Page 129 of Lessons In Grey

His shoulders fell, his eyes softening. “Yeah, Snowflake, I just…I missed you too much.”

My heart warmed, exhaustion sweeping over me as my eyes fell to my shirt, panic slamming through me at the dried blood. “What the fuck?” I hissed, grabbing the tank top only to freeze when I saw my hands.

My eyes widened as I held them both up, taking in the marks all over my skin, covering the bruises, the blood. “What thefuck?”

He grabbed my chin and lifted my head until my eyes locked with his, exhaustion clear in his eyes. Worry, fear, anger. Every emotion under the sun falling through those beautiful hazel eyes.

My heart skipped as I took him in, relief filling me. “Rags?” I whispered, reaching out for him, only for him to grab my hand and push it down. I frowned, my heart falling to the depths of my chest. No. Something had changed while he was away. Something had shifted.

“Come on, baby,” he said, shoving himself to a stand, “I want to give you a shower.”

A shower?

He carefully picked me up, and I fell into his chest, curling into the warmth of his body, wondering why I was in so much pain.Fuck, I missed him.

“Close your eyes,” he instructed gently. “We’re going to focus on touch today.”

I nodded, letting my eyes fall shut. I was too tired anyway. I pressed my hand into his chest, wincing at the pain. “Ow,” I mumbled. “Everything hurts.”

“Keep your eyes closed,” he said, carrying me into the bathroom. “Do as you’re told, baby.”

I frowned, unsure why my entire body suddenly felt like it was on fire. I was fine this morning, right? Of course I was, I had been at school, talking to Ash. I was sure of it.

I heard the water turn on, the sound of bottles falling to the ground. A moment later, we were sliding to the ground, his motions gentle, the water warm as it rained over us softly.

I squeezed my eyes shut, holding out a hand, the water almost painful against my skin. “We’re fully dressed.”

“You won’t be for long,” he mumbled. “Lean forward, keep your eyes shut.”

I did as he said, hissing at the pain in my back, my chest. “Fuck. I must have slept wrong last night.”

“Focus on how my hands feel across your skin,” he instructed, carefully pulling my tank top off. “Focus on the way the water feels.”

Warm, beautiful. The most glorious thing I had ever felt.

“Okay, lean back.”

I leaned back against him, feeling his soaked pants, his soaked shirt, press against my skin.

His hands, rough but gentle, scraped over my skin carefully, the smell of my soap filling the air as the water soaked me to the bone. “I missed you so much, Emily,” he said, gently working the soap through my tangled hair.

Christ, I must have had a long night. There were so many rats in my hair, I wondered if I would have ever been able to get them out without help.

“I missed you too,” I mumbled back, praying for bed. I was so tired.

His fingers lathered through my hair, the soap bubbling over my skin.

I tried to smile, but even that was painful. “You’re going to smell like me,” I said, sliding a hand over his leg. Why did I have to lose my clothes, but he kept his? It seemed unfair.

“Until the very day I die.”

“Mrow.”

I glanced over at the sound, keeping my eyes closed tightly just like he had ordered. “Your cat,” I said as he ran his fingers through my hair. “Why did you bring her?”

Fuck, this water was euphoric. “I thought you could use the company.”

I swayed, melting into him as he continued to wash my hair, a sense of safety washing over me. Rags was home, and he was washing my hair just as he had done after some of our deeper nights of sex.