wraps most of the time. “Morning.” He leans up against the doorframe, watching me, and I’m a great big ball of tangled nerves. Last night, at least it was dark and I could hide some, but with the way the sun is streaming in, there’s no hiding what I have going on.
“Good morning,” I mumble as I peer around, looking for my clothes. Josh’s eyes follow mine as I spot them clear across the other side of the room in a ball. He grins back at me and crosses his arms like he’s waiting to see what I’m going to do. As I sit up, I take the sheet with me, making sure to cover my chest.
“What are you doing?” he asks as he creeps closer like an animal on the hunt, grinning the whole time.
I chomp down on my bottom lip for a few seconds. “Nothing.”
“Do you want me to get your clothes, or are you gonna be brave enough to get them yourself?”
I throw up my arm and wave him off like it’s not bothering me. “Sure, that’d be great. I mean, if you don’t mind.”
He pivots around and stops for a beat before coming back to me. My panties and bra are dangling from his pinky finger as he swings them back and forth. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll give you one article of clothing for each answer you give me.”
I narrow my eyes and purse my lips, because I know what he’s trying to do and I know he thinks this is the way to get answers from an inexperienced little girl like me.
When I don’t move he tosses my panties on the bed. “So, what happened last night?”
I grab them and shimmy into them without removing the sheet. “It was nothing. I was sad and needed to be cheered up.”
He clicks his tongue several times on his upper teeth, tilting his head as he eyes me. “You’re a shit liar, you know that?” He sits on the edge of the bed next to me.
“Who says I’m lying?” I counter, reaching out for my bra, but he holds it up over his head out of my reach.
“Okay, let’s try this instead. We’ll take baby steps with this one. I’m only asking one question this morning and next time I see you, I’ll ask another and so on. Deal?”
I sit back, thinking.
“Stop with the lip thing and that damn frown. Deal or not?”
I roll my eyes.
“What made you run out of that bar so fast?” His hands go on either side, trapping me in. I pull the sheet snug to my chest, but he gently moves my hands and slips the straps up my arms and over my shoulders, dressing me like a child. Before I can say anything he’s hooking my bra back on, but keeping his eyes trained on mine. Damn he’s sweet.
“Someone came looking for me.”
His head comes up at my admission, and he squints as he thinks about my response. “And you don’t want to be found?”
I’m struggling to breathe with him so close and the gentleness of his touch as his hands run down my back until they stay put on my waist. I swallow. “You said only one question.”
He sighs and then kisses my nose. “I did say that, didn’t I?” He tucks my hair behind my ears, not taking his eyes from mine. “It’s been a real long time since I’ve had someone stay over night, Ava. I usually don’t do this, so I’m asking once and only once for my own sanity.”
“You said only one.”
“Please grant me one more before I take you home?”
I nod, because I’m having a hard time saying no to him when he looks at me like he is right now.
“Are you gonna be scared all by yourself in that apartment with no one watching over you?”
I want to scream yes, please keep me safe, but I refuse to be a burden, or to have him feel like he needs to babysit me after what we just did. I want to act like the adult I’m pretending to be. “Yes, I’m totally fine. I’m safe as a kitten, I promise.”
When he tilts my chin up and studies my face I do my best to hide the fear that I know he’s searching for. “You’d tell me if you are scared, right?”
I throw my arms around his neck, knowing I’m about ready to falter. “Of course.” And
“Good morning,” I mumble as I peer around, looking for my clothes. Josh’s eyes follow mine as I spot them clear across the other side of the room in a ball. He grins back at me and crosses his arms like he’s waiting to see what I’m going to do. As I sit up, I take the sheet with me, making sure to cover my chest.
“What are you doing?” he asks as he creeps closer like an animal on the hunt, grinning the whole time.
I chomp down on my bottom lip for a few seconds. “Nothing.”
“Do you want me to get your clothes, or are you gonna be brave enough to get them yourself?”
I throw up my arm and wave him off like it’s not bothering me. “Sure, that’d be great. I mean, if you don’t mind.”
He pivots around and stops for a beat before coming back to me. My panties and bra are dangling from his pinky finger as he swings them back and forth. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll give you one article of clothing for each answer you give me.”
I narrow my eyes and purse my lips, because I know what he’s trying to do and I know he thinks this is the way to get answers from an inexperienced little girl like me.
When I don’t move he tosses my panties on the bed. “So, what happened last night?”
I grab them and shimmy into them without removing the sheet. “It was nothing. I was sad and needed to be cheered up.”
He clicks his tongue several times on his upper teeth, tilting his head as he eyes me. “You’re a shit liar, you know that?” He sits on the edge of the bed next to me.
“Who says I’m lying?” I counter, reaching out for my bra, but he holds it up over his head out of my reach.
“Okay, let’s try this instead. We’ll take baby steps with this one. I’m only asking one question this morning and next time I see you, I’ll ask another and so on. Deal?”
I sit back, thinking.
“Stop with the lip thing and that damn frown. Deal or not?”
I roll my eyes.
“What made you run out of that bar so fast?” His hands go on either side, trapping me in. I pull the sheet snug to my chest, but he gently moves my hands and slips the straps up my arms and over my shoulders, dressing me like a child. Before I can say anything he’s hooking my bra back on, but keeping his eyes trained on mine. Damn he’s sweet.
“Someone came looking for me.”
His head comes up at my admission, and he squints as he thinks about my response. “And you don’t want to be found?”
I’m struggling to breathe with him so close and the gentleness of his touch as his hands run down my back until they stay put on my waist. I swallow. “You said only one question.”
He sighs and then kisses my nose. “I did say that, didn’t I?” He tucks my hair behind my ears, not taking his eyes from mine. “It’s been a real long time since I’ve had someone stay over night, Ava. I usually don’t do this, so I’m asking once and only once for my own sanity.”
“You said only one.”
“Please grant me one more before I take you home?”
I nod, because I’m having a hard time saying no to him when he looks at me like he is right now.
“Are you gonna be scared all by yourself in that apartment with no one watching over you?”
I want to scream yes, please keep me safe, but I refuse to be a burden, or to have him feel like he needs to babysit me after what we just did. I want to act like the adult I’m pretending to be. “Yes, I’m totally fine. I’m safe as a kitten, I promise.”
When he tilts my chin up and studies my face I do my best to hide the fear that I know he’s searching for. “You’d tell me if you are scared, right?”
I throw my arms around his neck, knowing I’m about ready to falter. “Of course.” And
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