retort.“Where are Dante and Cillian?” I question as I close the door behind us. It’s clear he hasn’t stepped foot inside his dorm, but everything he would need has been stocked. He opens the closet to find his clothes, uses his crutch to push open the ensuite bathroom door, and sees body gels and washes lining the shelf. There’s a brand-new laptop and all his school supplies on the desk.

“Assholes,” he mutters as he takes everything in.

“Dash,” I exhale.“I’m tired, and I want to go back to my dorm. What do you need me to do?” I’m also embarrassed and worried because you keep peeling back the layers that comprise me.

He ignores me and goes into the closet, opening a small luggage. The items inside make me question if he is going to kill me and stuff me in that bag. He grabs a trash bag and a huge roll of duct tape.

“I want to shower,” he finally states. At this moment, he looks like a young adult and not the monster he usually is.

“Okay…are you into some strange kink?” I eye the bag and tape.

“No,” he snorts, a smirk playing on his lips.“I need you to wrap my cast so it doesn’t get wet.”

Oh. That’s why Dash needs me and not his friends.“You don’t want them to see your weakness.” I step forward and grab the tape.“If they were your friends, it shouldn’t matter,” I tell him.

“Maybe it’s because they are my friends that it matters too much,” he retorts. Then he reaches for his shirt and peels it off.

Holy abs. He’s ripped like most guys here.

There it is again. Those sparks inside of me only flare with Dash. My eyes roam over his chest as I make a mental image I never want to forget.

“Take my pants off.”

Say what?

“Mila,” Dash sighs,“I can’t bend down. The nurse helped me put these sad excuses for pants on. I need you to help me undress and then help me get dressed. That’s all.”

I lick my lips. I can hear the slight uptick of vulnerability in his voice that he’s trying to mask with coldness.

“As soon as I’m finished, you can leave. Come back here at 7:30 a.m. to help me get dressed. Then we will have breakfast.”

“You’re not going to The Cleansing?”

“No.”

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