Shatter Pieces

Chapter 24: Bath Time Thoughts

Elvira

I sat on the counter in the bathroom waiting for Mateo's mother to arrive. He had explained to me that she was going to help me get all nice and clean. He also mentioned that it might be difficult due to fabric casts that cover one of my legs and one arm. Apparently, they would help to heal my broken bones but I wasn't so sure yet.

I tugged at the paper dress that covered me, it was itchy and was constantly getting caught on the casts. There were several rips in it from where I had unintentionally gotten stuck. I felt horrible about it, they had given it to me and I had ruined it, they were probably going to get mad at me and punish me for my disrespectful behavior. Mateo noticed me fingering the holes that covered the dress and came to stand in front of me.

"Don't worry we will get you some real clothes to wear after we get you all cleaned up. Hopefully, they will be more comfortable than a glorified paper bag." his voice was light and jovial something I had not been expecting to hear. I had anticipated anger and frustration and instead was met with light-heartedness. Before I could question him about what he had said his mother made her way into the bathroom.

"Hello everyone, I hear that we are wanting to get Miss Elvira here all cleaned up." Her voice too was chipper and filled with happiness. I forced a smile onto my face hoping it would match theirs. I wasn't used to smiling, I hadn't had a reason to smile in a long time. And besides, if I was smiling it meant that I was usually about to be given a beating of some sort.

"I'm going to start the water going, Mom why don't you tell Elvira the plan for this adventure?" Mateo suggested turning his back on us to kneel down next to the gigantic bathtub. As he ran his fingers through the water and adjusted the temperature Niriol explained that she was going to help scrub all the blood and dirt my body and hair. She set a bunch of oils along the edge of the tub. All the while assuring me that they were to help my body in different ways and to assist the medicine in helping to numb my wounds.

When the bath was finally full Mateo turned off the water and began to move out of the bathroom. While I like his mother, I wasn't sure I was comfortable being left alone with her, but he was in charge and I knew better than to question him. I had to keep a whimper from leaving my lips as Niriol closed and locked the door behind him before she turned back to me.

"Okay time for a bath, the first thing we gotta do is to get these rags off of you." She turned me so that she could access the little paper ties on the back of the dress and began to undo them. My body began to become racked with shivers as the cool air met with my barebacked my mind was transformed to a different time.

I hung from the ceiling suspended by my arms and legs with my face towards the floor. I had awoken to find myself trapped and had no idea what was going on. I must have done something to offend Master but I had no clue what it could have been. I tried to think of anything I could have done to upset him, but I couldn't think of anything. I had been a perfect girl all week, I had done everything Master and his men had asked of me.

My shirt was gone leaving my back bare and the freezing room meant that I had goose flesh crawling up my entire back. My whole body was freezing and I wished I knew where my shirt could have gone. Obviously, Master had either taken it or instructed someone else to take it from me, it was something that I dearly missed at this moment.

"You have been such a good pet all week," His voice surprised me and I whipped my head around trying to see where he could be. He sat directly behind me in a high backed leather chair a glass of whiskey in his hand.

"You impressed me Pet, you've never been able to go more than a few days without a lesson or a punishment. I was so thrilled with your progress until I thought to myself now why would her actions suddenly change." Sweat began to form on my brow and back, there was no way he could know, he just couldn't know.

"And then it came to me, maybe she would behave if she had something she wouldn't want me to know. something that she might be hiding from me. But you wouldn't do something like that, you are a good pet and you wouldn't try to deceive me." I hung my head already knowing that he knew. I had worked so hard to hide it from him, but he had discovered my secret. Suddenly he was in front of me his lips pressed close to my ear.

"You will never escape me, Darling, you are mine. You can run, you can go for miles and miles, but I will always catch you. You will always find your way back to me and when I find you, you will discover exactly what I could do." A sudden crippling pain bloomed in my back and I held in a scream of pain.

Niriol pulled the dress from my body leaving me naked in front of her. I tried to use my arms to cover as much of my body as I could, but that wasn't much. She had a full view of all of the scars, burns, bruises, and lacerations that decorated my skin. I turned my head away not wanting to see her reaction to my humiliating body.

"Oh my lord," The words were so faint I almost didn't hear them, but the sob that followed it was unmistakable. I lowered my head further knowing that my body displeased her as I attempted to cover as much of it as I could. I grabbed a nearby towel covering as much of me as I was able too.

Mateo hurried into the room upon hearing his mother crying, but I knew the second his eyes turned from her to me. I could feel his gaze on my skin, taking in every inch of ruined flesh. No doubt he was realizing exactly how much of a piece of trash I truly was. Somehow the thought of him hating me and my body hurt me more than I thought it could.

"Elvira, I am so...." I waited for the hurtful words to flow out of Niriol's mouth. Disgusted, horrified, disappointed all of the words I was used to hearing about who I was. But the next word out of her mouth shocked me.

"Sorry. Nobody should ever have to go through something like this. All of this it's just, inhumane what they did to you. How could you have....how could you have survived this. I don't understand how someone could live through something like this. I just....I can't imagine what it must have been like for you. I am so sorry." Niriol's words were interrupted occasionally by sobs.

I did not know what I was supposed to do now. No one had ever said something like this to me before, I was use to scorn when it came to my body. She did not seem to scorn me, but to pity me more than anything else. Although I found myself somewhat comforted by her words my mind still reeled, unsure of what Mateo's reaction would be.

Fingers met my chin and my gaze was directed towards that of the handsome man in front of me. His gaze was soft and filled with grief as if he could feel every pain I had ever endured. I melted slightly into his touch, my body willing to allow him to comfort us even with such small a gesture.

"You are beautiful, it does not matter what they did to you. The scars that cover you are just proof of the gorgeous courageous soul that lives inside it. Nothing will ever be as perfect as you are, it does not matter if you are covered in scars or not you are a perfectly imperfect individual." I hadn't noticed I was crying until Mateo reached out and caught them on his fingers.

"I told you before, everything they said about you was a lie You are worth so much more than they ever told you. You are here for a reason and I am not going to let their twisted memories taint what we think of you." His lips tenderly met my cheek and I blushed under his attentions.

"Now I think that is time to get you all cleaned up. In you go," I squealed as Mateo's arms wrapped around me and hoisted me into the air and towards the bathtub. Gently he placed me in the warm water and began adding some of the different oils into the bathwater. I reached out and took a hold of his hand for a moment. I gently squeezed it using the only strength I was able to muster to let him know that I wasn't unaware of what he was doing for me.

From there Niriol took over for her son as it was apparent he was slightly uncomfortable with his mate half-nakedn front of him and in need of a long bath. Mateo was ushered out of the room and the towel was removed from my body and placed on the floor as Niriol. I watched the soaking wet towel create puddle around the ground and couldn't help but smile as I thought about Mateo.

"You know he has got it bad for you sweetheart. I have never seen him like this in my whole life." And for some reason that thought made me smile.