It's a promise

Chapter 6

Rylee's POV

I didn't expect Steve in my room and I didn't know how to react. I was holding the towel with both of my hands when I realized that he didn't look me in the eyes anymore. At first I felt flattered because I thought he was checking me out but then I realized he was looking at the scars. I started to feel uncomfortable. I knew how ugly they were and I used one of my arms to cover the scar on my shoulder and more of myself.

He looked me back in the eyes and I assumed he realized how uncomfortable I felt right now. He turned his gaze away and towards the window.

'SHIT... Rylee... I am so sorry. I knocked... I thought you were sleeping...I wanted to ask you... I am so sorry.' He didn't even look at me anymore while he was rambling. He was always so confident. And he never cursed. I didn't know what shocked me more. His lack of confidence or hearing him curse. Maybe the combination of both. No, it was definitely the cursing for me.

We were still standing in my room. Him in the doorway while shifting and avoiding my gaze and me in front of the closet just in a towel trying to hide behind my own arms. What an awkward situation. What did he say, why did he come into my room?

'What did you want to ask me?'

'Uh... If you want to join Nat and me for dinner.'

'Yeah. I just put on some clothes'

'Of course' Was he blushing? 'I am leaving you... Now. Sorry... Again.' And without looking at me he just turned around and fled. That was embarrassing. He saw me nearly naked and he saw the scars. I didn't know what was worse. By the shocked look on his face he found them as awful as I did. I just wanted to climb into the bed and never came out again.

I dropped the towel and put on some sweatpants and a shirt. I hung up the towel in the bathroom to dry, blow-dried my hair and left my room. In the hallway I realized I didn't have a clue where the kitchen was. I decided I would just ask Friday.

'Friday? Can you show me the way to the kitchen?'

'Of course, Riley. Just one floor down, then you take the second hallway on the right and it's the third door on the left.'

'Thank you.'

I made my way to the staircase and followed Friday's instructions. I found the kitchen pretty easily but when I entered it I just saw Nat standing in front of the oven. She turned towards me.

'Hey. Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes. It will just be you and me. Steve had to leave. Something about an emergency in Wakanda. He got the call a few minutes ago'

He didn't just run away from my room. He ran away from the whole facility. He ran away from the whole continent. I felt bad because I was excited to spend the evening with him and Nat even after what just happened. But he had an excuse to not join us. Or not to be with me after the odd situation in my room. Maybe he was relieved to not have to stay. Nat saw the disappointment on my face and misinterpreted it.

'He will be back in a few days.' She was trying to comfort me but she didn't know that I just wanted to talk with Steve to get this awkwardness out of the way. I really needed to talk to someone.

'Steve saw me almost naked today' I blurted out. Wow, Rylee. That was smooth.

'That was fast. I didn't expect that to happen before Christmas.'

'NAT!'

'What? You said that you were almost naked with Steve. I saw that happen, just not so soon.'

'Oh my God. No. I came out of the shower with just a towel and he walked into the room. It was very very awkward.'

'Oh' Nat seemed to be disappointed. 'And what is the problem? You weren't naked. Did he see anything?' I shook my head. 'Did he do something inappropriate?'