Distorted Hope Read Online Free PDF Page B

stared at the door.
    “Are you okay?” I asked, walking over to Jason and putting my hand on his cheek.
    He placed his hand on top of mine and gave me a sad look. “Yeah. You should go shower,” he said in a low voice.
    I searched his eyes for a moment. He was troubled. “Jason, what’s wrong?”
    He shook his head. “You look pale. Get cleaned up and then we can go eat.” Jason turned me around and guided me to a wooden door at the back of the room.
    “Oh my gosh,” I exclaimed, looking around after Jason closed the door, his troubled look forgotten. It was the most luxurious bathroom I’d ever seen. The floor was white and gray marble with thick golden veins running through it. The mirror running the width of the room had a TV in the middle of it. In the center of the back wall was a bathtub that could easily fit three people. A glass-enclosed shower ran along one wall with a room for a toilet behind it.
    I caught sight of myself in the mirror—my hair was tangled and my dress was wrinkled. My makeup had worn off except for a bit of eyeliner. I looked… well, about normal.
    I undressed quickly and went to use the shower but when I got in, there were no knobs, just a series of buttons. After playing with several, I figured out how it worked. I poured scented body wash onto a cloth and immersed myself in the relaxing scent, trying to forget the last two days.
    When I was done, I pulled a towel off a high shelf in the shower enclosure and realized I hadn’t brought any clean clothes in with me. That meant I was going to have to go out into the bedroom wearing nothing but a towel. That meant Jason would see me in nothing but a towel. Oh, God!
    After debating for several long minutes about whether I could just stay in the bathroom the rest of my life, I realized that probably wasn’t feasible and looked down at myself. The towel was very big and covered everything sufficiently. It was only slightly shorter than the dress I’d been wearing the night before.
    Ok. I can do this. I hesitated at the door for a moment but then held my breath and opened it. Jason was sprawled on the bed watching TV and looked up when I walked out.
    “I forgot to get clothes,” I said, thoroughly embarrassed but somewhat delighted about the appreciation on Jason’s face as his eyes swept over me from head to toe. I wished I had combed my hair before I’d come out, but it was too late now.
    Walking over to the dresser, I searched until I came to a drawer with definite feminine clothing. When I realized it was full of short shorts, tank tops, and baby tees, I shook my head in disbelief. I’d never worn stuff like this. There were no panties and no bras. I found two bikinis, but there was no way I was wearing those. I stared at the drawer, not knowing what to do.
    Jason came to stand next to me. “What’s wrong?”
    “I can’t wear this stuff.”
    “Why? Is it the wrong size?”
    I had already checked. “No.”
    “Then why can’t you wear it? I think you’d look cute in that purple thing.” He pointed to a purple spaghetti tank.
    “I don’t have the body to wear that sort of stuff.” Maybe that was the point. To humiliate me.
    “What are you talking about?” Jason gave me a bewildered look.
    Frowning, I shook my head and blinked back tears. I grabbed the purple top and a pair of denim shorts and then went into the bathroom, slamming the door shut. I dressed quickly, braided my hair, and then leaned against the counter, staring hard at the golden veins in the marble. Maybe if I looked bad enough, this Nathan person wouldn’t be interested in me and would let me go.
    Jason grinned as I walked out. “Wow. You look hot.”
    I turned away. “Please don’t patronize me, Jason.”
    “What do you mean, ‘patronize’ you?” He came up behind me and turned me around by my shoulders. “Why don’t you ever believe me when I tell you you’re beautiful?” He took my hand and led me back into the bathroom. “Kyra, look in