Don't Touch Her Act 2: Finding Peace

Chapter Fifty-Five

𝓒𝓵𝓪𝓻𝓪

He opened the door into a medium-sized room. One of the walls was covered in shiplap while the others were painted white, with light tan colored curtains and bedding.

A dresser sat in between the two windows with a mirror resting on top.

It was empty but clean. Not a puff of dust laid on the floor or dresser top.

Off to the side laid a small bathroom.

"I'll get you something to wear," he said, glancing first at me before he left the room.

I went to the bed, placing a hand onto the soft sheets.

He won't hurt me, I repeated, hoping the more I said it, the more I'd believe it.

He returned then with a shirt and a pair of shorts.

"Thank you." I brought the clothing to my chest.

He nodded, almost awkwardly. "Well, I'm just down the hall if you need anything." He looked at me, as if he wanted to say something more, but decided against it.

He closed the door behind him as he left. I listened to his footsteps, walking quietly over to the door and twisted the lock.

•●•

I crept down the stairs that morning, listening for Maverick. Noise came from the kitchen.

I peered down, watching as he poured something into two cups. He was dressed in his uniform, sleeves rolled up to the elbows.

Coffee filled my nostrils as well as a fruity fragrance.

I crept closer, keeping as quiet as possible, when he finally saw me. A small smile crossed his lips before it disappeared.

"Hey. I didn't even think about giving you a charger for your phone last night. You can use mine if you need to."

He placed his phone on the counter and then handed me a cup. "I'm probably not as good at making coffee as you are," he smiled.

"I've actually never tried coffee," I admitted, placing my fingers gently onto the hardened pottery.

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow. "And you even work at a cafe." He leaned his hip onto the counter, taking a sip of his. "You should try it. It's good." He motioned to the cup in my hands.

I watched him, bringing the liquid closer to my mouth, smelling it subtly and feeling the heat rise to my nose. He smiled, amused, watching as I did so.

He couldn't have done anything, could he?

Under his warm gaze, I felt almost obligated to drink it. He was kind and didn't push me, but even still, I felt pressured.

I brought it to my lips and took a small sip, letting the warmth roll on my tongue before sliding down my throat.

My eyes widened.

"Like it?" He laughed.

I nodded, taking another small swallow of the warm liquid.

He smiled, watching me with this certain tenderness that made me nervous. "Well," he started, glancing at his untouched phone, "I should get you home. Your sister is probably worried about you."

He took his phone after a moment, seeing that I wasn't going to make a move for it and grabbed his keys. "Whenever you're ready."