Page 122 of The Fallen Man

Caitlin’s eyes filled up with tears.

“No,sérdenko, don’t do that! Ev’s fine. We’re all fine.”

“I don’t understand why he hated you,” she said with a sniff.

“And I don’t understand why he didn’t love you better,” he replied. “I don’t understand how he could do half the things he did.”

“He was the most selfish person I ever met,” she said, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand. “He smiled so much when he was giving things, but he was always taking at the same time. I saw it when I was a kid. Mom had to make me do my weekends with him, and I was so relieved when she met… I don’t remember his name. Whoever, and we moved to Colorado. I liked it there. But mostly, I liked not having to see my dad.”

“I’m sorry,” said Jackson, and she shook her head. “Come on,” he said, lifting her to her feet. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

He led her upstairs and into his suite. He wasn’t sure that was the right decision, but it felt weird for her to have her own room. He figured he could sleep on the couch if she didn’t like it.

“It’s like you have your own apartment inside a house,” she said, looking around.

“Yeah, pretty much,” he agreed.

“Weird.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “Bathroom’s through here.”

She went into his room and sat down on his bed. “It doesn’t seem like you.” She looked around again. “Some of it does, I guess. This comforter does not.”

“Yeah, I keep thinking I want one of those down comforters like you have, but I’m not actually sure how to get one. Do I buy it? Is that allowed? I don’t know.”

“You tell Theo, and he arranges it.”

“Is that how it’s done?”

“Yes, he’s in charge of the household. It’ll come out of the household budget.”

“Oh. Cool. Thanks.”

“Jackson, is my apartment really taped off?”

“Yeah,” he said apologetically, “and even if it wasn’t, the door is still broken and only fixed with a piece of plywood. It wouldn’t be safe to stay there.”

“Oh.” She looked around again, then down at her hands, and grimaced. “I do need a shower. I’m icky.”

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure about living here when I first moved in, but this bathroom is what sold me,” he said. “Come on, I’ll show you the shower.”

“Oh my God,” she said when she saw his walk-in multi-shower head personal spa.

“You can even have steam and make it a sauna. And it never runs out of hot water, which I know because I’ve stayed in for, like, an hour before.”

She laughed, which was the first time she had since the hospital. “I may try that out myself.”

“Feel free,” he said, pulling a pile of fluffy towels out of the cupboard and hanging two on the towel warmer.

A few minutes after the water had started, he heard her call his name.

“Yeah?” he asked, poking his head around the edge of the shower.

“Um, can you tell me if I’m bleeding or just rinsing out? It seems like a lot of… red coming out of my hair.”

She turned her back to him, and he gently parted her hair. “I think you’re OK,” he said, squinting. “You know what? Hold on.”

He went back, stripped off his clothes, and then came into the shower with her. He moved her under the overhead light and inspected the back of her head again.