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I went out on a limb and popped the question.
“Even if it's just as friends,” I continued. “We don’t have to rush anything or force anything, but we were like family before it all.”
“Yeah,” she nodded. “We were. You and my brothers were like the only family I had. And Uncle Joe. Without you guys, I don’t think I would be where I am today. He's right, we should at least fix that much of our relationship.”
Chapter Twelve~ Mia
Brayden and I had an awesome conversation the after my mom and I fought. It was refreshing to finally hear him claim some reasonability. I felt like I could try to let my guard down and start to move forward with him. Even if it was only for friendship.
Although I agreed to work on strictly being friends with him, I couldn’t stop thinking about the boner he got while watching me in my bathing suit. He said it was because he hadn’t been near a woman in a while, but I refused to believe that. There were tons of sexy women in Big Bear, and Brayden was a Big Bear himself.
I secretly wondered if he had given another woman the chance to ride him the same way I used to. It was none of my business, but the thought was there. I can honestly admit I got a little jealous thinking about it, because in a way, I secretly saved myself for him.
As we sat at the table talking about everything under the sun, I noticed his bandages seeping. I was no nurse, but I knew a bad thing when I saw one. I wasn’t sure if he would want me to help him in such a way, but I mentioned it anyway.
“Brayden, your bandages,” I pointed. “We should probably get you cleaned up. or do you have to call Olga?”
“Oh shit,” he cursed. “Uh, I guess you could help. If you don’t mind. It'll take Olga some time to get all the way here and it’s late. I wouldn’t want her to drive all this way at night.”
Great minds thought alike. It was pretty late, and Olga was an older woman who probably couldn’t see well at night. I figured she was probably on call anyway, but I didn’t mind helping him out.
“Alright, should I wheel you to your room and get you in the tub?”
“Yeah,” he groaned. “I should probably have a bath anyway. I feel like I stink.”
He smelled of man funk and cologne. It wasn’t a nasty smell, rather a smell I missed having around at night. I even kept one of his old T-shirts until the smell was completely gone. I think that’s when I decided I was done with him. However, smelling his scent again made me realize that maybe I wasn’t.
“You don’t stink,” I said as I wheeled him into his bathroom. “You smell like a man.”
Brayden pointed out all the supplies Olga used on his legs while he filled up the bathtub for himself. While I collected the supplies he needed, I didn’t realize he was getting undressed behind me. I thought he would wait until I was gone to get himself into the bath, but he had no shame in his body, and no shame in his game.
“Wow! Um, I'll come back when you're finished.”
I was startled when I saw a naked frame sitting in the wheelchair. Although Brayden was the sexiest man alive in my eyes, I shielded them from his nakedness. It had been years since we saw each other’s bodies in raw form. It was awkward.
“Uh, I kind of need your assistance with cleaning my legs and getting into the tub,” he said. “It’ll be easier to just get it all done at once. I don’t feel like being in pain tonight.”
He sounded so miserable it made me want to hug him. I couldn’t imagine what it felt like to be burned to such a degree, but I got an idea when it was time to unwrap his bandages.
“Ah!” he groaned loudly. “Gentle! Gentle.”
“I’m sorry,” I winced as if the pain were mine. “This shit is really stuck on here, my God.”
Brayden continued to shout and groan in pain until the last of the bandages were free from his legs and I was able to help him into the soothing warm saline water. It was a trick that Olga taught him, just in case he needed a bath before she came back.
“Damn, you really did a number on yourself,” I said. “Those are some real nasty burns. You need to drop that ego before something worse happens to you, Brayden. Seriously.”
I took a seat in his wheelchair at the side of the tub, and he rested his head against the back of the tub with his eyes closed. While I had the chance, I rested my eyes on the jewel between his legs. It wasn’t erect that time, but it was just as tempting.
“I’m working on that.”
His voice quickly shifted my gaze before he caught me lusting over what used to be mine.
“Good,” I said. “I’d hate for something worse than this to happen to you. We might not get along, but I still care about your wellbeing.”
“Oh yeah?” he smiled flirtatiously. “I thought I was on the shit-list for good.”
“I thought you were too. I have a dangerous soft spot for the people I care about.”
