Page 84 of In Between Darkness
The sound of shuffling wakes me up, and the pounding in my head returns. I rub my eyes and adjust to my surroundings. My mind still feels disoriented as I try to work out where I am. My bare legs relax under soft satin sheets. My body screams as I sit myself up. Every part of me aches as memories of the fight flash back to me. My eyes recognise a sword above the headboard on display. I am in Ryder’s room again, but where is he?
The back of my head thumps, reminding me of the damage to my skull. I wince as I lightly trace over the lump on the left side of my scalp. Alex really did a number on me. I lift the sheets to check my leg and gasp as my bare legs stare back at me; I lie just in my panties and t-shirt. My cheeks blush as I imagine Ryder getting me undressed. The burns and blisters are covered with white cotton bandages, wrapped tight to conceal them, and on my arm too. Ryder must have dressed my wounds in my unconscious state. I feel a tightness under my shirt and peek under to see that my ribs are bound too. Memories of my bones cracking flood back to me. I shake my head to try to dismiss them, but this just increases the pounding in my head. Another groan escapes me. Fuck you, Alex. A white pill and a glass of water catch my attention on the bedside table. Is this for me? My head hurts so much, I’ll take anything. I pinch the circular pill and pop it into my mouth before grabbing the water with a shaky hand, working hard not to spill it, and take a few sips to wash the tablet down.
The noise of shuffling returns, emanating from the door at the side of the room. The light is on and it is open ajar with hot steam seeping into the bedroom. I see shadows moving across the room. The pounding in my head dulls, and I can focus a little better. The faint sound of running water is soothing, and the smell of men’s body wash drifts through the air. A dark vanilla scent. I picture Ryder in there, showering. The thought of him being naked just a few meters away from me makes my stomach flutter. I breathe deeply and feel the blood rush to my cheeks. Thinking about the hot, steamy water dampening his hair and rolling down his perfect torso makes me bite my lip. I never thought I could be jealous of water, but I am, every drip that rolls slowly down over his soft caramel skin, each droplet caressing every ridge on his body, travelling over the veins in his arms that bulge as he scrubs his dripping wet body clean. I hide my face in my hands and shake my head again to try to stifle those thoughts. If my body didn’t ache everywhere, I would be tempted to go in there and join him.
The faint pattering of the shower stops, and my heart starts beating faster. I bury my feelings of panic under the duvet, pulling the soft satin sheets up as I shuffle back down the bed to pretend I am still asleep. The door squeaks open, and the volume of Ryder’s footsteps increase. I open one eye discreetly to gawk at the man who saved me. His hair is so wet it looks gelled. It’s combed back like the love interest in an old-fashioned movie, and a black towel hugs his waist, protecting his modesty. Gods what I would do to take a peek under that. He looks around at me, and I shut my eye a little too late. I hear him chuckle.
“I know you’re awake.”
His voice prompts me to slowly open my eyes and sit up a little. My cheeks redden with embarrassment, but my ribs yellas I move. I wince as Ryder sits down at the foot of the bed. He looks at me with concern and furrows his brows.
“How are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been beaten and burned,” I say sarcastically, as I re-adjust into a comfier position. He grits his teeth and reaches out to gently cradle my cheek in his hand. His touch is warm and moist, and he has a shine to his skin; still not completely dry from his shower.
“He got you pretty good, but you’ll live.” He gestures to my bruised torso.
He looks different. There is hurt hiding behind the sparkles in his eyes. I can tell he is carrying some type of guilt, an added weight to his shoulders. I hope he doesn’t blame himself for what happened with Alex.
“Thank you for bandaging me up,” I smile at him, and he nods before looking away. There are a few minutes of quietness between us, and I try to find something to say to break up the silence. “Erm, where are my clothes?”
“Over there.” He points to a folded pile of clothes on his dresser. “I took them off to dress your wounds.”
He smirks and bites his lip. Oh, did he now?
“Don’t worry, I didn’t see anything.”
My cheeks blush pink, and I cover my face with my hands in embarrassment. “Red looks good on you, though,” he winks, and I blush even more, lifting the covers to look down at my red panties. I pull the sheets up higher to hide my face in an attempt to bury my awkwardness.
“I’m so embarrassed,” I mutter from under the sheets, and he laughs, pulling them away from my face, exposing my rosy cheeks.
“Hey, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before.” He chuckles and rubs his chin with his forefinger and thumb. I can tell he is smiling. A flashback of the night in the woods floods to the frontof my mind, the first time I sleepwalked to Ryder in my pink mini shorts and vest top. My stomach flutters.
“What was that guy’s problem with you, anyway?”
I can hear the annoyance in his tone; he is getting pissed off just thinking about Alex. I wince as I sit up carefully and take another sip of the water.
“He asked me out in Pen School, and I rejected him. Ever since then, he has done everything in his power to make my life a living hell,” I confess. “But he has definitely turned up the heat.” I force out a chuckle, and Ryder searches my eyes, comforting me with a smile.
“Don’t do that.”
His eyes stare into my soul, and I can’t help but feel confused.
“Don’t try to laugh it off like it was nothing. I saw how scared you were.”
I look down at my hands and avoid eye contact with him. He’s right. I don’t think what happened has really sunk in yet. He places a hand on top of mine and gives it a reassuring squeeze. I notice his bruised knuckles.
“Listen to me. That asshole won’t hurt you again.” His voice is even more serious now, and I know he means it. I keep seeing Alex’s face in my head, all battered and bruised. I know he tried to hurt me, but he didn’t deserve that. The memory makes me wince, and I turn away from his gaze.
“Yeah, I don’t think he’ll be doing anything for a while.” I roll my eyes.
Ryder grits his teeth and sighs in annoyance. I may have touched a nerve.
“You know he could have killed you, right?” He tenses, but my eyes still don’t meet his. He gently cups my face and forces my eyes to connect with his. “You know that, right?”
I stare into his eyes. They flicker with a caramel ember in this light.
“I know,” I say quietly. I don’t think he is satisfied with my response.
