Chapter 20: Shower (Wabara’s POV)
I watched as ice-cold water rained down on her, soaking her from head to toe.
She went completely still. But she didn’t make a single noise.
I turned it off. “Ready to hear me out now?”
“No,” she laughed humorlessly, shaking her head wildly, splashing water on me too. I rolled my eyes and turned the water back on, making her shriek this time. It’s very cold, she had to react. “Wabara!” she screamed, trying to step out of the water but I held her in place. “Wabara, stop! Please!” She closed her eyes when water started getting in her eyes and blurring her vision. “Wabara!” She sounded like she was going to cry.
I wanted to stop but I didn’t. I don’t know why she’s reacting like this. I know her to be calm. Even when she’s doing something reckless, she’s calm. Maybe I actually really pissed her off and hurt her feelings, or maybe it’s the period. But she’s lashing out.
“Wabara!”
I think she’s actually crying now. I slowly let go of her wrists and she opened her eyes before she started to hit my chest, throwing little jabs. I turned the water off, staring at her. I’m half wet myself.
She sniffled loudly and then let out a sob. “Why the fuck would you do that?” She reached for the towel hanging on top of the glass door but I pinned her to the wall again, my hands on either side of her head. She shivered slightly, looking at me. Her face was flushed, her lips, cheeks, and the tip of her nose pink. Her eyes were a little red and raw too. Not sure if that was from the crying or the water.
“Listening?” I asked. I have weird ways of making her listen, it’s twisted, even for me.
“You needed to give me a cold shower to make me listen?” she asked, her voice was hard and strained.
“You weren’t listening,” I said softly.
She gave me a shove but I didn’t budge. She moved to go under my arm but I trapped her there too before she could move out and her back immediately hit the shower handle, flipping it on.
The water poured down on me since I was standing right under it now and it drenched me within seconds. She stared at me and I sighed, letting the water pour down. “I want to toss you to the side like that. Very, very badly,” I said, talking over the sound of pouring water. “But I can’t. I can’t bring myself to do it. I wanted to try it. And I did just a second ago. But it didn’t feel very nice. I thought it would feel a little good to know I’m still the same. But no. Not nice at all,” I groaned.
She stared at me while I brought my hand up, pushing my hair back.
“I can’t toss you aside like I wish I could. I don’t want to stop this with you. That’s kind of scary and new to me. I don’t like you, Indie. But I want this to keep going a little longer, whatever it is, okay?”
“I don’t like you either, you asshole. I was just kidding.”
“Were you really? Because—”
“Because what?”
“Your eyes made it look like your words were genuine.”
“I can be deceiving.”
I stared at her, my lips twitching to smile. “I’m attracted to you. That’s it,” I said, telling the truth both to her and myself. I don’t want her to misread anything and assume I have feelings for her.
“I’m attracted to you too. And that’s it!”
I nodded, believing her. She’s saying it again and again. And even though my gut says she’s lying, my instincts are telling me she just doesn’t want to let go yet either so she’s lying. I believe her. I believe what she’s telling me. Because this way, if she gets hurt, it’s on her. And only her. I’ve warned her repeatedly. She knows what kind of a guy I am. And if she doesn’t believe it, then that’s her fault, not mine.