Chapter 46: Never Let Me Go
When Evan agreed to let Rylee stay the night, he honestly didn't consider all the logistics. Rylee had no clothes, no toiletries, and while that was no big deal for a guy, he realized it was probably a bit more awkward for his girlfriend to endure. In his mind, he was considering his options. Should he text Tara to bring Rylee her things? Should he go by the house himself? Rylee was so upset when she came over, all he wanted to do was keep her close. Now he put them both in a dilemma.
Before he could stress for long, the doorbell rang and he moved to answer it. He was surprised to find Tara on the doorstep. There was a Z of Legend backpack slung on her arm that looked oddly out of place.
"I'll be working late, and I figured Rylee might need a few things. Bandit has been fed and will be fine until I get back." She tossed the bag at him and waved as she took off for her car. Evan closed the door, wondering if women had some type of mind reading ability he didn't know about... otherwise, how could Tara have done something so random?
"You had a delivery," he explained, passing Rylee the backpack. With a curious expression, Rylee unzipped it, pawing through the contents. There were pajamas, a toothbrush and toothpaste, and a phone charger. Seeing Evan's bewildered expression she started to laugh and held his hand cheekily.
"You'll get used to her. Just be glad this is all she packed for me," Rylee giggled. She zipped up the bag and motioned toward the crutches. "Can I use your shower?"
Evan picked her up off the couch instead and walked her to the master bathroom. Setting her next to the tub, he opened a cupboard and pulled out a few towels.
Rylee raised an eyebrow and looked over his shoulder at the linen collection. "Where did you learn to organize like this? I don't know many guys who actually keep their bathroom this clean."
Evan was torn between laughter and embarrassment. "My mom is a professional house stager. I spent quite a few summers helping her out when I was younger. You would be amazed how important a few carefully folded towels can be on first impressions."
Rylee took the towels, arranging them within reach. Evan watched her, finding it hard to step away.
"How do you think she will react when she meets me? I'm not a slob, but I'm no neat freak." Rylee asked. Evan noted the way she glanced at her backpack, wondering what was going through her mind. Was she nervous? Intimidated? It all seemed so silly to him.
"I'm sure she will still adore you," he kissed her, and politely exited the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Then he had nothing to do but wait for her to be done.
When Evan heard the water switch on, he sat on the bed and tried to calm himself. It was torture trying not to think about what was happening. His imagination kept slipping as he wished he was with Rylee. 'Don't get ahead of yourself!' He thought, rubbing a hand across his forehead. That didn't keep his brain from filling in the details: 'Your girlfriend is naked in your shower.' He felt like he was an awkward high schooler, unable to control his desires for the first time. His face felt like it had risen in temperature. FanQuest was an awfully long time away! He needed to pace himself.
Suddenly, there was a yelp and a thud from the shower. All his reasoning evaporated; Evan bolted into the other room without thinking of the situation.
"Are you okay?!"
"Evan!" Rylee squeaked in shock, grabbing onto the shower curtain to pull herself up. Instead, the curtain rod broke lose, crashing down around her. Evan, in his heroic effort to save her, felt the bar slam into the back of his head, and his elbow hit the tub as he tried to catch his fall. There was a lot of confusion and water before Evan managed to straighten up.
He caught a glimpse of Rylee sitting in the water, doe eyes staring up at him and face cherry red, as he quickly looked away and focused on placing the curtain back in place.
"Are you hurt?" He asked, his voice sounding strange when he spoke. He was trying to hold himself together as it was. In fact, he no longer needed to imagine much. Evan had seen plenty even in the confusion. His nerdy girlfriend was even more attractive than he imagined!
"My pride is damaged, but the rest of me is fine," Rylee remarked. Evan looked away, and held out his hand for Rylee to get up. He made it clear he wasn't peeking so she wouldn't feel worse. The shower was hot, but his skin seemed to be even warmer. Rylee stumbled slightly, but he kept her upright, coughing as he did. "Maybe we need to get a shower mat in here. I didn't think this would be so dangerous for you."
"Brat!" Rylee splashes a handful of water at him, water running down his back into his pants. He was already feeling like a drowned cat, and her attack finished the sensation.
"Hey!" He turned to scold her, but she squealed and pushed his face away.
"Stop looking!"
"That freckle, is it a birthmark?"
"Evan!"
"It's really cute, you should let me look closer sometime."
"Out!"
Realizing she was at her limit, Evan exited and took a towel with him. There was an amused smile on his face as he did. Rylee acted annoyed, but the shy blush on her face told him she wasn't that angry. There was something taboo and exciting about these little experiences together. He grinned with amusement as he dried off and changed into a pair of shorts and a lose T-shirt suitable to sleep in.
When Rylee finally exited the bathroom, she crossed her arms and gave him a stern frown. "Your awful cheeky for someone who pretends to be a gentleman!"
Evan raised an eyebrow and walked over, snatching her off her feet and depositing her on the bed. After a few kisses that stopped her arguing, he grinned against her neck. "Every gentleman has his weakness and you, my dear, are mine!"
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