Edmund
It takes Troy so fucking long to bring Danica home, I start to wonder if he absconded somewhere else with her.
I wouldn’t blame him, to be honest.
But I did go for her first.
They come up the private elevator and step into the penthouse. Danica is wearing one of Troy’s sweatshirts. It comes down almost to her knees, swallowing her like a big, gray cloak.
“She’s all wet.” Troy strides to the gas fireplace and switches it on.
I take in her wet hair, her smudged make-up, her gray eyes looking bigger than ever.
This isn’t a girl who called to fuck. This is a girl who needs to be taken care of.
“Bathroom.” I grab her hand and start to lead her down the hall.
“B-bathroom?” She digs in her heels.
“Yes. You’re shivering, Danica.”
Troy follows behind. I take Danica through my room, and soon the three of us are standing in the master bathroom.
“This is not what I expected when I texted you.” Danica peers around the spacious area. The bathroom is done in light gray tile with black accents. Boring, but I never have company over, so I never cared.
I turn on the tap to start the shower while Troy gets towels out of the cabinet. I face Danica. “Lift up your arms.”
She squints at me. “Why?”
“So we can get the hoodie off.”
“Do you bathe all your hook-ups before fucking?” She lifts her arms.
“Who says you’re a hook-up?” I lean in close and tug up the hem of Troy’s sweatshirt.
She smells like alcohol.
Once I get the hoodie off of her, I lean in again and inhale. “What were you drinking, angel?”
“Tequila.”
“How much did you have?”
“Enough.”
I think back to last night. Her furious family. The way her face crumpled when she ran away from them.
She’s here to forget. She’s running from all the bad feelings in her mind and heart.
And she came to us.
The fucking irony of it, that she ran straight to the enemy for comfort.
“Sweet princess.” I kiss her cheek and reach behind her for the zipper on her dress. Her skin is cool against my fingertips. We need to get her warmed up as fast as possible. “You’re not a hook-up. Not tonight.”
“Then what am I?”
“You’re you. And you’re running from some pretty big feelings.”
