Page 39 of Bound By Fate
“I guess. I feel gross.”
His sexy smirk made my head spin more. “Lucky for you I give great showers.”
“Um … no. I’ll take a shower on my own,” I told him. He wasnotseeing me naked. I might’ve helped him before, but there was no way he was going to see the marks all over my body. No. Not happening.
My sister walked out of the room saying, “You get her cleaned up, and then I’ll get some food in her.”
“Ensley!” I yelled, but she didn’t reply.
“You’re not giving me a shower,” I told him directly, putting every ounce of force I could muster up into my words.
“No, I’m holding you up. Giving you support.”
I had to look to meet his eyes from my perch on the bed. “No.”
“Can you stand on your own?”
My stare turned into a glare because no I couldn’t. Standing caused a wave of dizziness.
“Right, so let me help you.”
He was so damn frustrating.
“Dry, I can’t. You can’t see me.” Tears welled in my eyes thinking of all the marks those assholes left on me. I never wanted him, of all people, to see me like a butchered up piece of meat.
“I won’t look,” he replied.
“Huh?”
“You’re sick. I’m helping you. That’s all this is right now, Katie. Trust me.”
Trust him. Lord, that was a loaded phrase, but if there was anyone I’d trust it would be him.
Fear struck me at what I was about to do. He would see it all. Every gash. Every scar. Every bump and keloid that didn’t heal correctly. All of it. I wasn’t the same woman he had in his bed all those months ago.
I’d changed. And not for the better.
My breathing was rapid as I clutched on to Dryerson’s arm for support. “You’ll have to look, Dry, but I don’t want you to see the mess they made of me.”
When the words were out, I couldn’t believe I’d said them. That vulnerability came through loud and clear, and I hated myself for showing it. Even if it were true.
“You’re not a mess. You’d never be a mess, Katie. Don’t ever think that. You’re beautiful on the inside and out.”
I felt a tear fall down my cheek. Why did he have to be so sweet about this kind of stuff?
“Dryerson, you don’t understand what you’ll see. I’m…”
“I don’t care if your entire body is burned from head to toe. You’re beautiful in my eyes. Always have been, always will be. You do not give those fuckers control over you. You are in control. I’ve got you.”
He always seemed to have me. Even when I pushed him away.
Taking a fortifying breath, I nodded once. Every part of my body turned burning hot, and it wasn’t from fever. No, it was from embarrassment. Trust him… Trust him…
He helped me take my sweat-soaked clothes off, clothes that I hadn’t remembered changing into considering I was in my work clothes and now had pajamas on. That was for another time.
I tried covering my body with my arms and stepping into the shower at the same time. It wasn’t easy, and I wobbled a bit, but he caught me with ease.
Dryerson went down to his underwear and got into the warm spray with me. My tub was super small with an older tub and shower head combination deal. One person was tight. Two people, one being a huge sexy man, was cramped, but he didn’t waver.
