As Cold As Steel

Chapter 3

Steel

Gently placing Shay in the passenger side of my beat-up car. I gently stroke her hair before prying one of her hands off of my jumper. She sighs and I roll my eyes. She is so dramatic even when asleep. I do her seat belt then shut the rusting door as quietly as I can before getting into my side and begin driving us back to my house.

Shay wakes up as we enter the main gates to one of my properties and begin the long drive up to the front of the house. She doesn't say anything which is rare for her. My teeth are clenched and my jaw aches from the silence I've let devour us. I dare not ask questions in case she closes off more from me.

Shay:-

Once I was awake I dropped into a comfortable silence. Steel never asks questions about the bruises. I can see her jaw clench when she wants to. But she never does. She knows I don't say anything. I never really have, even when I do its small comments which are usually my slip-ups. I'm getting too comfortable with her. Too reliant. Too secure. It's just a matter of time before she turns on me too and I'm left all alone again. Wondering when my next meal will be? When my next shower will be? If anyone truly cares if I cut too deep?

With a deep sigh, I acknowledge that we've arrived at her large empty house. Out in the middle of nowhere. I love it here. No one can get to me. Namely, because they have no means of transport, but also because of the shit tonne of security. The only sign that steels parents may or may not care for her. Probably a sign that they care for the property based on the lack of seeing them during all of my stays here.

We enter the house. Steel taking the lead opening all the locks with pin codes and keys. The house's front door soundlessly opens and I take the lead walking up the spiral staircase to the top floor where Steels stuff was.

Sitting down on a chair in the over-sized bathroom Shay sighs and leans back. The exhaustion of getting up the stairs with her injured evident. Steel turns the Jacuzzi bath on. The tub filling up at a steady pace as she sets the settings in the side. "Do you want to be alone" Steel's voice resonates through the bathroom despite it being so soft and quiet. She makes eye contact her big green eyes staring directly into the other girls before dropping to the ocelot twins as they traipse into the room.

"No," Shay replies softly looking down with a small smile at the small balls of young fluff jumping over each other to greet the two. Steel picks up the smaller of the two and places it on her shoulder where it happily perches and rubs against her head. The other cat though small is still bigger than an average house cat, simply jumps up on the side of the bath/Jacuzzi and bats at the now full tub as the water slowly heats up. Steel leans over to dip her hand in the water to check the temperature, ignoring the digital reading on the side of the tub. She then looks up meeting shays gaze "Is it my company you want or Chip and Ed's ?" raising one eyebrow. Her deep forest green gaze relentless and slightly overwhelming.

Shay gives a half lazy smile. Halfway between mischievous and flirtatious sets Steels heart off into a wild rhythm though it didn't show on her face she noticed the two ocelots look at her with a curious gaze having picked up on the sudden change. Shay's lips lifted slightly at the corners combined with her slight head tilt and raised eyebrow she looked like she was up to no good. "Would asking for both be asking for too much?" Shay asked her mischievous smile turning into an almost sheepish innocent one.

Steels heart already beating faster than should be humanly possible, seemed to pick up the pace. She wasn't sure it was possible but it was definitely happening. She had to look away from her friend scared she would notice something in her eyes. Her eyes being the only part of her face to portray emotion. It should be illegal to look like that, to be able to go from almost sultry to innocent so quickly. Shay must be trying to kill her. Steel took note of the ocelots still looking at her and shay still waiting for an answer. "No, you could never ask too much from me little Shay." Steel was facing away from shay looking at her from the corner of her eye-catching a slight blush blemish her cheeks as she smiled wide. the smile was contagious and though did nothing to steady the beat of Steels wild heart and almost overwhelming love for Shay it did give her what she needed to regain control of her body and emotions and hide the feelings she feared showed in her eyes.

Steel swished her hands in the water as it became warm. " I won't put anything in the water since Ed likes to get in and swim around with you" she looked up to see Ed had climbed Shay and was now perched on her shoulders like a scarf. She chuckled and shook her head. " betrayer" she whispered towards her ocelot and stood up. 

Chip jumped down from her shoulder as she bent forward discarding her shoes to one side then her socks and trousers until she was stood in her tattooed glory in only underwear. She sauntered, elegantly for her lanky self over to the towel cupboard and retrieved 6 towels. Shay staring vacantly into the now bubbling bath upset steel so she silently placed the two towels next to her along with a third for Ed. she left the remainder of her clothes with the rest and stepped in the shower.