Page 79 of Savage Keepsakes

When I finally reach the porch, I can’t help but cast my eyes downward to the sight of my blood-soaked attire.

With a heavy exhale, I pivot on my heels and walk off. Stripping down by the vehicle, I gather all my belongings and stow them away in the trunk, except for my boxers.

“Going for a new look?” Lucy asks when I enter the front door.

“Yeah, you like it?”

Her eyes wander from my chest, down to my boxers, then back up to meet my gaze, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips.

“I mean, it’s good, but I don’t think it’s practical.”

I grin. My heart is heavy with dread and I approach her slowly to pick out a twig and some leaves from her hair.

“Guess I rushed through the shower,” she utters.

“Let’s go. I’ll take care of you.”

Without waiting for a response, I grab her hand and lead her up the stairs.

Upon reaching the bathroom, I waste no time in removing the shirt from her head. Lucy redirects her attention, her eyes fixating on the floor.

I run my fingers over her warm cheek as I tilt her chin toward me. “Can’t look at me?”

“Just those women were thinner. What a stupid fucking thing to focus on. I’m clearly mentally unwell,” she whispers.

When she looks into my eyes, a slight mist covers them.

My heart clenches with guilt as I realize I am responsible for causing this anguish. Despite my twisted enjoyment of inflicting pain on others and feeding off their fear like coffee, she is the only person I have no desire to hurt.

“Listen, I have no interest in who the fuck they are. I’ve done it more often to help you with research, but their looks? I don’t give a damn. You’re the one who’s gorgeous.”

She doesn’t meet my gaze and pulls out of my grasp, shimmying out of her yoga pants and turning on the shower.

“Darlin’, you aren’t mentally unwell. We both have trauma that clings to our brains. The difference between us is that mine clouds my mind with a darkness that I can’t rid myself of in normal ways. Whereas yours… Fuck, Lou, your heart is so pure. The love you give is everything I’ve always needed and never received until you.”

She stands and looks over her shoulder. Every extra fluff she spots on herself ignites an irresistible desire within me. I am consumed by the effect her heart and mind have on me.

“It’s going to take time. I kinda want to bury my head in the sand and pretend none of this happened today.”

I swallow my emotions and smile, closing the distance between us.

“Get in,” I whisper.

She does as told, and I lather up her tresses and switch our positions around to wash myself off. Using the shower nozzle, I lower it to rinse her clean.

Lucy puts on some conditioner that smells like cupcakes while I shampoo my hair.

“You’ll have to pick a new colour. The green is so faded.”

I open my eyes, noticing her intense gaze fixed upon me. With a nod and a grin, I contemplate my options. Maybe I’ll return to a chocolate brown, but it’s her call.

Taking the loofah, I squeeze the soft floral-scented body wash on it and run it over her figure. I curse myself as I see the faint scratches on her knees, evidence of the injury I inflicted.

As she runs the bar of soap over my back, her touch ignites a deep longing within me. I feel a pulsating desire within. It’s more than sexual with her.

She’s my kindred spirit, the person who makes me believe in the existence of a deeper bond.

“I’ll get my first-aid kit and clean up your arm,” she says.

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