The shower was scalding, steam billowing around me and washing away the lake water and the chill that had seeped into my bones. As I wrapped myself in a towel and glanced at the fogged-up mirror, my reflection stared back, battered but defiant.
My gaze fell to the scattered scars on my body, each one a ghost of a past injury. They mapped out the years I had spent shielding Cayden from harm, infiltrating dangerous places and putting myself in the line of fire for him.
Almost every scar bore his name in some way, except one. My fingers instinctively traced the three-centimeter line along my jaw, the only wound that predated him. A faint ache accompanied the memory, but it was dulled by the sheer weight of all the others.
I must have lost track of time because a knock came at the door, breaking through my reverie.
"Aubrey?" Dennis called, his voice tinged with concern. "Are you okay? Do you need help?"
"I'm fine," I replied quickly, opening the door.
The steam followed me out in a curling haze, tinting my skin a flushed pink. Dennis's eyes widened briefly before he turned his head, a faint blush creeping up his cheeks. He busied himself by picking up the ointment and holding it out to me.