Violet
Rowan rose to his feet at some point while I was still eating.
"I'm going to wash up," he said, gesturing toward the river just a few steps away and after two trees. "I won't be long."
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
He walked away, disappearing through the curtain of hanging leaves, and I leaned back against the bark of the tree, staring determinedly at the fruit in my hands.
I would not look.
I heard the faint rustle of fabric as he took off his clothes, then the soft splash of water after.
I bit into my fruit with unnecessary force.
It hadn't entirely been like this the last time he took his baths in cave… it had just gotten strange after the… kiss.
The slow realisation settled in my chest.
But my mind wandered anyway, traitorously replaying the moment I had gripped his chest when we tumbled down the slope. I had been so mortified at the time that I hadn't really processed it, but now...
How had his chest been so soft?
