Ignite Me: Shards of Glass, Part One (26 page)

“Ouch!”

“Did you tidy up after I left the room before?!” He hadn't turned around and he hadn't apologized to me walking into him either.

“Yes, I did! I figured I was being helpful!” Jeez OCD much... I sighed and rubbed cheek bone.

“You didn't have to do that! But thank you, it was sweet of you!” He let my hand go and turned around. “Fuck, sorry, did you hurt yourself.” He looked concerned.

“No, not really, I just walked into you is all! I'm sorry if I tidied up, I just figured you wouldn't mind! Force of habit living alone!” I was confused why he would even be shocked that I had tidied up.

“You'll have to forgive me, I'm not used to anyone else aside from my cleaner doing that so I was confused for a moment or so, I don't mind at all so please don't look so scared Evan!” He shifted from foot to foot nervously.

I grinned and shook my head. “I'm not scared, confused, yes but scared no! I guess having a girlfriend really is new for you! It's the kinda thing I do! You'll just have to get used to it Mr. Hero hair!” I grinned up at him as I reached up to ruffle his hair.

His cheek bones jutted upwards as he tried to suppress a laugh. “Oh, I see! Well, now, let's get that bath!” He dipped his head and kissed my cheek. “Thank you for tidying up, you don't have to do that though!” He took hold of my hand and started to lead me back through to the bathroom.

“No, I didn't have to but I did because, well reasons!” I shrugged. I supposed he would have tidied up later on or left it for his cleaner to pick up all the dirty laundry. I didn't have that luxury at mine so I tidied as I went. We were half way into the bathroom when I remembered my hair was still dyed at the ends. “I'll need to put my hair up cause the dye stains the bathtub, or at least it does mine!” I pulled a hair band from my wrist and put it up into a messy bun. It would do until it was washed.

“I'm sure it'll be fine! You suit your hair up, having said that your hair lends itself to any style!” He walked over to the tub and turned the taps on.

“Thanks.” I grinned as I wandered over to the large glass window. All the lights from the city were sparkling above the tree tops. I placed my hand on the window. “It's strange how magical lights make things look at night!” I turned around and wandered back over to the tub. Cameron had added some bubble bath out of a glass bottle. “Oh, fancy!” The glass bottle was sitting on the built up side of the tub and looked like it cost at least £100. I had never gone in for anything like that mostly because I had lacked a female influence. I bought nice bath products, but they cost a hella lot less than what Cameron used.

“Is it?! I think you can also get it in a plastic bottle!” He shrugged and pulled off his shirt.

“It's fancy to me! I probably spend more on hair care than I do bath stuff, so this is like luxury!” I pulled my shirt off over my head and placed it on top of his before wandering over to the light switch. “Can we have the lights off so I can see the lights from the city?! Or dimmed?!” I grinned.

He nodded at me. “Dim it right down but not too much we still want to be able to see each other!” He smiled and un-popped the button on his jeans and I watched unashamed.

“Enjoying the view?!” He grinned as he pushed them down his hips and kicked them off.

“Yeah!” I grinned as I dimmed the lights enough that I could still see him, but also enjoy the view he had from the window.

“You not gonna take your bracelets off?!” He looked confused.

I shook my head. “To cut a long story short, I never take them off unless I absolutely have too! One is tied on and they all have sentimental reasons for staying on!” I walked over as he was removing his watch.

“Oh, okay, not even your ring?!”

I shook my head. “Never comes off! I've had it since I was 15! I got really bad OCD about losing it so I just started wearing it all the time and you get used to it after all while! Same goes for the earrings!”

He studied me. “You're very much the creature of habit!” He slipped his boxers off.

I laughed. “Yeah, you could say that!” I slipped out of my bra and panties. There was a moment when we both just studied each other’s naked bodies. It wasn't awkward it was just natural. I stepped forward and traced my fingers over his chest. “I've never really felt sexy before, but the way you look at me makes me feel like I can draw my shoulders back and stand with pride!” I grinned.

He placed both his hands on my shoulders. “Evangeline you are sexy! I don't care what anyone else has ever told you, or what you think in your head for me and I would guess to any man with half a brain cell you are sexy! You have a natural hour glass figure!’’ His hands swept down my sides making me draw a breath in. “I will teach you to hold your head high and not cast your eyes down like you're embarrassed!”

I felt my face flush. “I've always had a self-confidence issue I guess! You make me feel so much better about myself! Scars and all! Thank you!” I glanced at the bath.

