Derrick showed up a few minutes later with some takeout and their bags and left, saying he had things to take care of. Without pause, Sparkle grabbed a small kit from her duffle and glanced at him over her shoulder. “Mind if I grab a shower first?”
“No, go ahead.” When she disappeared behind the bathroom door and the sound of the shower started up, he pulled off his dirty shirt and shoes, dumping them on the floor. After cleaning up at the sink outside the bathroom, he pulled back the covers on the bed and sat down. The silence closed in, making him restless and jittery. The time alone gave him too much to think about.
He sighed in relief when Sparkle came out of the bathroom a few minutes later in a cloud of steam, dressed in jeans and a black hoodie, her long hair slicked back. So ver
