Daughter of the Mara (The Mara Chronicles Book I)

Chapter 10

When she could no longer hear the soft sound of voices from the hall, Jay leaned back against the bathroom counter and sighed, her body sagging to the floor. What a colossal mess she'd made. She had been so close to having a guy like her, to having her first real date, and her nightmares had taken it away. Just like always. Her stupid-crazy brain robbed her of anything ordinary that might happen to stumble into her messed-up, damaged life. No normal guy was going to want some crazy girl covered in blood, convinced that she had been chased through her house by imaginary knights. It had been surprising enough that a guy like Edmund had taken any interest in a girl who was certifiable, but people always seemed to be able to dismiss insanity in the abstract. Seeing crazy right before your eyes was a very different matter. She knew she wouldn't like Edmund's reaction if he had witnessed what had gone on tonight.

Her head slumped to the side in exhaustion, her chin brushing against her bare shoulder. She couldn't bring herself to do anything except stare at the flower-patterned tile floor and tried to still her anxious mind. Eventually, she heard Harvey in the doorway.

"We should get you cleaned up," he said softly. He had moved closer to her now, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him. She couldn't bear to see the inevitable fear and horror in his eyes.

"I can take care of it," she whispered, more to herself than to Harvey. She had been taking care of it for years. She didn't need his help. She covered her face with one of her hands, silently willing him to go away.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard footsteps retreating. However, her relief was short lived as the footsteps returned, followed by the sounds of the shower door opening and the water turning on. "Harvey, please... just go," she breathed, exhausted.

She heard him sigh behind her. "No, I'm not going to do that. It's been a rough night and you need help."

Jay felt a sudden fury building within her. "I don't need help," she screamed, slamming her fists against the floor. She rose slowly, turning a fierce, feral stare directly at Harvey. "I have been taking care of myself long before you showed up! I can take a damn shower myself!"

Harvey did not seem taken aback by her sudden outburst. He smiled at her knowingly and she wanted to smack him. "I know, Jay," he said. "I'm not here to be your nurse-maid. I thought you might want someone to talk to after what happened tonight."

Instantly her fire went out. "Oh," was the only word Jay could muster as she slumped back down. She was so used to people assuming she was helpless after one of her waking nightmares that she hadn't expected this. By the end of her stay at Lakewood, she had been treated more like a prisoner than a patient. After one of her nightmares she would be slapped into restraints and locked away while whoever she had hurt was hauled off in an ambulance. She was dangerous, so she couldn't blame them for that. However, she still didn't know how to react to this situation. She had no experience with a person actually caring about her and not just worrying about what she would do next. Before she knew what was happening, Jay's eyes filled with tears and she collapsed into Harvey's open arms. She felt him stroke her bloody hair and she knew, maybe, just maybe, things were finally going to resemble some semblance of okay.

They sat that way for several minutes before Harvey finally whispered, "Come on, Jay," in her ear. "You'll feel better once you wash the blood off."

Jay forced an almost imperceptible nod in between the sobs that had been wracking her body. Harvey picked her up and carried her toward the shower. He opened the shower door one handed and placed her lightly, clothes and all, under the steaming water. He started to let go but when she almost fell upon the release of his touch, he followed her in.