A World of New (A Shade of Vampire, #26)(33)

I realized that I was looking at him more than he was looking at himself when he frowned at me and said, “What?”

“You look, um… awesome.” Handsome was the word that had almost slipped from my lips.

He looked back at himself in the mirror and widened his eyes. “You’re easily impressed, then.”

I wasn’t about to start arguing that he was better looking than he was willing to admit. Instead, I just smiled faintly and pursed my lips.

Now that he had finished shaving, I wasn’t sure what other business he had to do in the bath. He seemed to be ready to get out, too. I stood up, planting my left hand on the left side of the bath and my right on the right side, to gain a grip. Then I lowered myself—until my face was rather uncomfortably close to his—and gave him permission for the second time. “You can put your arms around me.”

His cool, damp arms reached around my neck. As I began slowly easing him up, my right hand slipped from the edge of the tub. I’d underestimated how slippery the water had made it. I found myself falling… he was falling too… I was falling on top of him. The next thing I knew, we were both in the bathtub. Our faces were squashed together, our noses touching. And his laughter was loud in my ear.

“Oh, my God!” I gasped, scrambling to raise myself off of him. “I’m so sorry! I’m so, so sorry!” Grabbing hold of the tub’s edges, I leapt out of the bath so fast one would have thought he had given me an electric shock.

But Josh didn’t seem to mind my mistake in the slightest. He was still shaking with laughter.

Well, at least somebody’s entertained…

He could laugh, but I was supposed to be a professional. How could I have made such a stupid, clumsy mistake with a patient?

“Are you okay?” I feared that I had hurt him. Although he didn’t look hurt, I could have damaged him somehow and he might not even feel it.

But he could barely answer me through his chortling.

At this, I couldn’t help but crack a smile. “Finished making fun of me yet?”

“Not quite,” he managed.

I glared down at him in mock admonition, until he calmed down.

“Dare I suggest we try that again?” he asked, a grin still splitting his face.

Smirking, I reached for a towel. Before gripping the edges of the tub this time, I made sure they were thoroughly dried. And then for good measure, I handed the towel to Josh so that he could dry his arms and hands.

Then we tried again. This time, thankfully more successfully.

I placed down towels on his seat before I raised him out of the tub and lowered him back into it. I handed him two more towels so that he could dry himself completely. Eyeing me in amusement, he handed one of the towels back to me. “Looks like you could use this just as well as me.”

I could. I was soaking wet. I removed my cardigan, about to dab down my shirt a bit, before realizing how… ahem… clingy my t-shirt had become. I quickly replaced my cardigan and handed the towel back to him.

“I’ll, uh, sort myself out downstairs.”

“Okay,” he said. “I can manage things from here, I think.” He nodded toward the door.

“Okay. If you need anything, just call for Tom. I’ll be back soon.” I cast him one last sheepish grin before exiting the bathroom.

As I hurried down to the ladies’ room, I reached up to touch my cheeks. They felt on fire. I could only imagine how close their shade was to a tomato’s.





Grace





I ended up hurrying back home to change, realizing the stupidity of thinking I could change in the ladies’ room. I would have nothing to change into down there. While I was in my apartment, I also packed up some clothes in a suitcase for the journey. Not just for myself, but also for Josh. I ended up rummaging through my father’s wardrobe, since I figured that they were roughly the same size, and I knew my father wouldn’t mind.

If we were going to be staying at a hotel, Josh needed to look presentable. He shouldn’t be rolling around in hospital pajamas. Looking through my father’s collection of clothing, I wondered what would suit Josh. I ended up picking mostly plain, safe, and easy clothes—jeans, T-shirts, as well as a number of sweaters and two coats. But as I spotted one of my father’s tuxedos, I decided to pack that, too. If we would be staying in a hotel, there might be an occasion to wear it. I also was sure to bring my notebook, of course, along with my toothbrush and a few other travel items.

By the time I’d finished packing, ironically I realized that I’d gathered way more clothes for Josh than I had for myself. But that was okay. I doubted I would run out of clothes.

Then I stopped by my grandmother and aunts’ treehouse. I’d wanted to tell them where I was going and say goodbye, but they weren’t home, so instead I left a note before returning to Meadow Hospital. When I arrived at Josh’s room, Shayla was already in there with him. He just couldn’t help but crack another grin at me as I entered, and despite myself, my cheeks flushed yet again. Ugh.

Shayla looked from me to him, a smile forming on her lips. “All right?” she said. She was standing by her own suitcase, planted at the end of Josh’s bed.

“Yeah,” I said.

It seemed that she had already brought more suitable clothes for Josh—at least for traveling there. He was wearing black pants and a thick puffer coat with woolen gloves. His hair was dry already… and still, he looked too pale.