“Ender?”I called softly.
“You okay?”he called back immediately, his voice clear even over the sound of the water.
That alone did something stupid to my chest.
I slid off the bed and padded toward the bathroom.I stopped at the open doorway, and my heart did that annoying fluttery thing it had no business doing right now.“Um,” I said.“I have to go to the bathroom.”
There was a pause, then Ender leaned slightly out from behind the shower curtain, water dripping down his face.
Lord have mercy.
Strong jaw.A couple days’ worth of stubble darkening his cheeks.Wet hair plastered back from his forehead.
“Clove,” he said, brows pulling together just a little.“Are you okay?”
I nodded quickly.“Yeah.I just have to go to the bathroom and… I don’t really want to go out there.”
Understanding flickered across his face.He chuckled softly and ducked back into the shower.“You’re free to go here, baby.I just got in.I’ll be a little bit.”
Oh.
Well.
“But you’re going to hear,” I blurted.
He laughed again, lower this time.“I’ve got the water running.You want me to sing or something?”
I froze.That… might actually help.“Yes?”
He leaned out again, water trailing down his chest before disappearing behind the curtain.“Any requests?”
“I’m good with anything that drowns it out,” I said quickly.
He grinned and leaned back into the shower.
And then he started singing.
Loudly.
Horribly.
“Happy birthday to youuu—”
I slapped a hand over my mouth to keep from laughing as I rushed to the toilet, my face burning.He was off-key, enthusiastic, and absolutely committed to the performance.
I did my business as fast as possible while he belted out the song for a second time, somehow getting worse with each line.
“I’m done!”I called over his singing as I flushed.
The singing stopped abruptly.
I was laughing as I washed my hands, my shoulders shaking, the sound bubbling out of me before I could stop it.
“Are you laughing at my singing?”he asked from behind the curtain.
“No,” I said, grinning at my reflection.“But I don’t think you should quit your day job.”
“Noted,” he said, clearly amused.