My life

A birthday bath

GENEVIEVE POV

I went into the bathroom and closed the door behind me, leaning against it for a second longer than necessary. My skin felt sticky and overheated, my body still buzzing from restless thoughts and a night that hadn't really been sleep. I never wore heavy pajamas to bed, and today was no different. I felt gross. Overstimulated. Like my own skin didn't fit right.

I crossed the room to the closet and gathered what I needed on autopilot soap, a change of clothes, a brush. My hand hovered for a moment before I grabbed the razors too. I told myself it was practical. They belonged in the bathroom. I wasn't even sure where I'd put them yet. I just... took them with me.

I turned the water on and started the bath, dumping in way too much soap without caring. The bubbles rose fast, thick and white, swallowing the tub until it looked like something out of a commercial. I adjusted the temperature until it was just right warm enough to sink into, hot enough to quiet everything inside me.

It was my eighteenth birthday.

That thought floated through my mind without much weight. Birthdays had never meant much to me, but today felt strange. Heavy. Like a line had been crossed whether I wanted it to be or not. If nothing else, I decided, I was allowed this. One moment of indulgence. One moment of comfort.

I started to undress, movements slow, careful. Then I caught my reflection in the mirror.

And froze.

The girl staring back at me looked wrong. Too thin. Too sharp. Bones where there should have been softness. Skin stretched tight over angles that shouldn't be so visible. I looked... sick. Fragile in a way that wasn't delicate but alarming.

My stomach twisted.

How could he look at me and want me like this? How could anyone? He'd seen me naked already seen everything I tried so hard to hide. The thought made my chest tighten with embarrassment and shame.

That will never happen again, I told myself fiercely.

I looked away from the mirror before the thoughts could get worse and stepped into the tub. The warmth wrapped around me instantly, the bubbles rising to cover my skin, hiding what I didn't want to see. I sank down until the water lapped at my shoulders and let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.

It felt... good.

Safe.

I closed my eyes and let my head rest against the edge of the tub. The room smelled like soap and steam and something sweet. For a little while, I let myself pretend. I imagined I was someone else. Someone with a normal life. A normal family. Someone who didn't flinch at their own reflection.

The water hummed softly around me.

I must have fallen asleep.

I woke to knocking.

My heart jumped violently as I sucked in a breath, disoriented. The bubbles were gone now, popped and faded, leaving the water lukewarm and my skin prickling with goosebumps. I shifted and realized how long I must have been there.

"Genevieve?" Mica's voice came through the door, low and careful. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," I said quickly, panic rising as I moved to stand. Then I realized it. The towel rack was empty. The counter too.

Crap.

I bit my lip, heat rushing to my face. "Um" I hesitated, mortified. "I forgot a towel."

There was a pause on the other side of the door. Then, "Okay. I'll get one."

I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly very aware of everything I was trying not to think about. I didn't want him to see me like this. Vulnerable. Exposed. The door handle moved.

"Wait," I blurted. "Please just leave it by the door."

There was no hesitation. "Okay," he said simply.

I heard the soft thud of the towel hitting the floor, then his footsteps moving away. Only then did I let myself breathe again.

---

MICAS POV

I'd been keeping track of time without meaning to. I knew she'd woken up over an hour ago, and the house had been quiet ever since. Too quiet. My senses stayed tuned in, searching instinctively for signs of distress.

I scented the air.

No blood. No panic. Just soap and steam.

That eased something in my chest.

Maybe she was just enjoying herself. Taking a moment. Goddess knew she deserved that. I told myself I'd give her twenty more minutes while I finished wrapping the gift I'd bought her. It wasn't flashy. Just a phone. Something practical. Something that meant she'd never be unreachable again.

Twenty minutes passed.

I went upstairs, every step deliberate, listening carefully. Her breathing was slow and even. Too even. That made my chest tighten again. Falling asleep in a bath wasn't safe.

I knocked gently. "Genevieve? Are you okay?"

"Yes," she answered but then I heard it. A quiet, frustrated whisper. "Crap."

Concern spiked. "Is something wrong?"

"I forgot a towel," she admitted.

Relief flooded me, followed immediately by understanding. I grabbed a towel and headed back, stopping short when her voice came again firm, embarrassed, asking me to leave it by the door.

I did exactly as she asked.

No questions. No pressure.

Some boundaries were sacred.

And I would honor every single one she set.