Chapter Forty-Seven

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"Hey, take it easy, Sophie, you don't want to slip," Nathan scolded as he placed a guiding hand to my back.

We were both ascending the stairs, but Nathan couldn't seem to take his hands off of me for the life of him. I rolled my eyes and suppressed the urge to turn around and strangle him.

Ever since we had left the hospital, Nathan had taken his protectiveness to worrying extremes. Throughout our whole journey home, he kept stealing worried glances at me while simultaneously moaning at his dad to drive slower because he wanted to keep 'my blood pressure low.'

If anyone were to overhear him, they would assume I was a poor defenceless one-hundred-year-old lady lying on their death bed.

"Nathan, you don't have to hold me as I climb the stairs. I've been climbing them myself for an awfully long time, now," I drawled sarcastically.

"Well, this is your first time climbing the stairs after getting out of a fucking coma, isn't it?" he grumbled as we reached the top of the stairs.

I let out a heavy sigh, knowing it was useless to argue with him. Pulling myself away from him, I made my way through the upstairs landing, and into my guest room, desperate to get a good night's sleep after all the stress of today. As suspected, I heard Nathan trail into the room after me.

I turned around and cocked up a half-amused eyebrow. "Have you come to help me get dressed, or can I be trusted to do that myself?" I teased.

Nathan nodded his head almost immediately. "Yeah, of course, I'll help," he said quickly as he took a step forward.

I blinked back at him in shock, realizing he had missed the joke altogether. I bit back a smile. "Nathan, I was only joking," I mumbled awkwardly.

Nathan stared at me blankly for a couple of seconds, and then he froze, finally realizing his error. Her eyes averted to the floor rapidly. "Oh, right," Nathan said stupidly as he shifted from foot to foot.

I shook my head with a snort and made my way over to my closet. "I think your sleep deprivation is getting to you, Natalie," I chuckled as I started to sift around through my clothes. Once I had everything I needed for my shower, I made my way lazily over to the door.

I had barely made a move before Nathan took a step to the side and completely block my path.

He frowned. "Where are you going?" he asked in confusion.

"To the shower, you idiot, relax," I snickered as I tried to brush past him.

Once again, he took a step to the side and blocked me. "No, you're not," he said abruptly.

"Sorry, what?" I laughed. "You're not going to the shower," he repeated matter of factly.

I tilted my head, feeling beyond confused at this point. "I'm....er...a little bit confused Nathan, do you have a problem with me getting clean?" I said slowly.

"No, of course not," he sighed. "I just don't think you should have a shower by yourself. The floor is slippery and dangerous. What happens if you fall and nobody knows, huh?" he stammered out frantically.

I threw my head back dramatically. "Nathan, you're being ridiculous; I only want to have a ten-minute shower," I cried.

He took another step closer to me, his face serious and cold. "And it can sometimes take less than ten minutes to die," he snapped.

"Okay, fine," I shrugged. "What do you suggest I do then? Have someone sit in the bathroom and watch me?" I spat out sarcastically.

He blinked once, then twice before something flashed through his eyes. "Actually, yeah, that sounds like a great idea," he said with a smile. Then before I could take back my stupid suggestion, he softly grabbed my wrist and led me out of my room.

Halfway to the bathroom, I finally came to my senses and ripped my arm free of his hold. "Woah, woah, woah, slow down there buddy. Who said I was happy to let you watch me shower?"

Nathan let out an exasperated sigh. "Relax, you can draw the shower curtains, and I won't see a thing," he explained.

Crossing my arms, I made no move to step inside the bathroom. "Or better yet, you can wait outside like a normal person, and then you definitely won't see a godamn thing."

Nathan's eyes softened. "Oh, come on, Sophie. I promise you I won't look. All I want to know is that you're alright," he explained softly.

I swallowed and looked into his deep, desperate green eyes, and soon enough, I felt my resolve slip away into nothing. "Have I ever mentioned that I hate you?"I grumbled.

His lips pricked up ever so slightly. "So, is that a yes?"

"Yeah, I suppose," I sighed as I pushed my way past him and entered the bathroom.

After he was in, I closed the door and twisted the lock behind us. I turned to Nathan and found him staring at me with an amused smile playing on his lips as he looked between the door lock and me.

"What?" I snapped, feeling slightly self-conscious.

"Nothing, it's just usually when a girl locks me in a room with her, it usually ends quite excitingly," he said, as he gave me a cheeky once over.

