The Dark Of You: Sequel to What Lies Beneath

Chapter 8

It had been hours since the assault, and you still couldn't bring yourself to move. Your entire body was screaming at you in discomfort, and what's worse is that you were starving. The dried tears on your skin left your face feeling sticky. Your hair was grimy from laying on the dirty floor, and your entire form felt disgusting. Used. Taken advantage of.

It wasn't like you didn't agree to be intimate, so was this technically your fault? Were you not clear enough with your mate? No, fuck that. You told him specifically that you didn't want to have his offspring - at least not for a long time, and he took that choice away from you. Even if it meant your death, it should have been your decision to make, and you would have dealt with it when the time came.

A shower sounded heavenly, but then again, did you even need to bathe? In all the time you knew Pennywise, you had never seen him clean himself, so could you just will the dirt away? Even so, the actual process of surrounding yourself with steam, hot water, and soap seemed blissful and therapeutic after what you'd just been through.

After a few more moments of reflection, you had forced yourself to sit up. You could physically feel the extra weight that was now taking up residence in your womb. Your body ached from the intrusion, making your stomach feel strangely full. Trying to distract yourself, you contemplated where you could take a shower. Since your aunt's old house probably had a new family in it, you thought it best to transport to the inn that Richie and the rest of the Losers were staying at to use their facilities.

Closing your eyes and concentrating on where you wanted to go, you knew that you had made it to Richie's room when you noticed the scattered clothes on the bed that smelled like him. Ew, who would have ever thought that you would actually find comfort in the scent of your little cousin?

Entering the bathroom and after dissolving your clothes, you stepped into the tub, closing the curtain behind you and turning on the faucet, gauging the temperature. Once it was scalding hot, you turned the knob and relished in the water spraying down your body. Going through the motions of your shower, you tried not to think about what had occurred between you and your mate, but it was hard to think of anything else. It was difficult to fathom. Here you stood, stronger than you had ever been in your life, and yet you had never felt so weak... so used... so lost.

Unable to keep the memories at bay, you began losing your composure. Giving in, you curled in on yourself, dropping to the floor of the tub. You wrapped your arms around your legs to rest your head on your knees and began sobbing uncontrollably beneath the stream of water.

Unsure of how many minutes had passed, a sound coming from the bedroom alerted you to someone else's presence. "Who the fuck is in here?" a familiar voice called out before opening the bathroom door. "Hello?"

Without warning, the curtain to the tub was ripped open. Even though you were being intruded on, you couldn't bring yourself to sit up, still curled into a fetal position and crying. "Holy shit. What the fuck are you doing here?"

Large hands reached forward and shut the water off, finally forcing you to look up. Through your mess of wet hair, you saw your cousin staring down at you with fear and unease. The moment your eyes met, your face crumpled and you bowed your head again to sob heavily, the intensity of it wracking your entire body.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. "What's wrong?" You could sense his apprehension, frightened of the fact that you were here. The last thing he knew, you were doubled over in pain before Pennywise came and snatched you away, leaving the Losers to assume the worst. Regardless, after contemplating the consequences, he bent down to affectionately place his hands on your bare shoulders neither of you worried about your lack of clothing. "Please talk to me."

Swallowing thickly, you willed yourself dry with clean and comfortable clothes, causing him to jump back in surprise, not yet used to your new abilities. After taking a moment to adjust, he reached for you again, helping you to your feet as you stepped out of the tub and back into the bedroom, the both of you taking a seat on his bed.