Gamble For Love

Chapter 25: Coffee

Chapter twenty-five: Coffee (Ellie's POV)

"I think I can do that myself," he smirked. 

"Fine," I shrugged, handing him the towel and stepping back. He turned to the mirror and cleaned himself off first, leaving his face untouched. He handed me some antiseptic wipes with a grin. "Oh, what? Can't do it yourself now?" I scoffed while taking them from him after washing my hands. 

"You should feel lucky you get to touch this pretty face," he taunted. 

I smacked his chest and he laughed with a wince. I rolled my eyes before starting at his forehead and cleaning up his eyebrow gently. Then I moved down the rest of his face, stopping at his bruised cheekbone, cleaning that up carefully, I cleaned up the bridge of his nose, and then his jaw which had a tiny little cut. I grabbed another wipe and did the corner of his mouth. 

He closed his eyes and his nose scrunched up so I took it that burned. I went over his face one more time slowly. I could feel his gaze on me as he stared at me, watching me. 

"You can stop staring, I'm almost done," I mumbled absentmindedly while cleaning up his eyebrow one last time. I tossed the wipe before grabbing him a towel. "Take a shower, then I'll put some medicine on," I huffed before leaving, closing the door behind me. 

After ten or so minutes he came out with a towel and grabbed his clothes before going back inside. Once he was dressed he came and called me to the bathroom. 

I went in and grabbed a q-tip and an ointment while he sat on the counter, his legs on either side of me while I stood in between. "Push your hair back," I said while unscrewing the cap. He didn't do anything, just smiled down at me lazily. 

I huffed before tying his hair up in a little ponytail that stuck up like a plant. I chuckled while using the q-tip to apply some ointment onto his eyebrow, his cheekbone, and his jaw. "Ice your nose and your lip, you'll be fine," I said while letting his hair down, ruffling it out for him. 

I tossed the q-tip and turned to leave but he locked his legs, keeping me there. I turned to him in anticipation but he didn't do or say anything, just stared. I raised my eyebrows at him but he didn't do anything, just slightly shook his head. 

I think I kind of like him. Like, a little more than I should. Like, a little more than just a friend, like I think I'm into him. 

I mean, it happened when we were kids, why can't it happen again? Right? Right? I don't know, so I'll just ignore it till it disappears as I do with everything I can't figure out. 

"What?" I chuckled while trying to pull away but he just wasn't having it. 

He wasn't laughing along with me, he was just staring with a small smile tugging at his lips. "Thank you for today. Everything you did at Withers' office. I didn't ask you to but you did it anyway. Thanks," he said. 

Is Zach Rivers thanking me? 

I tried hiding the surprise on my face but I probably failed miserably. 

"I mean it," he added. 

"Okay," I nodded, "No problem, anytime." 

Is it possible that I never stopped liking him in the first place? That I just made myself forget whatever I felt because he left. 

I thought he was never coming back and I was never going to see him again. What's the point in liking someone who is gone? So I made sure I didn't like him anymore. 

But what if I did? 

"Can I leave?" I asked. He simply shook his head in response. "Why not?" My brows creased in confusion.