Plié (Lost Birds Book 2)

Part 28 Promise.

"Sweetheart, is it alright if I come in?" The quiet sound of Theo's voice made the sudden tension leave my shoulders. He was here to check on me.

"Yeah, I'm alright." I sighed.

Theo stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He glanced up at me.His lips parted as he realized I was standing in only my underwear.

"Oh!" I gasped. He hadn't asked if I was alright, he'd asked to come in.

"I'm so sorry." I said scooping up my shirt and trying desperately to get it in the right position to pull it on.

"It's ok, sweetheart." Theo's hand covered mine, stilling my movements and grabbing my attention.

"If you don't mind, I'd actually like to take a look and see where your bruises are." Theo said.

My mind blanked.

Theo wanted me to stay in my underwear?

The shirt in my hand slipped away. Theo twisted it around as he looked in to my eyes waiting for an answer. I gulped. Letting Theo see my bruises was one way to plug in some details of what had happened. I gave a small nod.

Theo took a step back and lowered his eyes slowly over my body. He was taking his time. Analyzing every detail and memorizing them just in case.

"Turn." He said. His voice had lowered several decibels but I still managed to hear him as I shifted and turned around.

Facing away from Theo I couldn't even try to imagine what he was thinking. I wondered if I had more bruising along my back. He didn't take as long to look back there. He stepped forward, his arms came down on either side of me, and I could feel the heat from his chest along my back. He held my shirt out in front of me.

The proximity made it hard to think but Theo didn't seem to mind as he helped me thread my injured arm through the shirt. He waited patiently for me to put my good arm in as well and then he helped me pull it over my head.

He stepped back so that I could turn around. Once I'd turned he bent down and held the pants out for me to step into. I stepped into them one leg at a time and then Theo stood pulling them up along with him. He smoothed the seam along my waist and met my eyes.

"What did you think?" I asked.

Theo's eyes brow lifted at my question and I realized I hadn't been very clear. My face burned as I mentally kicked myself for saying something so ridiculous. I hadn't meant what did he think of my body. He'd seen me shirtless enough times that it was practically a routine. I just wanted to know what he had thought about the bruising.

"I-I mean-with the-uhm bruises." I clarified quickly.

Theo took a deep breath and I could feel the heat of it blow across my face. His sigh was minty like he had been chewing gum earlier and I had missed it.

"I don't know, sweetheart." He said.

He didn't know. That didn't sound good but I wasn't asking what he knew or didn't know. I was asking what he thought.

"But what do you think?" I asked again.

Theo shoved both hands through his hair and took a step back to lean against the wall.

"I think... the bruising on your wrist and throat are indications of an assault but there's no bruising on your thighs that would confirm this. It's... I don't know. I really don't sweetheart. There are so many factors." Theo explained quietly.

"But there is bruising on my thigh." I whispered. My eyes burned with confusion and tears. I hated not knowing what had happened.

"That's different." Theo said gently. "The report made it sound like it was different but seeing it I think that you were kicked or stepped on. It's not in the right spot for it to indicate sexual assault."