Prologue
Submerging myself in warm water, I let the familiar comfort consume my thoughts. Daily existential stress had a way of creeping up on me, and it was only in moments like these I actually realized my muscles were tense and my mind racing. Pushing my head back above the water, I smiled at the light and let the excess water drip away.
A sudden creaking of the door forced my gaze toward the other side of the room. Adrian looked at me and smiled faintly, setting a plush towel on the counter.
“I see I’m not the only one who thought a 4am bath sounded nice,” he said.
“It’s the only time I can enjoy the benefits of a luxurious public bath without…well…the public,” I said, grinning. Adrian chuckled and moved closer to the bath before disrobing, wearing nothing underneath. I looked away, out of curtesy more than anything. Although I had a feeling Adrian wouldn’t reciprocate the action if our roles had been reversed.
“What’s on your mind, little flower?” he said, slowly walking into the massive bath. I waited until he was mostly submerged before glancing back and responding.
“Nothing special,” I said.
“Then why are you wasting your time thinking about it?” Adrian’s logic was flawless, as always. I shrugged and looked away again. He regarded me for a long moment before moving closer to me.
“He’s not worth your time, you know. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you.” He put an arm around me and gently pulled me closer, still keeping a distance between our naked bodies.
“Then why can’t I stop thinking about him?”
“Because you are kind, little flower. Far too kind. You doubt your decision because he did nothing wrong. You don’t have concrete justification it would never work. Only your own intuition.” I removed some of the space between us and let my head rest on Adrian’s chest as his other arm wrapped loosely around me.
“If I’m so kind, why do I feel so selfish?”
“Because you’ve been spending too much time with me, obviously.” I looked up at his face and laughed slightly. Most people would agree that Adrian was self-centered, manipulating the world to achieve whatever he wanted. He looked at me and smiled expectantly.
“Some say I’m a good influence on you,” I said. Adrian rolled his eyes.
“If I’m being ‘nice’, it’s only because it’s beneficial to me somehow. Let’s not be unrealistic.” I smiled and put my arms around his torso.
Caught up in our own thoughts, we barely noticed how quickly time had passed. When I looked over at the clock, I quickly pulled away from the embrace.
“Oh, I should probably go,” I said.
“Before the public shows up at the public bath?” It was my turn to roll my eyes.