The shower was divine.
The shelves were stocked with soap, shampoo, conditioners, cleansers, and moisturisers. Hera wanted to pinch herself to make sure she was actually alive. Whoever stocked this house was an angel, she thought dreamily.
As she peeled off her grimy clothes, Hera imagined she was removing all the baggage and crap she had been carrying for weeks. The clothes hit the floor with a disgusting slap, and she climbed into the scalding hot water. She scrubbed off the last month in that shower, and when she finally got out, she was glowing.
Squeaky clean, she thought, staring into her foggy reflection. The moisturisers were so hydrating, and her skin drank it up greedily. The robe she put on was soft and heavy. She contemplated sleeping in it but thought otherwise, still hoping she would see Theo arrive safely before permitting herself to rest. Hera recalled how they still hadn't finished the conversation back at the cabin and pondered what they would say when he returned.
The bathroom was an en-suite to a cosy bedroom with a fully stocked closet. The clothes were secondhand, but to Hera, they were perfect. She found a cotton T-shirt and thick men's track pants, which she pulled on gratefully. They were a little loose, but the inner drawstring cinched just enough for them to hug her waist comfortably.
The fluffy socks in a small side drawer were a bonus, and she decided on a sky blue pair with puffy clouds. Things almost felt normal again. There was even a calendar marking off the days. She was shocked to realise she had missed her birthday. "Yikes..."
Once she was dressed, her stomach growled loudly, eliciting a brief laugh. Out of the bedroom was the open plan living area and kitchen. To her delight, every cupboard was packed, and she settled for a few cans of baked beans. Sitting in the centre of the kitchen island was a small sourdough loaf. Hera nearly swooned. She felt guilty that she wasn't sharing this with Theo.
He was probably still flying through the freezing rain with Monroe.
A pang of anxiety shot through her. What if the weather got too bad and they crashed or something. A reverberating thunderclap increased her fears. The beans heated on the stove quickly as Hera tore off some bread. She didn't give it a chance to cool down before shovelling mouthful after mouthful. It didn't take long for her stomach to feel full, and she had to sit down to let it digest. Fatigue settled in as she snuggled down on the couch.
She only closed her eyes for a moment- just resting her eyes.
She was not sleeping. She wanted to wait for Theo.
Theo.
...
When she awoke, the sun was up, and the sky was finally clear.
"Fuck." She grumbled. She had missed Theo's return. She wanted to make sure he got in safely, but no one woke her up. She was grumpy as she brushed her teeth and threw on a thick pullover. She shoved her feet into her stolen boots and trudged over to her dad's cottage. The door was open, and she could smell something delicious: cinnamon, allspice, bananas.
"Oh my god. Pancakes." Her mouth watered as she spied the stack with maple syrup alongside. "No way."
Joseph heard her murmurings and smiled as she walked through the door. "Good to see you're up. Come and eat."
"Yeah, we're hungry. Keep us waiting, sleeping beauty." Jeans' raspy sarcasm called from the table, and Hera almost forgot she was mad with them.
"Why did none of you wake me? Where's Theo?" Everyone looked busy all of a sudden, and Hera got a sinking feeling. "Is he okay?"
YOU ARE READING
Evolved
Fantasy"Do you know what you're doing to me?" He leaned his head forward and buried it in her neck, inhaling deeply before peppering kisses along her sternum. She was on fire now. Her energy had a mind of its own, intertwining with his and causing them...
