ChapterSeven
Jessa woke to the smell of bacon. It was still early by the way the light from the sun bathed the room in a pinkish hue.
A look at the clock on the bedside table affirmed her belief.
Six in the morning.
She pushed herself up and sat on the edge of the bed, every part of her protesting. If possible she was even sorer then she had been last night. Her jeans and sweater felt like sandpaper on her flesh.
She made her way to the dresser and opened the drawer. She didn’t expect to find any clothes, but surprise filtered through her to see some white shirts and sweats. She grabbed a shirt and sweats and went into the bathroom.
Turning the light on illuminated the rustic looking facilities. The walls were stained pine, the smell of the rich wood refreshing. Thick slabs of tile covered the floor. They weren’t the shiny kind but the ones that were made to look worn.
It matched well with the feel of the cabin. A shower was positioned off to the side, and a small tub beside that.
Jessa undressed, making sure to keep her back to the mirror. She had no desire to see her body, especially knowing how it had looked yesterday right before she left Paul.
She wished she had some clean underwear and a bra, though. Maybe one of the guys would take her to her car? She could get her clothes and money and figure out how to get her car working.
The sweats were three sizes too big, and the shirt hung to her knees, but they were clean and comfortable, and at this point she didn’t care. She rolled the waistband of the sweats down until they stopped falling off her.
He mouth tasted nasty, and when she opened one of the drawers and found an unopened toothbrush and tube of toothpaste she thanked the heavens. For men who liked to live alone they sure had a nice stock of supplies in their guest-room.
She washed her face and brushed her teeth and then headed back into the room. She went to the task of straightening up, telling herself it was because she was a guest and not because she felt the need to stall.
When there was nothing left for her to do in the room she made herself open the door and step into the hallway. The sound of silverware clanking on china and low murmurs filled the space.
Thayer and Deacon were sitting at the table, their postures relaxed, and the air around them comfortable. Looking at the two of them in the morning light showed her that they were more similar in appearance than she initially had thought.
Both of them turned their intense blue eyes her way, and she found herself picking at the shirt she wore.
Was it one of theirs?
Would they be mad she went through their things? Their eyes did a once-over of her body, and chills raced along her arms.
“I-I’m sorry.” She continued to nervously pick at the clothes. “My clothes were dirty and bothering me. I hope you don’t mind, but I found these in the dresser. I also used the toothbrush you had in the bathroom.” Deacon cleared his throat and looked down at his plate. Thayer started rubbing the back of his neck. “I can change.” The way they acted made her uncomfortable.
She turned to leave, but Deacon’s deep voice stopped her. “No. It’s fine, really.” She turned back around and went to the table. “That’s why we have those things in there.”
Thayer motioned for her to sit down across from them. Deacon set an empty plate in front of her, and he started piling on eggs, bacon, pancakes, and fresh fruit. She knew her eyes had to be as wide as the plates at the amount of food in front of her.
The sound of Thayer chuckling had her lifting her eyes to him and then looking at Deacon who scowled at his brother.
“What’s so funny?” Deacon’s voice was so rough and so very male.
“Dude, she can’t eat that much.” Thayer threw his head back and let out a bark of laughter, which only had Deacon deepening his scowl.
Deacon turned and looked at her and then down at her plate. “You need more meat on your bones.” He started shoveling food in his mouth but kept his eyes on her. When he swallowed and took a drink of coffee he spoke again. “You’re skin and bones.”
She knew he hadn’t meant for it to be an insult, but she felt her cheeks heat nonetheless. Paul had always said she was too thick for his liking, that she needed to portion out her servings and eat like a woman, not a grown man.
For years she had swallowed his words and taken them to heart, and after a while she started believing him. When he hit her so hard her jaw became dislocated, and when he started bringing home random women, Jess finally saw what her life had become.
She had finally had enough. Of course that had been five years too late, but hey, at least she had finally grown a spine and fought back.
The image of blood filled her mind again, and she shook her head, trying to rid herself of the image.
“Deacon.” Thayer hissed under his breath, and she looked up at him and smiled.