Page 68 of Nowhere to Hide
I went to the little sink on the counter behind my dining table and concentrated on the steady stream of water over the microfiber towel. When my fingers were steady, I turned back to her and my muscles locked up in rage. She’d opened her legs wider, and the angry line of staples was on full display.
“I know they’re ugly.” Tears filmed her huge espresso-colored eyes.
I focused on her face. “It’s not that, Cilla.”
“Then why do you look so disgusted?”
“It’s rage.”
“Oh.” She sniffed and swiped away the tears. “Anyone who ever...” She tipped her head back. “It’s so stupid.”
“It’s not.” I moved back to her and knelt in front of her.
“How do you know it’s not stupid?”
“Because whatever you’re thinking is valid. Period.”
She frowned and her dark lashes were starred with her tears. She was so goddamn beautiful it actually stole my breath. “That’s very therapist coded.”
“Yeah, well I’ve been to one a time or two. Some of the bullshit jargon sticks.”The laugh that bubbled out of her had me looking back up at her. “What’s so funny?”
“Never mind.”
“Suit yourself.”
I gently drew the cloth over the remaining bits of adhesive, concentrating on that rather than my current predicament. Keep it clinical.
She hissed as I got too close to the incision.
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” She sniffled again.
“I’m going as fast as I can.”
“I know. It’s not that.”
“Then what?”
“It’s stupid, remember?”
“Just spit it out. I’ll let you know if it’s stupid, how’s that?”
“Now I have a Frankenstein cut right...” She huffed out a breath. “Who the hell is going to want to go down on a woman with that?”
I choked and sat back. “Not where I thought that was going.”
“I told you it was stupid. I have bigger problems like some psycho that wants to kill me because he didn’t finish the job.”
“Hey.” I caught her hand. “It’s not stupid. And if a man or a woman doesn’t get that this scar is a badge of survival, then they don’t deserve to be there.”
She sucked in a sharp breath.
I finished cleaning her and dabbed antiseptic ointment on the gauze before covering the staples and taping it down. “End of conversation.” I stood up. “Now I’m going to make us some food.”
“Okay.”
I gathered the supplies and the kit and took it with me as I stalked back into the kitchen.
