Scarlet Vows

13

"Congratulations on the first scars of your life," Loren said. I couldn't take my eyes off of his hands. There was blood too. 

Too much blood.

"Aren..."

"It doesn't hurt" He brushed it off and smiled, "I am glad you are safe."

"I need a shower!" Before Aren could stop me, I got to my feet and immediately regretted it. My vision swam and I was falling. Strong hands held onto my shoulders and steadied me.

"I will take you to the bathroom" Loren offered and took one of my arms to wrap it around his waist while he rested his on the small of my back, "Aren, you should clean up too."

I didn't hear a reply because I was in my bathtub in a second, the water turned on, a bath bomb shoved into my hands, a loofah too and Loren exited the bathroom and shut the door with a soft thud. I wish I had that vampire speed. It would solve a lot of my problems.

I let the water fill the tub and the sound relaxed my mind.

"What happened?" I asked Loren, very aware that he could hear me. The bathroom isn't as big as the one at my house, so I knew I could hear him too if he decided to answer.

"You were cursed. That's what witches and wizards do when they are angry." Loren answered patiently. I did not expect him to answer because if it were Aren, he would have asked me to rest first and then he'd get back to me later. Apparently, Loren wasn't the same. I was very glad about it.

Before I could ask him anything else, he said, "I think there was something in the food you ordered last night."

"Yes!" I said out loudly, "It didn't taste like a chicken salad at all."

"I should have checked before you had it." I thought he'd follow it up with an apology but he did not.

"It's alright," I said anyway, "I just had to writhe and whine like a pig being roasted on an open fire."

"Don't worry about all that embarrassment in front of your lover. He understands." Loren chuckled. He actually chuckled.

"He's not my lover!" I said defensively, "A friend"

"A friend then" Loren said.

I didn't ask him anything after that. I scrubbed away the grim and dirt from the exorcism they performed on me, rubbed my feet a little longer to get that weird sensation out and finally dried myself with the cashmere knit robe and wrapped it around my body. It was rejuvenating.

As soon as I got out of the bathroom, warm steam followed me out.

"Where did you get that bathbomb?" I asked Loren. It smelled like autumn leaves combined with pine and lemongrass. I loved it.

"Some store" He said vaguely and handed me my clothes. I don't know when he ravaged through my cupboard to find just the right outfit for me. A pair of black jeans and a cosy sky blue woollen sweater. He managed to pull out my lingerie as well and my cheeks flushed by looking at them. I took the clothes from him without a word.

The door opened and Aren walked in, fresh out of the shower and fully clothed. However, droplets of water were lodged in his brown hair. My eyes darted to his hands and found that most of the scars were gone. He had a few close to his wrist and one bigger one close to his elbow that was in the process of fading away.

I sighed in relief.

Loren scoffed, "Human-inflicted wounds heal. I thought the reaction was dramatic but enjoyed it anyway. I think he did too."

Oh, we were back to the testosterone-driven power struggle again. I guess I had to be on death's doorstep for them to stop bickering.

"Sure, I did. It means she cares for me." Aren said with pride.