Midnight Shades

Chapter 6

I gulp and nod, letting him lead me to the bathroom. I don't speak at all as he closes the toilet and sits on it. I just silently open the cabinet and pull out the first aid box.

"We have to wash your arm from the blood..." I say and trail off nervously. "And... uh... I think it is better if you took your shirt off... it's full of blood."

He silently nods and stands in front of the sink, right next to me, and starts unbuttoning his white-blooded shirt. My breath hitches in my throat and I have to literally force myself not to look at him. The very tiny space between us is causing my heart beats to go faster than the usual. Never in my entire life have I ever thought that this might happen, that I might be standing next to him in the same room, let alone be this close to him, and watch him undress in front of me.

I want to squeal and jump and scream in happiness, but really, the situation is not helping me, at all. I have never been this happy, yet I'm so scared, too. Not because of Louis, I don't think that will ever happen, but I'm scared that this moment might be the only one that I will ever get, I want more and more moments like this, not exactly me cleaning him, but with the same distance between us... I guess.

As he tosses his dirty white shirt to the bathroom's floor, he looks at me and I quickly avert my eyes, but not before I notice the amount of tattoos on his arms and chest. Clearing my throat, I take his arm in my hand and put it under the warm water that soon turns red. His entire arm is covered in blood from the cut, so I keep scrubbing it gently with both of my thumbs, until it is all clean. Through all of that, I feel the burning hole through my body, and I know that he is staring at me, not that I mind, but it makes me slightly uncomfortable.

Closing the faucet, I grab the towel next to the sink and dry his hand before pressing my palm on the cut to prevent the blood from coming out. I don't know much about the aid box and all of that, so I place a piece of cotton along the cut before wrapping an adhesive tape on it.

"That wasn't necessary." He says and I roll my eyes before sighing.

"Yes it was. You don't want it to bleed again." I reply before grabbing his shirt and the now-red towel and then I wrap them around each other and put them on the side of the sink.

"You didn't have to do that." He says again.

"Usually, people say thank you." I walk out of the bathroom and take the trash bin and begin to throw all the mess inside it.

"Thank you, but you've already helped me a lot, so I'll take it from here and clean that." He tells me and I have to bite down on my lip harshly from the anger. I really don't like when people keep doing that. Why can't he just accept my help?

I ignore him and carefully place the glass inside the trash bin. "Tallulah, please I-"

"Louis, shut up and let me do this." I say suddenly and harshly before continuing to clean all this mess.

I'm actually shocked that I said these harsh words, and that we are talking like we really know each other, with me snapping at him and him being so calm about a stranger helping him, not that I mind, but it is a bit weird. I can tell by the blank-shocked expression on his face that he is finding this whole thing weird, too, but I keep quiet.

"I'm sorry. I'll just clean it and go." I say quietly before getting back to cleaning this mess.

After half an hour or so, the shop is finally clean and the trash bin is full of the torn papers and the shattered glass, I put the trash bin in the same corner I took it from and then my eyes darts to Louis, who might I add, is still sitting shirtless. I'm a little surprised when I see him already staring at me, so I look away to hide it.