I gave him a deadened look. "Well, fortunately, it's not one of those times. Now, sit on your stupid arse, and behave," I grumbled as I shoved him down onto the closed toilet seat.

"Yes, Ma'am," he winked. I rolled my eyes at him, despite the fact, I was secretly happy that the more unstressed side of him had returned.

Making my way deeper into the bathroom, I dumped my clothes and towel unceremoniously on the floor before climbing into the shower.

"Erm...you shower with your clothes on?" Nathan called out as I started to draw the shower curtain to cover myself.

"No, I'm just getting changed in here," I called back as I started to remove my jacket and shoes. Once they were off, I chucked them out behind the curtain and prayed they didn't hit Nathan in the face.

"You could have changed out here and asked me to close my eyes, you know," he called out in amusement.

I let out a loud scoff as I pulled my top over my head. "Natalie, no offense, but I have absolutely zero faith in you not to peek," I spat out drily as I threw my t-shirt and jeans onto the floor outside.

Nathan sniggered and didn't say anything in response. I wasn't sure whether it was because he was too lazy to deny it, or because he secretly knew it was true.

Something told me it was the latter...

As I was in the middle of throwing out my jeans, Nathan cleared his throat. "I'm not going to lie, Sophie, I'm very much enjoying you throwing out my clothes to me," he mused. I could tell from his tone alone that there was a ginormous smirk on his face.

My whole face burned fiercely red as I realized how strangely erotic this scene must look from his end. I mean, I was literally standing half-naked behind a thinly veiled sheet while I stripped off my pieces of clothing piece by piece and threw them at him. I was basically a stripper.

"Oh, shut up," I snapped through the curtain at him as I quickly unhooked my bra and shimmied off my panties.

As soon as I had them off, I felt more exposed and vulnerable than I ever had in my entire life. I was literally standing stark naked with Nathan, the fucking Adonis mere centimeters away from me. And now, I was going to have to through the traumatizing experience of throwing my underwear out to him...

It was like someone had purposely constructed my life to be as embarrassing as possible.

Deciding to get on with the inevitable, I quickly threw my underwear out through the curtain and prayed to God he hadn't noticed.

Nathan stiffly cleared his throat. "Erm... Sophie, your bra and panties kinda just hit me in the face.."

"WHAT!" I screamed, my heart practically jumping through my chest. "Shit, shit, shit, shit!" I screamed out hysterically as I practically tore my roots out in panic. As I was in the middle of having a full-blown mental breakdown, it was interrupted by the sound of Nathan's booming cackles of laughter breaking throughout the room.

"Relax, Sophie, I'm fucking with you. They're nowhere near me," he snickered.

I let out a shaky breath of relief and leaned my forehead against the cold tiled walls. "Oh, thank god," I sobbed into the wall.

Once I had sobered up, I turned in Nathan's direction in fury and smacked the curtain. "You're not funny," I spat out angrily.

Nathan laughed harder. "Well, since you're so angry, why don't you come out here, and fight me, then," he said daringly.

Yet again, my face started to heat up in shame but deciding to be mature, I rolled my eyes and turned on the shower.

Immediately the warm rays of water ran through my hair, and I closed my eyes and stepped into it so my entire body would get a good drenching. And for the next few minutes, I had a nice relaxing time. Well, minus Nathan persistently asking me if I was okay every thirty seconds.

About three minutes into my shower as I was busy soaping down my body, I took a glance at the shower curtain, starting to grow paranoid by how quiet Nathan was being.

It was suspiciously quiet...

"You can't see me through the curtain, right?" I asked cautiously.

Nathan let out a bitter laugh. "Sophie, if I could see through the curtain, there's no fucking way I'd still be sat here."

"Why? Where would you be?" I mumbled suspiciously.

"In there with you," he said bluntly.

My heart stopped, his words seeming to hold a thick level of tension with them.

I cleared my throat to help regain my composure. I wasn't used to this new flirtatious side of Nathan, and I definitely wasn't used to the way it made me feel.

"Again, Nathan, you're still not funny," I said flatly.

"Who said I was joking?" he replied back smoothly.

I was in the middle of turning around as he said that, and the shock of his words frazzled me to the point where I completely lost my footing. I skidded down to the ground and landed heavily on my side with a loud bang. "Fuck," I winced.

"Sophie!" Nathan yelled out before I heard the fast sound of panicked footsteps draw closer.