“We getting in?!” I was excited.

He smiled. “Please stop saying thank you! I mean what I say! You will get used to compliments!” He stepped into the tub and sat down, leaving me space to sit down in front of him.

“I'm still gonna say thank you though, it's just good manners!” I grinned and stepped in. The water temperature was perfect and I slowly lowered myself in and sat with my back to his front.

“Good manners or not you don't need to thank me for saying it! I love you for all of you!” He kissed my right shoulder.

I closed my eyes and smiled. He made me feel happy. “Okay, you win I will try not to thank you for everything!”

His lips curled into a smile on my shoulder as he kissed it again. “Good to hear it! So tell me about your bracelets, you put a lot of sentiment into things you wear! That's new to me! I like what I wear, but I wouldn't be upset if I lost it, I'd just replace it!” He picked my right arm out of water and inspected it.

I smiled. “Ah yes, that's because you bought it! If your sister had bought you the watch it would mean something more to you right?!”

He made a thinking sound. “Hmm you have a point, so these are all gifts?!” His fingers brushed over the collection of bracelets and wristbands that adorned my wrist.

I smiled looking at my wrist. “They are! The first one, the glitter tube one my Dad got it for me from the gift shop at the Empire State Building in New York! It was pink when I got it! He said he'd bought it as a joke, but I actually liked it! I've worn it off and on for over a year now!”

I watched as his fingers turned it around on my wrist.

“Ah yes, I see the little details on it now! These are quite vintage in effect I suppose! Very popular in the 90s!” He chuckled.

I laughed. “Yeah, I remember them just!”

“So this one that's tied on looks new-ish!” His fingers swept over the two little cross charms that where either side of black and red glass seed beads on a thin cord that I had wrapped around my wrist and the tied on to stop it falling off.

I smiled. “I made that the week after I got out of the hospital after the burn! I figured that if I made a pact with myself that I wouldn't break it! So I bought some charms and some beads and made this and tied it on, as I tied the knots I promised that I would never allow Sean to manipulate me ever again! It might seem silly to anyone else but seeing it every day actually gave me strength to stay away from him and now I just like so I keep it on!” It was one that actually meant the most.

He was silent for a while. “What else did he do to you?! If you don't want to tell me its okay, I just guess he did other things for you to need to do that!” He rested his head on my shoulder.

I smiled at how he felt on my shoulder. I took a deep breath and let it go. “Other than cheating on me repeatedly, he often guilt tripped me into forgiving him or would threaten to hurt himself it I left! The worst thing aside from the burn was that he broke my right arm once! When he lost his temper with me! I wanted to fix him, but in trying to do that I guess I kinda broke myself!” I didn't want to go into detail.

“Men like him aren't worth the time, aren't worth your time! I won't let him hurt you again! I mean that Evan, I won't allow him to touch what's mine!”

I smiled. “I know.” I rested my left hand over his arm that had snaked around my wrist.

“So tell me about these two wristbands! These look like the kinda things my sister has by the bucket load! I think her allowance go's on band merch and make up!” He laughed.

I grinned widely. “She sounds so much like I was, well still am really!” I looked at my wrist. “Okay the black and blue one with the dates on is from a really intimate gig my dad’s band did last year! Tickets went on sale, but it was kinda a secret thing so only the hard-core fans knew! 400 tickets were available and they sold out within 20 minutes!” I was so proud of what my dad’s band had achieved over the years. “So of course whenever they play a gig I'm official photographer, I was in the camera pit when the security gave out the wristbands and guitar picks that had been made to celebrate the gig! I just happened to blag me a set! You see they always make more so no fans lost out! My dad thinks I'm nuts, but I'm their biggest fan pretty much!” I felt happy talking about it because I knew he wasn't going to judge me.

“That's actually really cool! So only what upwards of 450 of these even exists?”

I grinned. “Yep! I've seen some on eBay which pissed me off, but as my Dad said you don't know their reasons behind selling! Maybe they needed the money!”

He inspected the material one under it. “Festival wristband! VIP! Very nice!”

I laughed. “Coachella to be precise! One of my very good friends is an actress and she got us all tickets last summer! It's in the dessert, but it was the best weekend of my life! I've yet to venture to any festivals over in the UK, but now I'm living here I might check one out! Add to the collection!”

