Page 88 (1/1)

"I hated my therapist," I said weakly "Besides, where would we find somebody trained in the psyche of the distressed chimera?"

"It’s a niche field," Nathan said, and offered n that he was lying, and couldn’t find it I never found it, no matter how many times I looked Maybe because it wasn’t there, andand too deep to be visible to anyone--not him, and certainly not me How could he love ht I was just like him? It didn’t make any sense I didn’t feel the same way about myself as I had before I learned where I had come from It was impossible for Nathan to be the only person in the world who really didn’t care

Or was it? I didn’t feel the same way about myself anymore, but I didn’t feel any differently about him Maybe it was the sa and co withSo I shunted the them away like so much trash, and leaned forward to kiss hinoises fro of my heart for the sound of drums Nathan’s lips tasted faintly ofainst lad to see , for either one of us He strippedainst the bed as he reru across the roo forward to undo Nathan’s fly, and then nothing res we did share: skin and sweat and physicality, and the sweet knowledge that each of us was loved enough to make this moment possible Moments like that one--not sexual, necessarily, but absolutely connected, absolutely in synch--are where humanity lives

Nathan needed another shower by the time ere done, and I still needed my first one He pulled his trousers and sweater back on while I wrappedthe feeling of cotton against my bare backside as alked down the hall to the employee showers Not every floor had its own locker room The lab level had two, probably because the scientists and researchers who used to work here were dealing with sticky substances all day, and no one wanted to deal with dripping ht back," said Nathan, kissing me quickly before we parted ways at the entrance to the male and female showers Not everyone paid attention to the distinction anyender binaries seemed a lot less important after the apocalypse, if they had ever really been i up was the best way to ht actually make it downstairs in time for the last of the breakfast service

The shelves in the women’s shoere cluttered with a wide assort in quality fros that used to be sold at drugstores for a dollar a bottle Several of Dr Cale’s interns were conducting what they called "comparison tests," and had determined that most of the salon brands were functionally identical to the Costco house brands

"This would have savedwas free," one of theht after I had walked in on theotten a littlealone It wasn’t the nudity that bothered me It was the expectation that I would kno to be social in a situation that no one had ever modeled or explained People were co as hell"

I sluiced off quickly, using a cherry-scented shower gel to wash myself off while the co the stiffness and snarls out of my hair I could be in and out of the shower in half the time it took Nathan, usually, because I didn’tas they acco h my hair to break up the worst of the knots and turned off the water before starting for the exit

It hadn’t been long enough since my escape for me to need a haircut I wanted one I wanted one so badly that I soes of scissors dancing in front ofhe had done torew out of my scalp--felt like an ad, but it felt like if I cut it off, he would win So I dried it as quickly as I could, and tried not to look at my reflection in the mirror

I was fully dressed by the time Nathan ca off his hair as he stepped through the door I smiled and held out his clothes "Breakfast?"

"Breakfast," he agreed

He was still slightly daot dressed I helped, which nearly resulted in us needing another turn in the showers Finally, though, alking toward the elevators, fully clothed and ready to face the day ahead

Teeks in the candy factory had accli rando surprised by whatever floor I happened to wind up on Teeks had also acclimated everyone else to my presence There were feeird looks and jumps, and more quiet avoidances