10

Asher

THE NEXT NIGHT

Water runs in fast circles around my feet. Some of it gets in my eyes, blurring my vision. It doesn’t stop me from watching the drain. It’s easy to imagine myself washing away more than just sweat or dirt in this pristine place. The truth is, even if the water runs clear, my sins aren’t gone. Nothing can wipe them from my soul.

She hates me, but she agreed to dinner. I remember Camila’s face this morning when I came to her door, and how she glared at me through the crack. The thought draws a dark laugh from my throat. She is wild. I have a feeling if I’d stepped into her room, she would have tried to attack me. There are no weapons in there; I made sure of that. But still … I wouldn’t put it past her to have found something suitable outside of her bedroom, tucking it away until I came to see her.

Camila has claws; that doesn’t make her foolish enough to use them. Bracing my palms on the pure white tiles of my shower, I arch my face upward into the hot spray. How f