“I think so.” She felt stronger but didn’t know how long that would last.
He started to drain the tub at the same time and turned the shower on. “Here, babe.” He held out a hand to help her stand. She clutched at the towel, which he tried to ignore.
“The shampoo and conditioner are right in the corner. I’ll be out here if you need help.”
He closed the shower drape before leaning against the sink and tearing off all the clothes tags.
“Okay, I’m done.”
He turned off the water and handed her a towel. “Let’s get you onto the mat. We need to put pressure on the gash on your forehead. The shower opened up again. I’ll take care of your hair while you press on the cut.”
Ax almost laughed because he knew for a fact he’d never said those words before in his life. The only women he saw were the old ladies and the sluts. He didn’t give a shit what the sluts looked like. He knew he’d get fucked up if he said that to them.
He sat her on the toilet lid and used a towel to squeeze as much out as possible.
“There’s no blow-dryer.”
She nodded. “That’s okay.”
“We need to check you over and see what needs attention.”
“He kicked my hip and stomach and punched my face a few times. I’ll have bruises all over me, but there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“What about your ribs?”
“They ache but not as bad as my hip.”
“Burn got an ice pack, butterfly bandages, and pain relievers.”
He watched her eyes fill with tears before she twisted her head away to hide them. He cupped her cheek and turned her head back to face him. “Why are you crying?”
“I’m an idiot.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because I fell for his bullshit.”
“Baby, I don’t know him personally … yet … but I guarantee you the man has done it a hundred times before and has perfected it over time.” Theyetwas because Ax would do whatever he could to get that fucker into the ground.
She shrugged.
“Let’s get you into some clothes.”
“I can do it,” she said.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, I’ll wait outside the door,” he said.
Less than five minutes later, she called out. “You can come in.”
When he stepped in, he saw her in the gray sweats Burn had gotten her, and she had thick socks on. The pants and sweatshirt were a little big, but they worked, and that’s all that counted. She had finger-combed her hair. Before, he thought her hair was a medium to dark brown, but he could see the blonde strands even though it was wet. He knew it would get lighter the dryer it got. Her eyes were a regular brown, but the shape of them and her long dark eyelashes made them more pronounced. He was anxious to see how they looked normal and not swollen, red, and scraped. The blood had stopped at the gash on her forehead, but he’d still put a butterfly bandage and then a Band-Aid on it.
“Burn got us some toothbrushes.” He laughed when she looked surprised. “Yeah, I was shocked at how thoughtful and sweet he was.”
“I fucking heard that, Ax. Say it again, and I’ll break your face,” Burn said.