As calmly as possible, I said, “Kat, I need you to go check out your room.”
The room was an open floor plan, so I could see her as she went over to where her bed was. She started opening drawers in her dresser, pulling out a change of clothes. I hadn’t even thought about her still being in my clothes. If I had my way, I’d keep her in them. The shirt was baggy on her, and you could barely see the boxers peeking out from under it. Her legs were milky white and smooth. The only bit of color was the tattoo on her thigh. I watched as she pulled out a pair of shorts and a tank top, but when she opened another drawer, she paused.
“Timber.” Her voice was a bit higher than normal with an edge to it.
“What is it?” I strode quickly to her.
“My underwear, they’re all gone.” Her eyes met mine.
I looked down in the empty drawer. “Is this normally full?”
She nodded. “It’s usually so full I can hardly close the drawer.” Kat’s eyes were darting around. “Oh my God, my body spray is gone too.” She placed her hand where I assumed it normally sat on top. “Shit, I’m going to be sick.”
She darted to the bathroom and I heard her vomiting the breakfast we’d just had. I followed her and pulled her hair back out of her face, rubbing her back while dry heaves racked her body. If I hadn’t been sitting here taking care of her, I’m pretty sure I’d be bent over this toilet doing the same thing. I felt absolutely disgusted that someone had her personal belongings. It’s not like some pervert had come in here, took a pair of underwear and left. No, he stole all of them. This person also took her smell. The fucking smell that I loved on her, and now someone else had it.
Kat sat back when she seemed to have nothing left. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. I reached over and found a wash cloth to wet down and handed it to her.
“Thanks.” Her voice sounded hoarse.
Just then, there was a knock on the door and we heard Beaver calling out. “Hello, are y’all in there?”
“In here,” I said, directing him to the bathroom.
As I helped Kat to her feet, Beaver poked his head in. “Hey, Kitten, you okay?”
She shook her head and tears welled up in her eyes. “No, I don’t think I am.”
“Come here, baby.” He held his arms out for her to come hug him.
She moved to him and he folded her into his large body. My jealousy bubbled to the surface, but I stamped it back down because I knew their relationship was strictly platonic. He looked at Kat like a little sister, and I had to appreciate the man for taking such good care of her.
Beaver was stroking her hair as she sobbed in his chest. “It’ll be ok. We’re not going to let anything happen to you.”
I piped up. “No, we’re not, because I’m not letting her out of my sight.”
Kat spun around in Beaver’s arms. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. You go to the grocery store, I’m on you. You go to the post office, I’m on you. At work, Beaver and I are on you. At night when you close up, you’ll be at my house.”
“You can’t be serious, Timber. Can’t I just get a taser or something? I could go to the range and learn how to shoot a pistol. Besides, you work. How are you going to take care of me and be at your day job?” She shook her head. “No, I don’t need you feeling like you need to be the big hero.”
Ouch. That was a bit of a cut, and the look on Beaver’s face told me he heard it loud and clear too. It was getting harder to shove back my frustration. “I’m serious as a heart attack, Kat. You can’t protect yourself. You made that very clear last night.”
Beaver winced. I was about to get my ass handed to me. “Fuck you and your fucking macho I’ve-got-balls-bigger-than-the faces on Mount Rushmore! I’ve been taking care of myself for the past twenty one years without your help, and I’m pretty sure I can keep doing so.”
“Really? You think you could have taken on a grown man last night while you were naked and in the shower without anything to help you? You’re lucky you got out when you did.”
“I’m a lot stronger than you think.”
Once the word vomit started, I couldn’t stop it. “Yeah, I find that so believable, Kat, when you weren’t able to fend off your attacker a few years ago.”
The moment I said the words, I wanted to take them back. The look on her face was palpable. I’d pretty much just accused her of allowing herself to be raped, and spilled the beans to Beaver in the process. I watched as the emotions played through Kat’s eyes in a matter of seconds… confusion, hurt, anger, and finally, nothing. She looked completely stoic and impassive. She stepped forward and pulled her hand up and back. I knew it was coming and I didn’t stop her from doing it. I was a bastard and I deserved this. Her open palm came across my cheek with a loud smack, and my face jerked to the side. If I wasn’t already feeling so numb after the words I just spewed out, I’m sure I’d have felt the sting on my skin.