The Gang Girl

Chapter 37- Saving Shots

"Where will you sleep?" I ask Xander quietly as we make our way upstairs to his room, Elijah having left us to hunt for food in the kitchen.

"On the floor." Comes his simple reply.

They actually do that?

I'm a little stunned, to be honest.

"Oh don't look so confused. You honestly can't tell me a guy has never slept on the floor when sleeping in the same room as you." He stops on the stairs, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Well, no. But that doesn't mean I'm a..." I can't finish the sentence.

I'd been called a multitude of derogatory names over the years by males and females that I held them in the highest regard as words that should be taken with great seriousness and not used lightly, as they often produced rumors and trouble.

The scars on my hips were proof of that when Haydn discovered that I self-harmed to escape the torture that was people degrading me into some common class harlot all because I got along better with my male counterparts then the females.

We make it to his room, one of three at the top of the 3 story mansion before we speak again.

"Germany broke you in more ways than one, didn't it." It isn't a question, and I flinch because it leaves no room to lie.

"Yes," I whisper, looking at my feet, not bothering to keep my guard up around someone that would see right through me, someone who would call me out on my shit.

Someone I wanted desperately to trust.

"I can try to help you if you'd like. If you need someone to talk to. I know you have no reason to trust me, no reason to believe me. But my intentions here are pure. I want to help you." His shoes came into my line of sight, and his hand lifts my chin to meet his eyes.

I bite my lip, need and want warring against instinct. I nod my head.

"You can start now. Don't think I'm sleeping in these jeans." For the first time in a long time, I blush at the prospect of a man helping me undress, even though it's sorely needed and it isn't the first time I'd been in this position.

"I'll grab you a shirt, and then we'll go from there." He quirks a small smile at me, before stalking towards what I assume is his walk-in-wardrobe. I start walking around his room and end up at the floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall window that overlooked not the city but the forest.

"It's beautiful." I breathe out.

"You should see it in summer." His voice isn't behind me, but it's not as far away as it would be if he was still in the wardrobe. I turn around and see him standing near the bed, holding a blue button down shirt.

"Sorry, I don't have pants that would fit you. Your builds a bit," he hesitates, looking for the right word," slimmer than my own." He looks almost apologetic, fearing he may have offended me.

Not able to help it, I let out a small giggle.

"What?" He looks genuinely puzzled.

"Never has a male ever hesitated in describing my body, nor looked so apologetic for not having pants that would fit me." I keep giggling and walk over to him.

"Oh. I'm going to have to educate you in how a male should actually treat you, it appears."

"Starting with how true a gentleman would help an injured lady take off her coat."

He grabs me gently by my shoulders and turns me around, before helping me slide my coat off of my good arm, and tosses it on the bed as I turn back to face him.