Page 22 of Don’t Look Back

He all but collapsed onto the couch, removing his smudged and bloodied glasses before dropping his head into his hands.

Keeping an ear out for him, I grabbed some towels and started the shower in the hall bathroom. When I went to get him, he hadn’t moved, but I heard sniffling. The sound cracked my heart in two.

“Hey,” I whispered.

Ryan jumped, as if he’d forgotten he wasn’t alone. When he spun to face me, fresh tears cut through the dried blood on his cheeks. He scrambled to wipe them away, wincing against the pain.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s fine.”

Heat built behind my own eyes and fury zipped through my veins. I’d known that Sawyer was a nuisance—everyone in town did—but I never thought that even he would be capable of something like this. Ryan shot to unstable feet, and something tugged in my chest.

“Let me help you,” I said, coughing to cover up the way my voice shook.

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

Ryan narrowly avoided toppling to the floor by falling into my open arm. “I don’t care about my comfort right now. Let me help.”

Glossy brown eyes peered up at me. He wanted to protest—I could see it in his face—but another wave passed through him and he gripped tightly onto my waist.

“Okay,” he agreed reluctantly.

I led him back to the bathroom, where steam was fogging up the mirror. “Is the water hot enough?”

“It’s fine—whoa…”

I turned around to see Ryan trying to lift his shirt over his head. My breath hitched as I noticed the purple settling in over his chest.

“I told you to let me help you,” I scolded, detangling the garment from his arms. Without thinking, I moved for his belt next, only for his hands to snap down to stop me.

“I’ll keep the jeans on.” Ryan didn’t look at me, instead peering past me. “I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. I’ll get them off after you’re done with my hair.”

Was I particularly excited about seeing him naked? I… wasn’t sure. But it wasn’t the time to worry about my dick’s opinion on the matter. I took a deep breath and tried to shake off the nerves. Snatching a towel from the counter, I held it up between our bodies.

“Take the pants off,” I ordered. “They’re covered in blood.”

Ryan’s features softened, and he leaned against the wall for support as he undressed.

“Sawyer broke your spirit too,” I said softly, looking everywhere but at the man in front of me.

“What do you mean?” Ryan took the towel from me, and the brief contact of his fingers grazing mine sent a jolt through my body.

“I mean, what happened to that cocky little shit that was flirting with me last week?” I detached the showerhead from the wall, and Ryan lowered himself to the shower floor with the towel over his lap.

“I think he’s still laying in the parking lot of that drugstore—ah!”

“I’m sorry, I know it stings. I’ll be as quick as I can.” I made my best attempt to work shampoo through his matted hair.

“Besides,” he continued, “you weren’t into it. I know when to stop.”

“Maybe I don’t want you to,” I muttered.

“Huh?”

“Nothing. Close your eyes.”

Ryan obeyed, letting his eyes fall shut. The weight of his head increased in my hand as he allowed himself to relax. Slowly, the clumps in his hair began to dissolve. Red-tinged suds slipped off his hair and swirled down the drain. Drops fell from his eyes, but I couldn’t tell whether they were water or tears.