My shirt comes off next, and I don’t protest when Matteo helps me out of my pants, sliding down the underwear with them. I don’t need to peer down to know my skin is sticky from where I held the sweet little bunny to my chest.
Matteo’s eyes are on me, and I feel both the concern and the heat radiating off him. I’m not sure if I should be annoyed or flattered that he’s capable of even thinking about anything other than what happened, but then again, this might be nothing to him. Just another bloody day at the office, so to speak.
“The water should be good now.” Matteo takes my hand and helps me into the shower. “I’ll be right back, okay? I need to quickly call Zeno back.”
“Okay.” I step into the heat.
He closes the shower door but makes no move to leave. His eyes are on me, his gaze a tender caress that I know can turn into a wild inferno in an instant.
Focusing on him almost makes me forget what happened. Almost.
“Matteo?”
“Yes, baby?”
Baby.
Something to worry about later. Or never to think about again.
“There was something I didn’t tell you guys. It’s probably silly and not important, but—”
“What is it?” He steps closer and opens the glass door a fraction, so there’s nothing between us.
My body is so aware of him that I notice my reluctance to cover up. I want him to see me. That realization stuns me until I remember what I wanted to tell him.
“Umm, the bunny . . .” I swallow hard.
“What about it?”
“Like I said, it’s probably not important and a total coincidence, but that bunny resembled the one I used to have when I was younger. It even had the same bell around its neck.”
He takes in the information, his brows furrowed. “What happened to your bunny?”
I open my mouth, then close it again. “He . . . he got killed during the home invasion too.”
His eyes narrow, and his jaw tightens so much, I’m not sure how I don’t hear any bones splintering under the pressure. “The one where your mom—”
“Yes.” I don’t want him to say it. I know it happened, and I can’t change it, but hearing it and being reminded of it, always makes it worse.
He purses his lips and leans in. “Are you sure?”
I nod.
His gaze never leaves mine, and I’m not sure if that’s comforting or a reason to freak out. If Matteo is concerned about something, it’s probably not a good sign.
Without giving anything away, he taps his fingers on the glass door twice and closes it. “I’ll be right back.”
The water cascades down my body while I watch him throw my clothes in the trash bag and leave the bathroom. Once I’m alone, it’s like something snaps inside me, and I rub my hands all over my body. I need to get the blood off me, need to be clean of all the evidence of what happened today.
Maybe then I can pretend it didn’t happen. Or, maybe I’ll wake up soon, and this whole day will all just be another crazy dream. Except, I wouldn’t want to forget a single second of what happened with Matteo today.
We’ll figure this out; we have to before I go crazy with worry, because lately, something else seems to be lurking just around the corner, something new to spin my life into yet another direction I wasn’t prepared for.
If I could, I’d never go back to my old life again, that much I know, but I’m also not sure if I’m fit for this kind of roller-coaster life either.
The shampoo and bodywash get a good workout, and I use both several times in a row. Once I finally feel like I’m somewhat clean, I turn off the water and reach for the two fluffy towels on the rack. One for my hair and one for my body.
When I’m all dry, I leave the towel on my head and slip into the big, fluffy robe that hangs on the back of the door. I almost disappear in it, which feels somehow comforting. Matteo is still nowhere in sight, so I stand here, not sure what to do. Eventually, I climb into the huge king-sized bed with my knees tucked up as close as possible and close my eyes.