Hush by Micalea Smeltzer

bars I wouldn’t be safe. No one is ever safe, Siva. There are pedophiles, murderers, robbers and rapists walking down the streets every day. How do you expect to keep me safe from all of those?” I asked.
    “You’re right,” he said, rubbing the knees of his jeans. I was surprised he hadn’t worn a hole through them yet.
    He parked the car and then turned to me.
    “Come on, let’s get you inside,” Siva put a guiding hand on my back. His hand was solid and reassuring. I followed him into the kitchen once we reached the flat. He rolled the sleeves of his purple shirt up his forearms. It was the first time he had ever exposed any of his scarred skin to me. He always wanted to keep it covered. I was sure that it could be ninety degrees outside and he’d wear long sleeves, jeans, or a suit. His black hair hung in his violet eyes. “I’m sure you want to shower. I’ll make you some toast and tea? Do you think you could eat that?” he asked.
    He looked like a lost little boy, desperate to do anything to help, so I said, “Sure, that would be great.”
    “Good.” He nodded his head.
    I gave him a reassuring smile because I thought he needed it.
    Shouldn’t he be the one reassuring you, Sloane? Huh?
    I told my conscious to take a much needed hike.
    I went upstairs and stripped my clothes. I turned the shower up so hot it scalded my skin. I scrubbed myself with some kind of lavender salt scrub that had been placed in the shower. The scent calmed and soothed me. I took time scrubbing my scalp. I probably scraped off a layer of skin. When my skin was a nice rosy pink I turned the shower off and dried myself. I put on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. I didn’t care what Siva thought. I pulled my hair back into a wet bun to keep it from dripping d own my back. I padd ed down the steps.
    “You look better,” said Siva. He was leaned against the dark gray granite countertops. His legs were crossed and his feet were bare. If feet could be sexy then Siva’s were definitely sexy. He held a mug of coffee to his lips.
    “Should I be offended?” I asked with a smile.
    “No,” he said. “You shouldn’t.”
    I sat down and he slid a plate of toast in front of me slathered in strawberry jelly.
    “Thanks for doing this,” I said taking a bite of the toast.
    “No problem,” he said sitting down beside me. He sipped at his coffee, cringed, and added more sugar and creamer. “What?” he asked noticing my glance.
    I put my hand to my mouth and swallowed my bite of toast. “Would you like some coffee with your sugar?” I asked with a laugh.
    He smiled. “This is the way I like it.”
    “Do you want to rot your teeth?” I asked.
    “It makes me sweeter,” he shrugged his shoulders.
    “It’s not working,” I said.
    “Eat your toast, Sloane,” he said.
    I took a bite a looked at him. “Eating,” I said around a mouthful. “See,” I pointed.
    He shook his head and his lips quirked. “You amuse me.”
    “Glad to hear it,” I said.
     

Chapter Six
    Two months had passed since Mac tried to rape me. Two whole months. It felt like two years. Siva was kind to me but he had closed himself off from me. I hadn’t felt this alone since I first moved to London. I wasn’t sure what had caused Siva’s change. I figured he wasn’t used to confiding in someone. At least that’s what I told myself. But I think it was something to do with me.
    Mac was out of jail, had been for a while, but he lost his job. It was a relief not having to see him every day but I kept expecting to run into him around every turn.  I had told Siva once, that I couldn’t live my life looking over my shoulder, but that’s what I was doing. When I went into a store I scanned the face of every person in the building before I could relax. When I walked down the street I looked at every face, searching. So finally, I just stopped going out.
    Most of my time was spent at work, but when I wasn’t… Well, it left a lot of time for me to