CHAPTER 5. Steam Flowers (Patreon)

I rushed upstairs, heart still hammering from what I’d just done. The clothes were spinning now, suds hiding my guilt, but I could still feel the taste in my mouth. I turned the shower on full, let the steam rise before stepping in. I had to wash it off, everything. The scent, the thought, the part of me that had wanted it. Water hit my skin like needles, and for a moment, I let myself disappear into it.

Then I felt it. That stillness. That weight in the air, like being watched through glass. I turned my head, slowly. Theo was standing at the door, silent, still, his eyes locked below my waist. I followed his gaze. The cage. My secret. His mouth curled into a slow, knowing smile. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t need to.