Chapter 21: Concern

Darla looks at me for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to trust me with this information. Finally, she seems to come to a conclusion. "Since he attained his fortune, he hasn't really needed to care too much about anything. His future is probably even more wealthy than his current life. But even before- he's really always liked knowing. Knowing as much as he can, and always for certain. For example, this 'state of nature' project. It allows him to experience the state of nature to a significant extent, and observe another person also in the situation."

"He said his tutor suggested it, I thought." When did I become so overbearing (another symptom of hanging around Patrick, I suppose)?

"Sharla did have the idea. She understands his learning patterns, by this point. But that need to know, and the ways he tries to achieve an understanding- that can be... concerning, in certain situations. For example, in the context of biology. It seems very unlikely that he'd take it to a problematic extent, but we still don't want to risk it. We don't know exactly how he might react to the information."

Oh. Oh.

"That's the main reason we told you not to correct him, as well- if he sets his mind on proving something, and someone tells him that he would have to do something more dramatic to actually receive the proper results, that could also go downhill quite quickly. Or he'll try to do something to prove them wrong," his dad puts in.

"Alright. So... what should I tell him?"

"You can blame it on us. Say you don't want to go against our rules. You seem like a responsible boy, I'm sure Patrick won't push you too much."

"Alright, we're here," Darla's husband says, gently coming to a stop. It seems to take forever, in comparison to Patrick's random slamming of the brakes.

I get out of the car and go to the front door, finding it open. I hesitate, but a moment later the door opens anyways. Patrick's standing there, smirking a little. His hair is damp and he's wearing a black t-shirt and sweatpants, so he must have showered already.

"Wow, my dad is such a slow driver. I managed to drive the same distance, put all the camping gear away, tell Sharla about the trip, and shower all before you guys got home, with about five minutes to spare."

"So you've just been waiting by the door?"

"Pretty much. Come on, you can shower while I call someone to look at your hands."

"It's not that bad, really-"

"But why chance it? Oh, and I also got out some ice packs for your hands, hopefully to prevent any swelling."

"There isn't any swelling. I'm fine," I insist.

"Then for pain." He leans against the wall casually and runs his fingers through the strands of his damp hair, only for them to flop back onto his forehead.

"I- I don't need-"

"Todd, they're just ice packs. They're not going to do anything bad to you. I promise." He pulls me into the kitchen (by my wrist), and pushes two small ice packs with soft-looking towels wrapped around them towards me.

I sigh. "It's not that bad, really. I'm fine."

He eyes me for a moment. "If you're really against it, then fine, be in pain, but know that you could have relief."

I roll my eyes and take them, deciding that it's probably for the better if I'm going to be writing (because I am going to do my homework. He's not going to stop me. He's not going to interfere with my grades).

"Good. Want to shower, now?"

I nod. "Yes, please."

He grins a little and exits the kitchen. "Follow me."

We go upstairs, and after a few corners arrive at a door. He gestures for me to open it, smirking. I'm suspicious, but figure it can't be that bad since this is his house.

It's not bad. It's not bad at all.

His bathroom is huge. And it has everything.

There's an array of fluffy towels, and fluffy hand towels. There's like, twenty different bars of soap shaped like seashells, all different colours. A mirror takes up an entire wall, with two sinks below it and another few small, adjustable mirrors sitting on the peripheral of the counter. There's a bathtub with hot tub jets, and a very large separate area sectioned off by a glass wall that appears to have two shower heads, along with several shower seats.

I turn to gape at him. He's smirking even more now. "Go inside."

I take a step in and immediately discover that the room has heated floors. What a luxury. What a luxury this entire bathroom is.

"I'll go get you a robe," he says, still smirking widely enough for me to see his teeth, and disappears into the room across the hall. I carefully pick my way through the bathroom, realizing even more little indulgences as I continue. A dimming lightswitch, ultra-soft tissues, a furry rug (despite the heated floor)...

"Here," he says, startling me a little as he tosses a very fluffy robe onto the bathroom counter, then leans against the doorframe. "Soaps are in the shower. Use any towel you want, except the ones in the hamper. And take your time. I'll be in there." He points to the door right across the hallway.

"Is that your room?"

"One of them. Oh yeah, and I'll find some stuff for you to wear once you're done." He smirks, clearly remembering our discussion earlier. I blush. A lot. He smirks even more, his teeth showing, and runs his fingers through his hair, clearly not in any hurry to relieve me of my humiliation. My face feels hotter with every second he looks at me like that, especially as I remember him asking me if I've ever been told that I'm cute when I blush right after his comment about...

I clear my throat, averting my gaze. "Um... I'll... shower, then. Now."

"Okay. Don't rush. This is the nicest bathroom you'll ever experience- enjoy it."

And with that, he pushes off the doorframe and closes the door behind him. I lock it, then carefully strip, keeping all my articles of dirty clothing into a small pile, and choose a towel and go to the shower, fumbling with the glass door for a second (I'm trying to be as careful as I can. I don't want to damage anything) before getting it open and stepping in.

The shower is about as big as my entire bathroom at home. There's a hook on one wall, out of the way- I hang the towel there, hoping that's what it's for. Then I go to the temperature dial, turning it to cold. Slowly, I move the temperature knob towards hot until it's perfect (testing with my hand), then anxiously step into the streams of water.

All my anxiety seems to be just washed away, down the drain. I close my eyes and let my posture sag, sighing contentedly. Wow, just... wow. The temperature is just right, and the pressure is perfect, and I don't feel cold at all, thanks to the multiple shower heads. He was right- this is the best bathroom I'll ever experience.

It takes me a while to reach for the shampoo and stuff, which I only really do because I'm worried about racking up their water bill (I know he's rich. I just really don't like infringing or taking advantage of his generosity). There's a huge selection of everything. I choose one that looks somewhat similar to what I use at home (still much, much fancier and undoubtedly much more expensive), then select a body wash. I usually wouldn't be taking this much time, or using this much of another person's stuff, but he specifically said not to rush and to enjoy the bathroom, so...

It takes a lot of willpower to turn the water off. Once I finally get myself to do it, I wrap myself in the fluffy (dry) towel and step out, surprisingly not cold at all. I pat myself down with the towel until I'm mostly dry, then put it in the hamper and take the equally fluffy robe, slipping it on. It's extremely soft and even warm (probably from the steam of the shower).

Finally, I open the door to the bathroom, starting for his room before hesitating. I'm going into his bedroom in nothing but a robe. This seems like a bad idea- so much awkwardness. But I don't seem to have another choice, so I knock on the door.

I know this chapter is a few hours late, sorry- I noticed some things I wanted to edit before I posted it. What did you think of actually getting some answers from the millionaire's parents? And the millionaire's concern for Todd? And Todd using his shower (and the somewhat flirty comments that went along with that...)?

If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider letting me know by voting or commenting! Thank you so much for reading!