Tainted

Chapter 13

Chapter 13 (mild sexual content**)

I woke up to someone stroking my hair softly. I rubbed my eyes and looked up. Dan was smiling down at me, his hair still in its perfect style, yet his eyes thick with sleep.

"Morning." He whispered. "Morning." I replied. I couldn't control the smile that was on my face, heat rising to my cheeks. We'd never been this close, and what scared me was that I liked it.

Dan was discharged from the hospital that morning and we headed back to the residence. Dan said that we could have the day off, due to the circumstances.

I went back to my room, got undressed and got in the hot tub. The hot tub was covered in bubbles, the bathroom thick with the aroma of roses. After half an hour of relaxation, I got out and hopped in the shower, washing my hair and body before stepping out and wrapping myself in a thick plush towel, tying one around my dripping hair.

I put on my favourite underwear; a black lace bra with a matching thong. Don't judge me, it looked really good on and it was comfortable. I was just in the mood for something more interesting than a plain t-shirt bra. I then pulled on a old baggy nirvana vest, which showed my cleavage off beautifully and some skinny jeans. I pulled off the towel from around my head and began to blow dry my hair. Once it was done, I brushed it through, put on a plain black beanie, and turned on my phone. I decided against makeup today. I wasn't planning on seeing anyone. As my phone loaded, i heard a knock at the door. It was now 12:15, so I wasn't expecting any visitors as everyone was probably at training. Plus, it wouldn't be room service, I hadn't ordered any.

I walked over to my door, taking one last look in the mirror before undoing the latch and opening the door. Dan stood their with a sheepish smile on his face.

"Oh, hi." I said, surprised at his sudden appearance.

"Hi." He sighed, a smile gracing his features. He paused,

"Oh yeah um, I was just wondering if you wanted to come down to the canteen with me? Not many people are going to be there, most are going to be training. It might help build your confidence." He suggested nervously, scratching the back of his neck. I took a deep breath. I had to do this. For him. For myself.

"Ok, let's go, before I change my mind." His face lit up like a child on Christmas Day. It was adorable. It suited him more than his usual smirk or frown. I walked back into my apartment and sat down on my bed, pulling on my black Uggs. I picked up my key card and adjusted my beanie before leaving with Dan.

He was dressed in a more casual attire today; baggy blue jeans and a grey hoodie with blue trainers. He looked pretty normal to be honest, yet his tribal tattoo on his neck was still visible, along with his lip piercing I had learnt to love.

We came to the canteen doorway. I took a deep breath, my hands sweating. I rubbed them nervously on my thighs and then adjusted my beanie, again. Dan gave me a reassuring smile before he walked in. I followed close behind, looking around the hall. It was a lot emptier than the other night, only about 10 people on each table, all engaged in their own conversations. A few people stared and whispered, but as soon as Dan looked their way, they turned around hastily, carrying on with their meals.

"How come they're scared of you?" I asked him, curious. He shrugged,

"My record isn't as clean as you'd expect, and news travels fast." After that, he walked ahead, leaving me stood alone, confused.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around to see a girl, around my age, smiling at me. She had long curly brown hair with blonde highlights and wore black skinny jeans and a black T-shirt, with a black leather jacket and leather boots.