Chapter 29
Lucilla
“Ashower sounds nice, doesn’t it?” Luci said, glancing at Alex.
They hadn’t had a single second to breathe since leaving Sanctum Medical, and while she wasn’t naive enough to believe they were completely out of danger, the promise of warm water and soap felt like the closest thing to heaven she could ask for.
Alex leaned back against the edge of the bed where Luna was already laying. A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. “We should probably take one together. You know, to conserve water,” he said, lifting a brow. “And because I’m injured and all.”
Luci rolled her eyes, a reluctant smile appearing on her lips. She stepped toward him and let her fingers brush the hem of his bloodstained shirt before slowly peeling it up and over his head, careful of the healing wound along his ribs.
“C’mon then,” she said. “Let’s get you cleaned up before our meeting.”
She wasn’t sure what the next hour would bring or where any of this would lead, but for now, they were together and that was enough.
The bathroom door clicked shut behind them, sealing off the noise of the outside world. Inside, it was quiet and comforting in a way Luci couldn’t exactly put words to.
She crossed to the shower tucked into the corner and turned the knob until warm water spilled against the tile. Steam filled the space, clinging to the mirrors and wrapping around them like a veil.
Alex hovered near the sink, silently waiting and watching her through tired eyes. The gauze Luci had taped to his ribs before was dark with blood.
“You should sit,” Luci said gently. “So I can take a look.”
He obeyed without a word so she knelt beside him and began unwrapping the bandage carefully. The gauze clung stubbornly to the dried edges of the wound, making her wince even before she saw the raw flesh beneath.
“It’s healing,” she said mostly to reassure herself. “But we’ll need to clean it properly.”
Alex didn’t flinch. He just nodded.
But Luci’s chest felt tight as she worked, heavy with something she couldn’t say. He trusted her with this and she knew, deep down, it had been a long time since someone had taken care of him.
Since someone had touched him with softness and genuine care.
She wanted to do that for him.
Not because he needed her but because he deserved it.
She didn’t bring up that she knew about the decision someone else made about his body and his future. She didn’t know if she ever would.
But she carried the cold, unforgiving knowledge like a stone in her chest.
As she gently peeled off the last of the gauze, she promised herself that no one would ever hurt him again. Not as long as she was breathing.
When the wound was exposed, she looked up to meet his gaze. “It might leave a scar,” she said softly. “But you’ll be okay”
He raised an eyebrow and laughed. “I have a pretty good doctor, so I’m not surprised”
Luci returned his smile. “Flattery is unprofessional, now get in the shower.”
A flutter of amusement passed over his face as he stood and stripped away the rest of his bloodstained clothes. Luci followed suit and pulled the clothes Myra had let her borrow off her body.
Steam curled around them as they stepped into the shower together, bare and bruised, but not broken.
Luci let the water run down her arms and over her face, washing away the remnants of everything they’d been through.
“Sit,” she said gently, gesturing to the titled bench behind him. “Just for a minute.”
Alex glanced over his shoulder then at her, as if to ask if she was sure. But ultimately he didn’t argue. He lowered himself carefully onto the bench with a quiet groan, the strain of the last week finally catching up with him.
Luci turned back to the shelf and grabbed one of the small shampoo bottles. The label had long since faded, but when she opened it, the floral scent felt familiar. She poured a small amount into her palm and stepped toward him before threading her fingers gently through his hair.
He closed his eyes as Luci’s hands moved slowly. Her fingers worked the shampoo through his curls with a tenderness that she hoped Alex would recognize.
This moment, having her hands in his hair, warm water running down her back — this was her way of saying I see you. I choose you. I love you, and no one will ever hurt you again.
“You’re not very good at letting people take care of you,” she whispered as softly as the steam around them.
Alex huffed a quiet laugh and opened his eyes. “Well you’re not very good at pretending you don’t want to.”
Luci smiled. “Maybe,” she said, rinsing the shampoo from his hair. “But I’m not pretending now.”
