AFTER THERE'S YOU // ZESSA

Chapter 26: Shower Talks

I wake up very early Saturday morning in Zed's bed. He is still passed out next to me in the same clothes he went to court in. We fell asleep around 6pm last night; Zed was exhausted from no sleep and the extreme anxiety of the whole day. Hardin is officially off the hook for fighting Zed at school, and that meant I'd see him in just two days at our hearing.

I woke several times during the night, racked with nightmares about seeing him. I stared at the ceiling from 1am to 3am, going over the points my court-appointed lawyer made. I went to see her on Thursday, and she seemed confident we would be granted the restraining order - despite the lack of evidence I had for the night Hardin's tantrum nearly cost me my life.

It wasn't until 6:30am that I heard Zed begin to stir next to me.

Rolling over lazily, his eyelids finally flutter open. They go wide at first, then soften as he brings his hand to my face, caressing my bottom lip with his thumb.

"I almost forgot you were here," he whispers, "what time is it?"

Arching my head to look behind him at the clock on the nightstand, I read aloud, "it's 6:32am."

Groaning and sitting up, Zed looks at the clock behind him in disbelief. "I can't believe I've been asleep for over 12 hours."

"I can," I smile, "you looked exhausted yesterday when I came over. How are you feeling now?"

He turns back, smiling softly as his eyes brighten up a bit, "I'm feeling much better. But I'm in desperate need of a toothbrush and a shower." He rolls out of bed in one swift motion and heads toward his bathroom.

I hear the shower start and look over he left the door slightly ajar.

"You're welcome to join me," I hear him yell. My face instantly heats up at his request, and the butterflies in my stomach start to flutter.

"What?" I say in disbelief.

Suddenly, Zed's head is peaking around the corner, and I can see from his bare shoulder that he's not wearing a shirt. "I said, you're welcome to join me," he says with a wink, before returning to the bathroom.

I let out a playful groan, before yelling back, "I don't think that's a good idea right now. You know with...everything." Though my feelings for Zed have deepened, I don't want to complicate our new relationship or rush into having sex with him. I still need time.

"Tessa, I'd never want you to do something you're not ready for," he shouts as I hear the shower curtain pull back. "Just know, I've liked you for a very long time. So, of course I'm ready. You, however, you haven't felt the same way towards me for nearly as long. Therefore, until you're ready, I'll wait."

I bite the inside of my cheek, mulling over what he's just said. I start to feel guilty for not giving him a chance in the beginning over Hardin. We could have been together for months by now. But, I'm here now and I'm happy with who I've chosen in the end.

Standing up, I slowly walk to the bathroom door. I'm grateful he has his own bathroom, I wouldn't want Tyler hearing this conversation, though he probably already has. I knock on the wall, careful not to invade his privacy - even if the door is open and he's invited me in.

"Tessa, you know you can come in here," I hear him say, and listen as the water falls in uneven bursts. He must be in the shower already.

Peering in, I see the silhouette of Zed's body behind the shower curtain. I breathe a sigh of relief, happy I haven't seen too much, though a part of me is still curious...

"Do you have a spare toothbrush?" I ask shyly.

"Yep, first drawer on the left," he casually answers, the smell of men's shampoo filling the air.