He let my arm go back into the water. “There are a few good festivals worth going to over here! I'll get some info for you! Maybe we can go together?!” He picked up the body wash.

I grinned. “That sounds like a plan!”

I let him wash me as I sat against him. He played attention to my arms first, washing off the suds as he went. I felt my whole body just relax into his. It was the first time in a long time that I felt properly relaxed. He took his time washing my shoulders and my back, before he moved to my front, caressing my breasts as he washed them, he was so gentle with me. I felt cherished. “Take your hair out, I'll wash your hair! I have the damage control shampoo and conditioner you have at home! I even have a wide bristle brush so you can brush your hair!”

I smiled as I pulled my hair band from my hair and shook it down. “This feels like heaven! No one’s ever washed me before! I've never even had anyone wash my hair before! Well, aside from when I was a little kid, but I can fend for myself. Think it would have been easier for my Dad bringing me up if I had of been a boy!” I laughed.

He started to wet my hair so he could wash it. “Well, I'm glad you are a female! And I'll be gentle I promise! Also, what's with all the, I can fend for myself stuff?!”

I shrugged. “I guess I just grew up with just my Dad and we fended for ourselves! We didn't ask for help, we just had what we had! Once I hit like 9 I learnt to look after myself! I guess for a guy there was things he maybe felt uncomfortable with! But since meeting you I've discovered it's nice to have someone look after you once in a while!” I closed my eyes as his fingers worked the shampoo into my scalp and hair.

“Well, I can understand that, but I'm am more than happy to look after you! Forever!” He pilled the hair on top of my head.

“I'd like that! It's nice to know I've got someone that cares for me! It go's both ways, though Cameron! I want to look after you too!”

I tilted my head right back so the shampoo didn't run into my eyes as he washed it out.

“We can look after each other!”

“Deal! Also, you're very good at this hair washing stuff!” I hummed happily as he ran conditioner into the ends and lengths of my hair.

“Considering the fact you bleached your hair it doesn't feel in bad condition!” His fingers worked the tangles out.

“Well, I'm too lazy to use hair straighteners so I don't over damage it! Like half the time I don't even blow dry it unless I'm going out!” It was true, I was basically lazy with my hair and makeup. I had better things to concentrate my time on.

“Hmm, well it doesn't look like your lazy! The fact is you always look good to me! I think the natural look suits you!” He washed the conditioner out of my hair and made a satisfied noise. “All done!”

I grinned and rung the ends of my hair out. “Very good job too!” I frowned. “My turn to wash your hair now!” I knew I'd need to turn astound to face him. I was a little nervous about washing his hair though. He always liked to be in control but he'd have to trust me.

“You don't have to, I can do my own!” He sounded unsure. He was trying to get out of it. Maybe he was unsure or even a little scared.

“Let me at least return the favor! I promise I won't do anything you don't want me to! You can trust me!” I wasn't like Miss A line skirt I wasn't after anything, I wasn't laying a trap he had to be wary of I just wanted to show him I cared for him just as much as he cared for me.

He breathed out. “Okay, I'll try, I'm sorry I've just never had my hair washed by a woman before, well, girlfriend you know what I mean!”

He was flustered. This was alien to him. I turned around carefully so I was facing him. The tub was so big that I was able to sit without having to invade his space. His eyes were cast down, hooded and unsure if he wanted to let me in.

I let a breath go and stroked my fingers over his jaw, making him look up. “It's okay to be nervous! If you don't want me to do it, I won't! I just thought tonight was about finding things out about you! Because you know so much about me and I know so little about you!” I smiled at him.

He blinked. “I know it is, I am trying! I just... It's that... If I don't like it, I don't want to hurt your feelings!” He sighed.

I smiled. “Oh Cameron! If you don't like how it feels just tell me and I'll stop! You don't know if you'll like it unless you let me try! Maybe I could start by washing your arms and chest cause you didn't mind me touching earlier!” I raised a brow. Sex was his comfort zone! Anything outside of that and he wasn't in control he had to try and control it even if it meant he shut me out. Was this why he'd never had a real girlfriend?! He'd been too scared to let them in, let them take control of some elements of his life?! Or perhaps it was because they were a rouge element that was unpredictable, so he shut the idea off, choosing his casual sex partners instead. I wasn't sure, but I'd break down his barriers, I was more determined than ever to show him how real love could be and in that moment sat looking at him I knew I loved him I just didn't know how to tell him yet. The fact was he was trying for me. He'd never done that before.