𝓢𝓾𝓰𝓪𝓻 : 𝓗𝓪𝓻𝓻𝔂 𝓢𝓽𝔂𝓵𝓮𝓼 𝓓𝓲𝓻𝓽𝔂 𝓘𝓶𝓪𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓼

Wash Away My Sin

Word Count: 1,977

Illeana-

     I could feel the heartbeat in my ears pulsing through my brain making it impossible for me to think straight. I felt hurt, I felt disgusted; I felt numb to the very core of my existence.

     My back to the door, with my body, I close it. I clamp my eyes shut and take a deep breath trying to calm down the flood of emotion running through me. I sniffle as I quickly wipe away a falling tear and push myself off the bathroom door.

     Hot hands grip the counter of the sink holding my body steady. I glance up at my reflection in the mirror above the sink. I didn't see the girl I had grown up knowing, I saw a woman; fragile, miserable because of her own decision making. She had dark circles under her dull eyes, raw, red cheeks from wiping away tears.

     My body felt as if it went on autopilot, I pulled the hair tie out of my a messy ponytail that it was in. This only added to my miserable looking appearance. My hair cascaded down my back, tucking it behind my ears I take a deep breath through my nose then out my mouth as I grip the end of my shirt and pull it over my head then dropping it on the ground.

     Every movement I made seemed to move in slow-motion. I tug down my jeans, pooling at my ankles, taking them all the way off I set them in the growing pile of clothes. I snap off my bra and then pull down my panties and step out of them and my foot pushes them over to the pile.

     I make eyes contact with myself in the mirror once again taking in my now bare body looking at every mark, curve, and flaw my body owned. I shake my head at myself knowing I'm getting lost in my own dreaded thoughts.

     Walking over to the shower I open the glass door leaning in and reach to turn the shower on. I turn the knob towards the hot side turning it almost all the way over. I walk over to the linen closet to grab a bath towel and I hang it on the hook right next to the shower.

     Bringing my hand under the stream of water to test it out I feel it's the perfect temperature. I step one foot in before I hear the creak of the door opening.

     I look over to see Harry, my best friend since childhood standing in the doorway. His eyes wandered over my exposed skin, taking in every inch of me as if I was on display.

     "Ileana, I-I'm so sorry I'll-" He shielded his eyes with his hand turning his body towards the door.

     "No, stay." His wide eyes give me a curious look as if I was crazy. "Come in and shut the door, please." My voice came out weak and fragile as if I was truly broken.

     He turned his body facing me, but his eyes stayed glued to his feet, he gently pushed the door closed. The steam from the shower was starting to make the mirror and the shower glass itself foggy, the stream of water coming from the shower head kept pouring on to the tiled floor.

     "Take off your clothes, Harry," I ordered him. He looked up at me his body frozen as he tried to comprehend the words I had just spoken.

     Before he could say anything else I answered his screaming thoughts. "I want you to join me, Harry." He hesitantly pulled off his black trench coat and hung it on the hook that was on the back of the door. He quickly stepped out of his shoes pushing the shoes over by the door with his foot.

     I reach out to him, hoping he would take my hand. His shaking hand enveloped mine, I pulled him to follow me into the shower despite him still wearing clothes, I didn't care and it seemed he didn't either.

     The water fell on his hair first, the water droplets dripped down his face into his shirt. The stream of hot water beating on my back as I pulled Harry further into the shower.