Lucy Lahey trusted the man she was dating, and it turned out to be her biggest mistake. Reeling in the aftermath of a rape that stole not only her virginity, but her confidence, her love for MMA, her clarity and more, Lucy now finds herself in Jerse...
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Niles answers his front door in sweatpants and a tank top. There's a sheen of sweat on his forehead and he stinks.
"Am I interrupting something?"
He leans on the doorframe and checks his watch. "It's three fifteen on Sunday. It's workout hour."
"You work out?"
"Sunday, Wednesday, Friday."
Of course he'd have a strict workout schedule. I push my hair behind my ear, it's half up, half down this afternoon. It's extra curly too after I braided it wet and slept on it. I'm wearing long bike shorts, almost down to the knee and an oversized sweater.
"What's up?" Niles lifts the bottom of his tank top and wipes his forehead. He's so lean, he's not shredded or sporting an eight pack but he has definition and smooth skin.
"Can you go shopping with me? I need a homecoming dress."
"Me?"
"Yeah," I say.
"You don't have girlfriends or something to go with?"
"I haven't lived here long," I say. "There's a couple of girls I talk to at school but I wouldn't invite them shopping with me. We haven't clicked that well."
A flicker of a smile lifts his lips and I realise what he must of heard in that statement. He and I have clicked that well. Even if we haven't known each other long, he makes me comfortable.
"Are you going to leave that girl on the doorstep?" I peer around Niles and see his grandmother in her chair, she smiles at me. "If Niles isn't going to invite you in, I will. Come on in here."
I slip past Niles and wrinkle my nose. "You need a shower."
He steps in front of me and puts his arm on the wall, blocking my path so I walk face first into his damp armpit.
"Niles," I gag and wipe at my face. "Oh my— that is rank."
He walks off, laughing loudly to himself, the bathroom door shuts a moment later. In the kitchen, Gladys puts the kettle on and I quickly step up to the bench top.
"I'll make a drink, what are you having?"
She points at the row of cupboards on the wall above the sink. "Cups are in there. I'll have a coffee darling. Help yourself."
I don't drink coffee, water will do. Gladys lets me know how she likes her coffee and once I've made it, we sit at the table and wait for Niles, I can hear the hum of the hot water tank through the kitchen wall, the smell of incense is over powering as usual, but I kind of like it. It smells like Niles.
"How's the new school going?" Gladys asks. "Made some friends?"
"Mmm, sort of. There's a couple of girls in my classes that I talk to but there hasn't been much of a click between us. If that makes sense?"
