Page 17 of Then Came You

Since I'm ogling him, I almost miss his invitation in asking me out, and I choke on my saliva and start to splutter.

When I've gained control of my embarrassing bodily functions, I follow him and work on manoeuvring his neck into just the right spot before feeling for the right water temperature.

"I didn't think I'd see you again," I say.

My statement is met with a toothy grin. Even his teeth are perfect. They're straight, pearly white, and look like they'd be able to leave decent bite marks all over my body.

Woah. I can't go there; otherwise, his head isn't the only thing that's going to be saturated.

"And why now?" He gives nothing away, but I can tell in the playful lilt in his voice that he's amused.

Uh, maybe because he's him and I'm me. There's nothing remotely appealing about me compared to him.

"I mean…" My mind draws a blank on what I should say next.

He has to know that he is so far out of my league.

I let out a long, weary sigh, the sound conveying a mixture of exhaustion and resignation.

"Come on. You're you, and I'm... me." I hope that's enough for him to read between the lines.

"Yes. I am me, and you're you," he purrs as I rub peppermint oil through his wet hair.

"You know what I mean... I'm nothing special." The words slip from my mouth before I can stop them. My shoulders slump because soon he'll realise it's the truth.

I'm used to disappointment and being a disappointment, but I have just never verbalised them so bluntly.

He contemplates my words, brows furrowing. A long pause seems to stretch on indefinitely. The running of water becomes magnified, sounding more like a gushing waterfall than a soft, steady trickle.

Holding my breath as I rinse his hair, I wait for him to respond. "Don't say that." He's firm but gentle in his delivery. "You're cute and witty; I can tell you're a kind person. You seem like you're a good girl where it counts." What the fuck did that mean, and why is there a pool of wetness currently creaming my underwear? "You're not just pretty; you're breathtaking, and I'm ridiculously fawning over you despite being old enough to be your dad." Woah. Wow. I can't believe he just said all that. I exhale loudly, feeling fresh oxygen fill my lungs and centre my brain.

In just a few sentences, he's already made me feel more special than anyone ever has. While I don't necessarily believe everything he said, it's still nice to hear.

"Satisfied with my answer, Tinker Bell?"

Tinker Bell? That's new.

"Tinker Bell?" The nickname amuses me.

"Like the fairy."

"You've called me a doll and now a fairy," I tease, knowing his daughter has had a bigger impact than he probably realises.

"Well... I've become quite accustomed to Tink since Haven makes me watch all the Disney movies under the sun." The back of his hand wipes his forehead. At some point throughout him praising me, my hands loosened on the hose. "So, tell me why your day was so shitty, and then I'll tell you about my two weeks."

It might be his calming presence, or how he's so open with me, but there's just something about him that makes me want to be honest back. I usually hold my cards close to my chest, but with him, I want him to see all of me. I wonder why that is?

"Where to begin?" I ponder, pumping a second squirt of peppermint in my palm, the cool liquid tingling on my skin. "The truth is, I have nothing left to give. I'm so beyond exhausted. My sister is sick, which is why I'm here and not at uni. Someone has to pay her expenses, or she dies," I divulge, my voice sounding as broken and beaten as I feel.

His eyes fly open, and I can see he's thinking about what to ask me first. He jerks upward and rounds the basin where I'm standing. To hell with his soapy wet hair, apparently, which is dripping down his back and onto the floor. I don't have time to chastise him over the potentially huge hazard because he engulfs me in his arms, scooping me up into what I can only imagine is a bear hug. I wouldn't know. I've never just been hugged.

"Row, I don't know what to say," he murmurs in my ear, making small circles on my back to comfort me.

"I've never really had the chance to be a kid, or a teenager, or a young adult. I've always had to take care of everything."

I'm sure he doesn't want to hear my sob story, but yet my mouth is like a motor that keeps running.

His natural scent, mixed with his cologne and the strong essence of peppermint, is divine, but it also reminds me he's mid-wash. I shake my head and blink back tears. "Get back to the basin, mister," I playfully scold, wiggling out of his grasp.

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