Page 105 of The Destruction You Desire

She says nothing as I sweep her into my arms once more and back her into the shower.

"Oh my God," she squeals when we get blasted with cold water.

It soon warms up and she stands with her head resting on my chest, my arms locked around her body for the longest time as the water rains down on both of us.

"We need to talk to your mom, Luc. We have to get this all out in the open and figure a way out."

"I know, baby. We will."

With her still plastered against my body, I grab the bottle of shampoo from the shelf behind her, squeeze some into my hand, and begin massaging her head.

"I was going to call you after I saw Libby."

"Oh yeah?"

"It was Letty's suggestion," she confesses. "She didn't think I should let the benefits of this morning go to waste."

"Did you have a good time?"

She pulls her head from my chest and looks up at me. "You paid, didn't you?"

"I wanted you to have a morning just to breathe. Mom goes to that place a lot so I just called and pulled some strings."

Her lips part and I brace myself for the onslaught of abuse, for making her out to be a charity case, but it never comes. Instead, her eyes soften and she says, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you had fun."

"I really did."

"Tip your head back." She does as I say and lets me rinse her hair out before I grab my shower gel and set about replacing any other scent on her body with my own. My hands caress every inch of her body, erasing their touch. My cock bobs between us, my need for her at an all-time high as I gently brush my thumbs over her peaked nipples.

"Luca," she breathes.

I stop, my heart thundering in my chest as I stare down at her.

Taking her face in both of my hands, I lower down until my nose is touching hers.

"I love you, Peyton. I never stopped. Please, tell me that there's something here, that we can at least try to find a way to figure out who we are again, together."

Her eyes shutter as she absorbs my words. When they open again, they're full of unshed tears.

It's not until she gives me the slightest of nods that I realize I was holding my breath.

It comes out in a rush as relief fills me and my lips curl into a smile.

"I… I love you too, Luc. Always will."

I pull her to me, capturing her lips in a knee-weakening kiss, but I don't take it any farther. After the events of the last few hours, it's the last thing she needs. Instead, I'm just going to look after her in the way she deserves.

23

Peyton

Luca's warmth and strength seep into me as he wraps me in a thick fluffy towel and then scoops me back into his arms once more and out into his bedroom.

"I can walk, you know."

"I know,” he mutters, lowering me to the edge of the bed and turning toward his dresser.