My eye had a jagged cut above it. Dried blood was smeared over the side of my face. Pieces of hair were stuck in it. The top lid on my eye was already turning a deep purple and swelling. My lip was bleeding where I bit down on it when he hit me, but so far, it wasn’t swelling. I didn’t look half as bad as I felt.
I finished in the bathroom and walked into the hall. The room tilted to the left and the lights blinked on and off. I felt like I was twirling around and around like I’d done playing as a child.
“Brody?”
He was there in an instant. At least, it seemed instantaneous. But then again, I wasn’t exactly sure what had happened. One second I called out to him and then I turned, realizing I was lying on the floor in his arms.
“What happened?” I whispered.
“You passed out. Let’s go. I’m taking you to the emergency room.”
“No!”
“Willow, you have a gash on the back of your head. Your hair is matted with blood. You probably need stitches. You need to see a doctor.”
“No. I’m not going to the hospital. I can’t. I came here because I thought I could trust you.”
“You can trust me. You can always trust me, but I really think you need to see a doctor.”
“No.”
Brody sighed and helped me up. “Are you still dizzy?”
“Not as long as you’re holding me up.” I smiled at him.
“Let’s go upstairs. I think there’s a first aid kit up there.” Brody helped me up the winding stairway and into the master bath. “Sit here.” He pulled out a small bench covered in pink brocade.
“I can’t sit there. I’ll get it dirty.”
“It’s fine. Sit.”
“Stop being so bossy, Ace.”
“Then stop being so damn pigheaded and let me take you to the hospital,” he snapped.
His arm darted out in front of me, and I flinched away.
“Shit, Willow, I was just turning the sink on. You’re not scared of me, are you? Because I’d never—”
“No, I’m not scared of you. You make me feel safe. That’s why I came.”
Brody straddled the bench next to me and cupped my cheek in his hand. He rubbed his thumb lightly over my skin. His eyes never left mine as he leaned forward. Our mouths were so close that I could smell his minty breath. I dropped my eyes from his and turned my face away.
He sighed and kissed the area in front of my ear lobe. I tried to hide the shiver that coursed through my body at the feel of his lips against my skin.
He nudged my face so I was looking at him. “You’re so beautiful.”
I let out a half laugh, half sob. “I’m mangled.” I was crying again. How could he think I was beautiful? I was damaged. Inside and out.
Brody shook his head, his hand still cupping my face. “I’m looking at a beautiful girl sitting in front of me, one that has driven me wild since the day I met her. You’re so freakin’ amazing and somehow, you’ve missed the memo. You’re kind, funny, intelligent, and so damn gorgeous. You’re perfect, Willow, every part of you.”
“I’m not perfect,” I whispered.
“You’re perfect for me.”
Breathe. You’re strong. Brody makes you stronger. Breathe.
Looking into his eyes, I smiled. I could feel butterflies filling my stomach—the colorful kind. Beautiful and graceful. No one had ever made me feel as beautiful as Brody did, as wanted, as loved.
“You’re so cute when you blush.” He smiled, rubbing his thumb over my pink cheek. “Come on, sit next to the tub.”
“What are we doing?”
“I want to clean the cut on your head and see how bad it is,” he said, throwing towels on the steps leading up to the jetted soaking tub.
“Wow, this is an awesome tub.”
“Do you want to take a bath and wash the blood away?”
“Um…” I bit my bottom lip, looking anywhere but at him.
“I meant you could take a bath. You. Alone. By yourself.” He shifted from one foot to the other, his cheeks turning slightly pink. “Not that I wouldn’t take a bath with you, you know, if you asked me. You’d have to ask real nice.” He laced his fingers together and put his hands behind his head, stretching his arms.
Watching his muscles stretch made all rational thought drain from my head. Seconds ticked by, and Brody gave me a concerned looked when I didn’t answer. I forced myself to look away and concentrate on the conversation. “No, that’s okay. Thanks though.”
“Can’t blame a guy for askin’. Here, sit on this step, lean back against these towels, and rest the back of your neck on the edge of the tub.” Brody sat on the tile ledge and turned on the water. He pulled the retractable bath-head out and ran the warm water over my hair. “Is that okay? It’s not too hot? It doesn’t hurt, does it?”
“Mm. It’s great.” I watched his face as he sprayed the water over my hair.
“I’ve never done this before. Are you sure it’s okay?” He looked into my eyes as he drizzled some shampoo on my hair.
“I’ve never done this either.”
I let my gaze wander over him. His arms flexed as he moved the water over my head. His rippled abs were just a finger space away. I let the tip of my finger run across his skin, watching as the muscles contracted and goose bumps covered them. His gaze darted to mine.
I looked up at him as he gently shampooed my hair and then applied conditioner. He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth as he worked, like he did when he concentrated on school work. When he glanced down, he caught me staring at him and smiled. He wiped the blood from the side of my face and above my eye.
“Is this okay?” he asked again.
“It feels good.”
Wrapping a towel around my hair, he squeezed the water out before wrapping it in a dry towel and helping me sit up. He placed a soft kiss on my forehead before brushing a droplet of water off my face. “Dizzy? Do you feel okay?”
“I’m good.” I smiled.
“Nothing started bleeding again. That’s a good sign.”
“See, no doctor required.”
“I still think—”
“No.” I shook my head, immediately wishing I hadn’t when pain sliced through it.
“Hurts, huh?”
“Don’t be smug. It’s not a good look on you, Ace.”
Brody helped me stand. I ran a brush through my hair while he grabbed the towels and threw them in a corner—typical guy—then he helped me back downstairs to the kitchen.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“Starving.”
“So, are you going to tell me what happened?” He set a plate of fresh vegetables and hummus in front of me.
“Hummus?” I smiled.
“Yeah, someone told me it wasn’t a gross as it looked. Turns out, she was right. You trying to change the subject?”
“Can you just let me stay here for a while?”
“You should know the answer to that,” he said, sitting on the barstool next to me. He put his elbow on the counter and rested his cheek in his upturned palm.
I turned my head slightly and looked at him through my eyelashes. “Okay, then can I stay without talking about… things?”
He opened his mouth to answer, then closed it and nodded. “If that’s what you want.” He studied me for a moment before saying, “Willow, look at me.” I angled my body toward him. He stared into my eyes. “You can tell me anything. You know that, right?”
“I know.” I looked down at my plate, pushing the hummus around with a carrot stick.
Brody sighed and stood. “You want to watch a movie?” He held his hand out to me. I threaded my fingers with his. “Come on. Bring the hummus with you.” He started climbing the stairs.
“Wait, where are we going?”
“I was watching a movie upstairs when you got here.”
“Oh.” I walked with him upstairs, to a room at the end of the hall. He walked inside. I hesitated at the door. “Your bedroom?”
He nodded. I stood just inside the door and looked around. His room was twice as big as mine was. The walls were painted a silvery gray, and the curtains and bed linens were navy blue. A flat-screen television hung on the wall across from his bed. One wall held a dresser and a desk with an open laptop on it. The other had built-in bookcases crammed full of books.