Page 82 of Homebound

It’s just us, the crickets, and the moonlight now.

I take a careful step forward, searching Dakota’s face for instructions on how to handle this situation, but I find nothing. She’s still panting, breathing hard, and she’s a mess.

“Come on, honey,” I try to soothe. “Let’s get you in the shower.”

“Okay,” she mumbles, but it’s like she doesn’t even hear me. Her eyes glaze over, staring right through me as if I’m invisible.

I wrap my arm around her waist, and she clutches me like a lifeline. Pushing open the back door, we stumble into the warm Texas night while I try to hold her up.

The air hums with crickets and rustling leaves as I guide her to the outdoor shower behind the barn. The wooden panels offer the perfect amount of privacy under a blanket of stars, and there’s no need for light with the full moon brightening the inky darkness. I’ve always loved the stars in the Hill Country. You can’t see the constellations in the city.

I turn the bronze faucet, and water cascades down.

Dakota jumps, startled by the noise.

“It’s just the water,” I murmur in my most calming voice, sticking my hand under the stream. “I’m checking to make sure it’s warm for you.”

She looks down at her hands, caked in a grimy mixture of dirt, sweat, and blood. She stares until her hands start trembling. That tremble ripples through her entire body, and she starts shaking violently, her teeth chattering as if she’s freezing to death. I've never been so scared for her.

Suddenly, she clutches her stomach, her breaths coming in rapid, shallow gasps. “So much blood. There’s so much blood.”

In reality, there are only a few droplets, but she seems trapped in a daze, fixated on the thought. She’s not moving into the water, and the shower’s still running.

I lift her chin, forcing her to look at me and not the blood droplets on her hands. “Come here, honey. Let’s get you out of those clothes.”

She remains motionless, lost in some faraway thought. I step closer and gently tug on her jacket zipper. “Do you want me to help?” I whisper softly, hoping to break through her daze.

She gives me an absent nod.

“Are you sure?” I ask again.

She nods a yes, more forcefully this time.

“Okay,” I say, kissing her forehead. “I’ve got you.”

I slowly tug down the zipper, the metallic sound slicing through the night. Carefully, I peel off the dirty leather, but it’s different. Bigger. I squint down at the fabric. This isn’t her jacket.

“What happened to your protective vest?” I murmur. “This doesn’t look like yours.”

All she does is shake with chattering teeth. It’s like I’m speaking into a void. The jacket doesn’t matter, so I slide it off her shoulders, dropping it with a soft thud, which leaves her in nothing but a white tank top.

I swallow, thinking about all the clothing coming off next. “Arms up.”

She listens.

She raises her arms, and in one fluid motion, I peel off her sports bra and tank top so she’s topless in front of me. She’s still shaking, so I grip her hips to steady her. I catalog all the bruises and cuts on her skin before I bend down, kneeling in front of her until my eyes are level with her bare stomach.

“Hold onto my shoulders,” I say. “I’m going to get you out of these jeans.”

She clutches me in a desperate grip, like how I imagine she holds onto the bull rope. I press a gentle kiss to her abs to let her know I’m still here. I’ve still got her.

With a soft snap, I undo the button on her jeans and carefully drag them down her legs, coaxing her to step out of her dusty jeans. “Lift your leg for me.”

She listens but keeps repeating the phrase, “So much blood.” Her voice trembles more with each repetition until she’s standing in nothing but her white cotton underwear, the moonlight highlighting her every curve.

I let myself look at her bare chest for one second, and then, squeezing my eyes shut, I gently tug down her panties, not allowing myself to look anymore. Once she steps out of them, I move to the stream of water. I test the temperature of the shower to make sure it’s warm enough before turning to head back inside.

“Alright, I’ll leave you to it.”