Chapter 72: Dreams and nightmares

I woke up to the sound of seemingly abandoned rushing water from the bathroom. I couldn't even remember sleeping off with the thoughts that had clouded my head, but I sat up, a sigh escaping my lips, my chest heaving hard.

The shower was pouring, and I was almost sure that Sin was not around. I looked up, searching the room for any indication of what time of day it was. My eyes caught the drapes, and it looked like it would be right before dawn.

I gave a small breath, my eyes resting on Angel. She had her hand around mine, her lips parted. I gave a smile, then gently moved so I could turn off the shower. The sleep was still making me rather clumsy, and I pushed past the room to the bathroom door.

It was unlocked, and I swung open, then immediately turned to the shower cubicle. What I saw, however, made me stop in my tracks.

The shower cubicle was filled with steam that made half of the transparent glass opaque, and the shower was pelting down.

Just not abandoned. From the still clear top of the cubicle, I could see Sin.

He had his back turned to me, and his head was slightly tilted upwards and thrown back, his hair falling back as the water passed through the strands.

I watched, my lips parting as the waters slowly caressed the skin of his broad back, and the way his hands moved through his hair, gently massaging.

Fuck.

I swallowed, something stirring deep within me, and I couldn't bring myself to close the door. I hated how the steam from the shower had covered too much of his body, leaving me with nothing but crazy, wild imaginations that would definitely be the end of me.

This man would be the end of me.

For a long ninute, it was just him with his back to me, the water seducing him, and my hands aching to be that close. To be that fluid. Fuck, I wish I was that fluid.

"Do you like what I see?"

My heart jumped to my throat, and I tore my gaze away from his back to his face. He had turned to me now, his hands on either side of him, the water running down his face and chest.

His skin was tanned, so the water made a deep contrast against his skin, creating the perfect ambience that had me spellbound.

He blinked slowly, water running off his lashes, his lips half parted so I could see how the water slid off the heavily defined cupid's bow, stirring up my insides.

"Wh.... what?"

He gave a small one-sided smile, one that looked more like a threat than a smile. "Do you want to come in, Annalise?"

It was tempting. Way too tempting. I could imagine all of the things that would happen if I did go in there. All of the things he could do to me. All of the things he could make me feel.

I swallowed hard, then met his eyes again. They were dark now, and he slowly moved his head to the left side, his eyes watching mine almost seriously.

His gaze transcended time, that space between us, that damned cubicle, and my cowardice. His gaze said something to my soul, pushing the limits, running through the labyrinth that was my emotions.

"Close the door," he said again, his smile small, one that was mostly just his lips moving and nothing else.

This time, I took the offer quickly and closed the door, running out of the bathroom for dear life. I leaned on the door, my hand coming to my chest, my knees weak as I slowly went to the floor.

I struggled to catch my breath, but everything felt hazy, and even though I knew he could come out here anytime and catch me sitting here, I couldn't bring myself to stand.

"Mummy?"

I looked up. I had forgotten all about Angel in the one minute I had been there, and I immediately pulled myself together and went to the bed.

To my surprise, she was bathed in cold sweat, her chest heaving hard as she thrashed around.

"Angel?" I said, trying to wake her up, but she only got louder, her tears rolling down in torrents, her legs kicking around the bed. "Angel!" I said more firmly, and she woke up with a start, her eyes wide, tears running down her cheeks.

She turned to me, and without a word, I pulled her into my arms, my hand wrapping around her.

"It's fine. You are fine."

She was crying softly, and I rocked her back and forth, my hand patting down her back. After a while, she calmed, then slowly moved away from me.

I reached out and wiped her tears, a small smile lifting my lips. "Was it a dinosaur?"

She sniffed, then shook her head.

I thought again, then leaned to her. "Don't tell me... zombies? I happen to know how to kill zombies."

She sniffed, running the back of her hand over her face. I cupped her cheeks and leaned forward.

"Tell me. We could go fight some zombies and conquer them. I promise."

She shook her head, then bit down on her lips as if she wasn't too sure of what to say.

"Tell me, Angel. Or, if you don't want to talk about it, I can take you downstairs for ice cream?"

I could vaguely hear the click of the bathroom door opening, but I kept my eyes fixed on Angel for more reasons than one. I was more than sure that I would lose focus if I dared turn to her extremely perfect father.

"What did you have a nightmare about? Is it..."

"It is daddy," she said, cutting me off and catching me by surprise.

She was starting to whimper again, her voice breaking as she brought the back of her hand to wipe her tears.

"Daddy?"

She nodded slowly, her chest heaving. "Daddy... he doesn't love me anymore. And... and Mummy said that... Daddy will kill me if he doesn't love me anymore."

I slowly turned to Sin, my lips parting. He had a brow raised, his eyes set in deep ice, and not much of an expression. I bit down on my lips hard, then turned away, my chest heaving.

"Angel..."

"He does not love me anymore," she said again, tears rolling down her cheeks faster. "He will make me die."

I pulled her into my arms, my fingers sifting through her hair. I turned to Sin again, and this time, the emotion had filled his eyes, his fingers slightly clenched.

Without a word, he walked out of the room after grabbing a few things from the closet, taking the opportunity that Angel's face was buried in my chest.