“Physically, mentally, emotionally, sexually?” he probed further.
I took another deep breath in and closed my eyes. “All of the above,” I answered quietly. He was my connection. I couldn’t deny it. Even if we chose to make a connection and he returned to his world, he should probably know a little more about me.
“Where are they now?” he asked anger resonating in his tone.
“Last time I checked, Heidi was behind bars, but not because of me but because of what she did to Ella. I have no clue where all the other guys are.” I said. I spread some conditioner through my hair, combing my fingers through until there were no more snags.
“What did she do to Ella?” he asked in quiet horror.
“Physical abuse and she sold her,” I said in a somewhat detached voice. I hated talking about our past.
“I met my sperm donor’s family,” he said abruptly.
His abrupt subject change was again confusing. It was no surprise why he and Anna were best friends. They both changed subjects as new thoughts popped into their head.
“They never knew about you until recently,” I said quickly. I began to wash my body and shave, letting my conditioner sit in my hair before rinsing it. “I wanted to tell you, but it never seemed like the right time or place to tell you.”
“I know that now. They gave me the box that they found in his possessions,” Lincoln said a bit heavily. “Nadia’s a cute little kid too,” he said almost reluctantly.
I heard the locker room door begin to open just as Lincoln came barging into the little area outside of my shower.
“What are you-” I began to squeak out before he placed a palm over my mouth and held a finger up to his lips.
“OMG, can he get any hotter?” I heard Adams’ voice distinctively.
“He is, but he’s no Lincoln. Where has Lincoln been hiding lately by the way?” another female voice asked.
“He’s been in that whore’s room, and Paul said if we go in there he’s terminating us. She’s supposedly sick again. She just does it for attention.
“I swear she’s making those guys hang around her. Just like Lincoln. She’s not even that pretty. You saw what s
he did to me during the first match, and I knew she would it again. She made me hit her arm so she could get sympathy from everyone,” Adam’s insisted.
I barely contained my snort as I gently pushed Lincoln back, understanding that he had been hiding from them. I closed the curtain dividing the little alcove and shower stall. I tried to finish my shower hyperaware of him being inches away from me…nude.
I finished my shower and turned my shower head off. I reached for my towels and wrapped my hair in the cramped space before wrapping my body with the other one. I sighed, quietly hoping they would leave soon.
“We all know if she weren’t around, Troy would be all over you,” another girl said placatingly. “You are so much prettier than she is, and Jace would be all over me.”
I began to laugh behind my hand. They were so delusional. Maybe in the past, the guys would have been attracted to some of the females here, but it was just laughable that they were so confident in themselves to believe they could have anyone that they could.
“It’s more complicated than that,” I heard Stacey’s distinct voice say. “Haven’t you heard of connections yet? I have no clue why Lincoln’s been hanging around, but the other guys are with her of their own volition.” I was surprised she was somewhat sticking up for me until she continued. “Their gifts are important to them, so they will do anything to keep them, even if it’s being with a damaged, screwed up girl like her.”
I stiffened and felt Lincoln pull me to the other side. I was surprised by his comforting embrace.
“What do you mean by damaged?” one of the girls asked in a scandalized whisper.
“Seriously,” Lincoln said in a droll voice as he threw open the door with me wrapped in his arms. “Don’t you girls have something better to do, like work?”
“We are on lunch,” one of the girls said with an eye-roll. “Seriously, you are the biggest whore, how many men are you sleeping with?”
“That’s pretty rich coming from you,” Lincoln said dryly. “Didn’t you give me a pair of your panties and ask to blow me?”
The girl blushed and looked the other way.
“What is your problem?” Stacey asked me with disdain. “You already have six men in your life. You really are quite disgusting. I know that when girls are abused, some of them like to sleep around, but your behavior really is disturbing.”
“And you really need to mind your own business. Get dressed, mon trésor,” Lincoln urged me. Usually the endearment he chose to call me was more sarcastic, but right then it almost sounded gentle and authentic.