"Sophie? Are you alright? Answer me!" Nathan yelled out in panic as I felt him pat desperately against the shower curtain.

I groaned and started to sit up, feeling instantly burdened by how light-headed and achy I felt. Contrary to what I had told Nathan, I hadn't recovered quite so well from my mini coma. I didn't see any good reason to worry him any more than he already was.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, Nathan. I fell over, but I'm fine," I insisted.

"Can you get up?" Nathan asked rapidly.

"Hold on, give me a second," I winced as I started to slide my legs underneath me. The increasing throbbing sensation building up in my head, coupled with my shaky legs and pressing nausea, made it impossible to gain a good footing, and I flopped back onto the shower floor in defeat.

"Is everything alright? Did you get up?" Nathan called out shakily, his voice right on the other side of the curtain.

"Actually, fuck it, I'm coming in," Nathan said suddenly.

I widened my eyes as I saw the shower curtain begin to undraw. I quickly lunged out and grabbed the end of the curtain to stop him. "No, Nathan, please don't!" I yelled out desperately.

He let go of the shower curtain in a huff. "Oh, come on, Sophie, I don't care that you're naked," he stammered out in frustration.

"Well, I do, okay," I yelled back pathetically.

"So, what? I'm supposed to let you lie there uncomfortably and do nothing?" he scoffed.

"Yes, but it's fine, Nathan. I'll be able to get up in a minute, I swear," I insisted. There was a moment of silence.

"Hold on," he said suddenly. "What if I tie your t-shirt around my eyes, so I won't be able to see anything. How does that sound?" he asked gently.

I paused and took the time to process his words and realized it wasn't actually too bad of an idea. I reluctantly nodded my head. "Okay fine," I mumbled before slowly letting go of the shower curtain. I heard shuffling outside the curtain as Nathan likely got his makeshift blindfold together.

Then soon enough, the curtain drew back sharply, and a heavily blindfolded Nathan came into view. "Okay, I'm here now, where are you?" Nathan asked as he waved his arms out blindly in front of him.

He looked rather funny, pawing at the floor and walls like an idiot, and it took everything in me not to snort at him.

"I'm here, you idiot," I said as I suddenly took his hand.

"Okay, great, this is good," he said as he stepped into the shower with me. The water was still on, so he recoiled a little as it dropped down his back, but he soon ignored it, and let it soak him to the skin as he crawled onto the floor next to me.

He lifted my arm over his shoulder. "Hold on to my neck, tightly, okay," he said softly.

I shivered in surprise as his hands skimmed down my naked back before snaking around my waist to grip me tightly. At that moment, it then dawned on me how incredibly close Nathan was and how incredibly naked I was.

"Try your best to put your feet underneath you, but lean on me for support, okay," he explained gently. I did as he said, and he easily lifted me to my feet. He tightened his hold as he helped me take a few wobbly steps out of the shower.

I shivered at the inrush of cold air coated my naked body. "C-can you get me my towel; it's right by your feet," I stuttered.

"Yeah, yeah, of course," he said as he momentarily let me go, so he could bend down and fumble around for it. Once he had found it, he stood back up again and held it out open for me.

I smiled at him gratefully and turned around, so my back was against the towel. I was about to reach for the ends, so I could wrap myself up, but Nathan beat me to it, and carefully snaked the material around my body.

My breathing hitched a little when he tucked the last loose end into the gap above my breast. "Is it on?" he asked softly, his voice only above a mere whisper.

I nodded my head. "Yeah, it is, you can look now," I mumbled.

Nathan quickly undid the knot he had tied around the back of his head, and let the material drop from his eyes.

His eyes immediately met mine, and he wasted no time before visually scanning me for any signs of injury. "Are you okay?" he asked with caution.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Nathan. Thanks for erm.. for helping me," I said with the awkward clear of my throat.

He shook his head softly and took a step closer to me. "Sophie, you should never thank me for helping you. I have to," he swallowed, his eyes searching deeply into my own. "You're one of the only people I've got."

Then, before I could get a word out, Nathan grabbed my waist and captured me into another firm hug. His arms, long, warm, and comforting held me to him with a frightening need, like he thought I might slip away from him. As his head sunk into my neck, I focused on the feel of his long, slender fingers digging into my waist and clawing me closer.

And not knowing what else to do, I let myself melt into his hold and relax into the very thing I feared.

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Author's note:

Hope you enjoyed the chapter and thanks for reading.

Next update: Friday (6-8 PM- UK time)

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