Abel
We sneak past the empty front desk and head toward the locker rooms, our plastic bags in hand.
If anyone were to see us, we’d look like street vermin trying to find a shower or a place to privately get high.
“I know there’s one for men and one for women, but we’ll stick together,” I tell Rose as I lead her into the men’s room. It’s empty, thankfully, and I tell her to shower first as I take a bench and push it under the door’s handle. “I don’t think they stocked towels yet.” After looking around, I can’t find any but she seems to not care.
When I turn, I see a flash of pale, naked skin.
Ay Dios mío.
I squeeze my eyes shut and turn away. When I open them again, I still see her.
I find the strength to peel my eyes away, not realizing the mirrors across the room would give me the perfect view of her naked back. I damn near stand taller, on the tips of my fucking toes, just to get a glimpse of her ass. She enters the shower and closes the curtain before I can get a good look.
From where I stand, I can hear her creating suds between her hands with the soap and I wish we were in a place in our relationship where I could join her, desiring not only sexual release, but physical comfort. I expect her to take long, but she doesn’t. She doesn’t hum, she doesn’t take her time feeling the luxury of a shower that isn’t timed, doesn’t rejoice in her privacy.
Group showers at Silverwing had been a fucking nightmare.
This was not how I’d expect our first showers to be. Then again, I never expected we’d be in a gym locker room, either.
She slides the shower curtain open and I don’t look in the mirror or back at her.
“?”
My eyes are squeezed shut again. “Yeah?”
She’s silent, then says, “I need something to dry my hair.”
I glance up and she’s pulled her new oversized long shirt over her wet skin and I can see her titties.
Holy shit, I can see her perfect fucking tetas and she probably has no idea.
“?” Her voice is so sweet sounding that it somehow manages to lift my eyes to hers.
“Huh?”
“I need something,” she says, gesturing toward her dripping wet hair.
Immediately, I pull off my shirt and hand it to her. Wordlessly, I take the rest of my clothes off and slip past her. Her eyes are burning holes into my body but I’m just glad to return the favor. I’m sporting a semi after seeing her hard nipples damn near puncture her shirt.
Co?o.
I will not rub one out while she’s just outside the shower.
We don’t have time for this shit.
I grab the generic soap and lather it all over my body before letting the near scalding water wash the suds away. I keep my head under the water for a little, hoping it’ll wake up my senses and somehow put my dick to sleep.
When I turn off the water, the bathroom is still quiet. I open the shower curtain and see Rose standing a few feet away in front of the sinks with the mirrors above them. The same mirror that I tried to check her ass out in. She’s watching me, her eyes flicking to my face and down my naked body before sliding right back up to my eyes, as she brushes her teeth with the toothbrush and toothpaste I purchased for us.
I shake my head a little so some of the water clumping my curls drips onto the ground, and reach for the clean clothes. I tug them on over my damp skin, which is a pain in the fucking ass. As I fight with my clothes, she’s pulling on a large plaid shirt that makes her look like a lumberjack.
I slide my feet into the slides that don’t fit me but I don’t care. Better than being fucking barefoot. I’d rather wear shoes that are a little too small. I’ve lived this life and I know what to expect. I look up at Rose—who’s braided her hair—and hope she’s willing to chase the lows and highs with me.
She holds out the toothbrush she was just using. I grab it from her and she explains, “You only bought one.”
I run my finger over the wet bristles with a grin. “There are worse things I could put in my mouth, Rose.”
My hair is still dripping and as I press toothpaste from one of the travel-sized tubes she set on the counter, I feel her step behind me. I shove the toothbrush in my mouth and look at her as she starts drying the ends of my hair with my old shirt.
I try to smile around the toothbrush but she’s too focused to see anything other than the task at hand.
I finish brushing my teeth and she steps back, content with her work as I finish up.
“Thanks,” I say after spitting the froth from my mouth. I see a lone wire hanger against the window and I grab it quickly, bending it and tucking it in the back of my jeans. She only smiles as she watches me, not knowing we’ll likely have to steal a car in the near future.
“You’re welcome.”
It’s hard to believe this girl could harm anyone, let alone kill them. And maybe that’s what makes her so fucking dangerous.
She’s a Venus flytrap, hidden in a rose’s body , I think to myself as I take her hand in mine.
“So, what’s the plan?” Rose asks, her voice carrying on the cool breeze that whips around us. It’s strange to hear her so carefree as she walks in cheap flip flops out toward the busted truck we stole. We’ll need to get rid of it soon.
“You said your mother had money. Think we can make it there before people start waking up?” I tilt my head toward her so a lone man walking toward the gym can’t hear us.
Rose shakes her head. “But it doesn’t matter. She won’t be home.” Her eyes get all glassy and faraway looking. “Maybe Grace will be home.”
“Grace?”
Rose nods, her eyes still somewhere else. “My little sister. I told you about her, remember?” Her hand reaches out and presses lightly into my chest. “Can she come with us?”
“Uh…” Two of them? I can barely handle Rose as it is. Christ.
“My mother kept her from me.” She blinks, her eyes threatening to spill tears. I can’t take it. “I’d like to save her.”
The “ nene bueno ” mami tried to beat me into says that murder is wrong. But the man in me that’s falling for Rose makes me want to kill her mother myself. Simply for the look in Rose’s eyes. But I know myself. I know I wouldn’t. Still, thinking about it makes me feel a fuck ton happier.
“We have to try to make it in and out before anyone notices we’ve left. They’ll call her and then we’ll be fucked. We gotta take advantage of the fact that no one knows we’re gone.”
Shit, they probably already know and have alerted the authorities. We’re probably too late anyway.
“In less than twelve hours, we’ve escaped a mental institute, assaulted a man, and stole his truck and wallet,” I remind her, impressed by how far we’ve gotten and hoping we get even farther. “Should we add breaking and entering to the list?”
“I’m okay with that,” she chimes in, her eyes earnest in her honesty.
I grin. “Of course you are,” I say and press a chaste kiss to her mouth.
We don’t have a thing in our possession other than the clothes on our backs and a bag of toiletries, and another with our old uniform, but somehow we have to make it out of here. We’re running out of borrowed time. I don’t want to pull her into any more criminal activity but I can’t come up with any other legal way.
Once we’re inside the truck and pulling off, she rolls the windows down once more, as if she can’t get enough of the whipping winds of freedom.
Her smile should worry me. I should be worried about what the hell emancipation is gonna do to her but in this moment, I don’t give a shit. I’ve never felt like this. Like she’ll be by my side, no matter what. Like I’m not the loneliest person in the world anymore. It feels really fucking good.
Maybe it’s the cool fall air, maybe it’s the fact that we’re forming some sort of a plan. Maybe it’s that—for once—it’s just the two of us.
All I know is I want to see her this happy for as long as I’m alive.