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“You’ve d-done this before?”
His ghostlike grin frees me from the worry that I’ve made a mistake interrogating him while he’s comforting me.
“I have. Many times.” He shakes his head as if disgusted, but his tone is anything but. “My older sister was extremely demanding when we were younger, and seemingly blind to my assigned gender.” His smile dips. “I dried and brushed her hair every night for years.”
He rolls his eyes as I suspect he did anytime his sister demanded access to his hair-wrangling skills before he switches the towel for a brush. He drags the bristles through the knots his thorough drying caused, his brushstrokes neither painful nor angry.
He’s so deep in thought I assume our conversation is over, so I’m shocked when he says, “I stopped pretty much any type of nurturing when Karolina died. It seemed pointless.” Something in his eyes alters their coloring. They appear more blue now than green. “The reason for her strict shower routine no longer existed, so my skills were no longer needed.” He swallows harshly before he murmurs, “Or so I thought. Riley took up Karolina’s vacancy only a few short years later.”
I have so many questions, tons of them, but my intuition is begging for me to go slow. Since I’m trying to trust it as much as I am the man blocking the only exit of the bathroom with his bulky shoulders, I listen to its pleas.
“Riley is your s-sister?”
Unease flares through his eyes before he dips his chin.
“TheRiley Valentine? Or are we discussing a random Riley I’ve yet to m-meet?”
His fingertips tickle my nape when he gathers my hair in his hands so he can plait it. “TheRiley Valentine. Though we should probably stop saying it like that or she’ll get a big head.”
A puff of air escapes his lips when I murmur, “Too late.”
I’m so grateful that some of my stupor is lifting. Paarth’s attempted attack scared me, but I’ve faced far worse, so I don’t want it to waste the opportunity it’s presented me with.
I’ve learned more about Ark in the past ten minutes than I have in the past three weeks.
“She is quite the force,” Ark whispers as he ties an elastic at the bottom of my twisted locks. “She’ll need to be to survive this.” He sucks in a sharp breath, conscious he said too much, before he places the brush on the vanity and nudges his head to the hallway. “Come. It’s late. We should get you to bed.”
I don’t recognize my voice when I ask, “W-will you stay?”
Again, I’m not scared. I just have a feeling Ark shouldn’t be alone right now, and since I’m just as desperate for him to stay, why not kill two birds with one stone?
Ark freezes for the quickest second before his eyes shoot to the paper heart collage Tillie and I made last week.
Just knowing he’s concerned about his influence in her life eases my hesitation by a ton.
“Tillie is having a sleepover with a neighbor. She won’t be home until tomorrow afternoon.”
When he cranks his neck back, the worried gleam in his eyes shrinks the bathroom. “I should go. It will be safer if I go.”
He thinks he’s taking advantage of me.
I’m not close to reaching the same verdict.
“I d-disagree.” His hand shoots out to grip the doorframe when I whisper, “You will wash away his scent better than any bodywash will.”
“Mara…” His chest heaves as he drags in a shuddering breath. “Fuck…”
I’m diving deep, headfirst into dark waters, but for some reason, I feel more free now than ever.
Knowing his struggle, sensing how much he wants to protect me, and witnessing it only hours ago rewards me with more strength than I thought possible.
He fought for me.
He protected me.
He made me feel like I was worth something.
Now I want to do the same for him.