For a moment, Alex just looked up at her. Something shifted in his expression, making his eyes darken as his gaze swept over her face and then lower.
Without a word, his hands found her hips, and he guided her a step closer.
Luci didn’t resist.
Alex leaned forward and pressed a kiss just beneath her ribs and then another to the valley between her breasts. His lips felt warm against her skin, and his touch felt reverent, like she was something sacred to hold.
Luci felt her breath catch in her throat.
She didn’t speak or move.
She just let herself feel that unspoken reverence in the way he held her, in the way he loved her just as she loved him.
Luci’s head rolled back and a heavy breath escaped her the moment Alex’s tongue licked over the stiff peak of her right breast. He sucked and bit gently at her skin until she couldn’t help but moan.
This hadn’t been her intention by any means, but now that they were here, she didn’t want to step away from this.
He released her nipple from his mouth before moving to the other, all while his gaze burned into her, watching every shift in her expression and taking in every whimper as motivation to keep going until she felt her legs wobble beneath her.
Luci didn’t know if Alex knew just how much power he held over her or how every nerve in her body imploded at his touch, but if he felt between her legs, he would know for certain that she wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anything before.
She buried a hand in his hair, anchoring herself as his mouth moved lower with aching precision. But just as heat began to build deep in her core, he paused, pulling back only to catch her by the waist and guide her gently into his lap.
The air between them was thick from the steam and silence.
Droplets of water trailed down their faces, catching on lashes and lips, but neither moved to wipe them away.
They simply stared. His chest rose and fell against hers, catching her breath somewhere between awe and want.
The pain from his injury seemed to have vanished now that he was holding her.
Luci’s gaze dropped to his mouth, parted and waiting.
And then Alex kissed her with a hunger that felt like a promise.
A promise that no matter what came next, they would hold on to each other. That this, them here, together, this was the only thing either of them still believed in with any amount of certainty.
When they finally pulled apart, Luci’s forehead rested against his while their breaths mingled in the space between them. The moment was quiet but filled with desire.
Alex reached up to brush a wet strand of hair behind her ear. His hand lingered at her cheek as his thumb glided gently across her skin. Catching the droplets of water that stuck there and trailing them together while he studied her for a moment.
“You’re beautiful,” he said. “So fucking beautiful.”
Luci’s eyes moved up to meet his, startled by the softness in his tone. He gazed at her as if she truly were a masterpiece set before him. Something too precious to risk letting out of his sight. She tried to respond with something, anything, but the words got caught somewhere in her throat.
“I mean it,” he added like it wasn’t just a compliment but a truth he’d been carrying for far too long. “Not just like this. You’re beautiful when you’re focused. When you’re afraid but being brave anyway. When you fight for people even if you don’t think they deserve it.”
His thumb skimmed her jaw with an aching sort of softness his hands seemed unsuited for, yet it made her heart stutter all the same. “Maybe you don’t see it Luci, but I do.”
Before Luci could respond, his lips found the curve of her neck, where he kissed softly as if trying to memorize the rhythm of her pulse. Her head tipped back at the contact, lips parted in a breathy moan that Alex echoed with a quiet rumble across his chest.
“I love you,” she whispered, barely above the sound of the water trickling around them. Here there was warmth that had nothing to do with the water beginning to spread across her skin. “I love you.”
“And I love you,” Alex said, pulling back just enough to meet her adoring gaze. “I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you — way before the world fell apart. You’ve always been it for me. It’s always just been you.”
Somewhere deep in Luci’s chest, she knew every word he spoke was the truth.
Before the sincerity could truly settle in her bones, Luci reached for him again, closing the distance between them and capturing his lips with hers.
This kiss was different from the ones before.
It wasn’t gentle or sweet. It was all hunger and unchecked desire.
It was like she’d just realized how short life could be and wasn’t willing to waste another second of it waiting for some perfect moment that was never going to come. They would make this moment perfect.