When his hands found their way to my innerthighs, I closed my knees, hoping to deter him, but that waspointless. Darren just slid his hands back between my thighs andparted them with ease.
I made another small verbal protesting moan,but he just softly shushed me.
“Relax,” he said and kissed me on the sideof the head.
Instead of focusing on relaxing, I tried tofocus on falling asleep. I was so tired, and I probably could haveallowed myself to fall asleep against him in the tub, but with hisventuring hands, it was a little difficult to accomplish.
His hands continued to lightly rub back andforth until he was massaging the juncture of my legs. Like somegoddamn fucked-up weed, I felt my core begin to bloom, and it mademe cringe inside that my body would want any further touch from himdown there.
His hands veered closer and closer to myouter lips, and when he finallygrazed it, I couldn’t take it anymore. Both my hands went for hiswrists, stopping him in his tracks.
“Please,” I pleaded.
“Jaden,” he prompted, that dangerous warningin his voice again that twisted my stomach.
“It still hurts so much,” I nearlywhimpered. I hated how pathetic I sounded, but I needed to know ifhe was capable of granting mercy if I milked him for it.
I felt him sigh heavily behind me. For amoment, I thought he was going to lecture me about obedience, butinstead, his arms gently snaked behind my legs and pulled me closerto him. With his chin resting onthe top of my head, I became a ball in his arms, pressed tightlyagainst his chest.
And then the unthinkable happened, somethingI didn’t think I would ever do in front of him. I started to cry.My shoulders quaked and my body shook as tears began to spill frommy eyes. I buried my face into my knees in an attempt to hide myweakness from Darren since he only valued strength, but my cryingwas beyond obvious. I wasn’t even sure why I was crying, but therealization of losing to him and living with it was too much for mypride to handle. I was embarrassed. Shameful. Weak. At this rate,Darren would eat me alive.
But instead of scolding me or lashing out,Darren remained silent, clutching me tightly to him as his handsrubbed against my skin as a means of comfort. He planted littlekisses on my head as he tried to shush me, lulling me into apassive trance, and I could feel myself giving in. My cries weresilent as hot tears poured down my face and dripped into thebathwater, mixing my sorrow with survival.
I wanted to ask him so many questions; Ineeded to know so many answers. How did he get this way? Whathorrible thing had happened to him to make him the monster he wastoday? And the mystery he was now. He could have left me there,could have told me to grow a pair, but instead, he held me closeand let me cry. It was confusing, but I was too tired to solveDarren’s riddles. I just wanted to go to sleep and pretend this daynever happened.
Eventually, I picked my head up, rubbed myface, and took a deep breath, releasing whatever grief I had leftand deciding to move on with my life. I had lost but one lowlybattle; I had not yet lost the war.
“Better?” Darren asked me as if he knew allowing me to cry would makeme feel better. I found it strange that he cared at all.
“Yes.” I sniffled.
“Good,” he said, kissing my temple.
He then took the pitcher, refilled it anddumped it over my head once more. He not only washed away the tearsfrom my face, but he also washedaway my fire. The flame that had burned so hot with vengeance was nowreduced to nothing but glowing embers. I decided to let itgo and live to fight another day.
Once he’d fully rinsed me, the conditionergone from my hair and my face tear and make-up free, Darren pulledthe plug from the tub and stepped out. I kept my eyes on the wateras it slowly swirled down the drain, taking my fight with it.
“Come on,” Darren urged.
I turned my head to find him with one towelwrapped around his waist while he held another one sprawled out inhis hands. God, he had an amazing body, and it looked even betterwhen it was wet, even with all the obvious battle scars. I slowlystood from the draining water and stepped out of the giant tub,allowing Darren to wrap me in the massive towel that fell to my ankles.
I snuggled into the towel, drying myface when Darren turned me tocontinue drying my body himself.
“Lean forward,” he said, grabbing anothersmaller towel from the rack against the wall. I did as he said,clutching my towel to my body to hide from him while he began todry my hair. When he was done, I pushed my hair back with myfingers, trying to get it out of my face and even out someknots.
Darren then came toward me, his muscledchest glistening with a few drops of water that fell from his hair,and for whatever reason I suddenly wanted to connect the dots.
“Not a word of protest, you understand me?”He pointed at me, an intense glare shooting from his dark hoodedeyes.
Confused, I became lost for words. Darrentook that as a sign of my compliance, bent down, and lifted me tohis chest.
I gasped in shock and slight protest. Ifucking hated being carried, especially when Darren did it becausehe made me feel like some tiny-ass doll. He carried me through the bedroom, up the stairs, throughthe hallway, back up the main stairway, and finally stopped infront of my bedroom door, all the while wearing nothing but atowel. His breathing pattern hadn’t even changed from how obviouslyfit he was. Darren somehow managed to open the door
