Dmitri returns with a large plastic cup in his hand.He kneels by the bathtub.“Tilt your head back, baby.Close your eyes.”
I do as he asks.He scoops water from the tub and pours it over my hair.I sigh—it feels so nice.
“Warming up now?”he asks.
“Yeah.Keep doing that.”
He chuckles.“All right.”
The rhythmic scoop of water, followed by the warmth pouring over my head, lulls me into a sense of peace.Maybe things are falling apart with Gage, maybe my new future is being hounded online by trolls.Or maybe it’ll all be fine.In this moment with Dmitri, the sounds of water and our breathing filling the quiet bathroom, all that other crap seems inconsequential.
“Lean forward.”Dmitri breaks the silence as he sets down the cup and picks up a washcloth.He squeezes water from the washcloth over my back.“I didn’t give you a good apology last night.”
“It was fine.”
“I still feel like an ass.”His voice is gruff.“You know you can talk to me about anything, right?If Gage is hurting you?—”
“No, Gage didn’t do anything.”I lift my head and push my hair out of my face so I can look Dmitri in the eyes.“He didn’t, I swear.He’d never hurt me, not on purpose.”
“Okay.”
I can’t tell if thatokayis really an okay, or an okay of disbelief.“I promise, Dmitri.He didn’t do anything.I just…have you not seen any of it?”
“It?”
“The video Nicola Johnson posted.One of AoG’s actors.”I can already feel my heart growing heavy, my gut empty with dread.I don’t want to talk about this, but I force out the words.“And I guess she dated Gage?She posted this thing saying that she’s still with Gage and he’s cheating on her—with me.”
“What?”Dmitri drops the washcloth and rests his hand on my back.“You know that’s a lie, right?He can’t be with her.I see him all the goddamn time at the club.She’s never been there.He never goes to LA.I mean, he did for that funeral?—”
“And again to help Claudia with something,” I add.
“Yeah, but no.Nicola Johnson is full of shit.”
“I know she is, but…Dmitri, she also shared my photo.Reporters found my info.They’re blowing up my phone with requests for interviews.And people are saying horrible, shitty things about me on Nicola’s post.”I pull in a deep, long breath.I don’t want to cry about this.If I start, I might never stop.
“I’m sorry, Leah.”He smooths my wet hair out of the way and rubs circles over my spine.
“You didn’t know already?”
“No.”
“Danica’s the one who showed me the video.”I pull up my legs and wrap my arms around my knees, holding myself together.“I thought she would’ve told you.”
“Danica didn’t say anything to me—shit.She sort of did.She asked me if you’re okay, said it’s been one thing after another for you.She felt bad.I thought she was talking about Patrick.But she meant this, didn’t she?”
I shrug.“Probably.It doesn’t matter.Now you know.”
“Yeah, and where the fuck is Gage?”
I shrug again.The water is starting to get cold.Dmitri seems to realize at the same time I do, because he pulls the plug and stands.He holds out a hand for me to grip as I climb out of the tub, and he grabs a clean, fluffy towel to wrap around me.He doesn’t leer at my naked body, he doesn’t cop a feel.I wouldn’t mind if he did, but it’s kind of nice to be cared for without any ulterior motives.
“Warmer now?”he asks.
“Yeah.”
He rubs me through the towel, drying me and comforting me at the same time.He still isn’t taking advantage of my nudity.A real gentleman.“So, what did Gage say about all this?”
I shake my head.
