Chapter 6 I'll try not to

Aurora

I stood beside the couch, looking between the three brothers as I tried to figure out what to do next. They seemed perfectly comfortable moving around their dorm, but I was still very conscious of the fact that I was a stranger in their space.

“Is there somewhere I can change?” I asked.

All three of them looked at me.

I immediately realised how that must have sounded. I cleared my throat and quickly added, “I mean, where can I take my bath?”

Asher raised an eyebrow, while Axel glanced towards one of the doors.

“The bathroom is through there,” he said, pointing to the door nearest the hallway. “You can use that one.”

“Thanks.”

I grabbed my bag and hurried towards the bathroom before anyone could ask me anything else. Once I was safely inside, I locked the door and let out a breath I hadn't realised I was holding.

That was close.

I placed my bag on the counter and looked around. The bathroom was almost as big as my bedroom back home, with a large shower, a bathtub and more expensive-looking toiletries than I had ever used. I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to touch any of them, so I decided to stick with the things I had brought.

First, I removed my cap and loosened my hair, allowing it to fall around my shoulders. I took off the oversized sweatshirt and jeans, then carefully removed the compression garment beneath them. My body finally felt less restricted, and I rolled my shoulders with a sigh of relief.

I had been wearing the disguise for hours, and I hadn't realised how uncomfortable it had become until I could finally take it off.

After placing my clothes neatly in my bag, I turned on the shower and stepped beneath the warm water. I took my time washing away the dirt and sweat from the journey, enjoying the privacy more than I cared to admit. It had been a long day, and for the first time since leaving home, I could relax without worrying about someone walking in on me.

When I was done, I dried myself and reached for my clothes. Getting dressed took considerably longer than it normally would because I had to make sure everything was in place. I put on my compression garment, pulled on my loose clothes, and adjusted the sweatshirt until it sat properly on my body. Then I tucked my hair beneath my cap and checked my reflection in the mirror.

I looked like Ari again.

The final thing I did was take out my scent concealer and spray it around my neck, wrists, and clothes. I waited a moment for it to settle before checking myself once more. Satisfied that nothing looked out of place, I packed my things and unlocked the door.

By the time I returned to the sitting room, the three brothers were still there. Asher was stretched out on the couch, while Adrian sat near the table, looking at something on his phone. Axel was arranging a few things near one of the sleeping areas.

Asher looked up as soon as I walked in.

“Finally. I was beginning to think you'd fallen asleep in there.”

I gave him a look. “I was taking a bath.”

“We noticed,” he replied, grinning. “But you were in there for so long.”

I shrugged, trying to sound casual. “It's been a while since I last had a proper bath. I wanted to take my time.”

He laughed. “If you ever make the team, just know the guys will eat you alive if you spend more than five minutes in the bathroom during a break.”

“I'll try not to,” I replied.

“Determined little thing, aren't you?”

I rolled my eyes and ignored him, hoping he wouldn't decide to make a bigger deal out of it. Thankfully, Adrian glanced up from his phone.

“Are you done? You should get some sleep. We have an early morning.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

Axel picked up a pillow and blanket from one of the chairs and placed them on the couch.

“You can sleep here,” he said.

“Thank you.”

He gave a small nod before returning to what he had been doing.

I looked at the couch, then glanced at the three brothers. Spending my first night at Blackthorn in a room with three boys wasn't exactly what I had imagined, but at least I had somewhere to sleep. I kept my bag beside the couch and began arranging the blanket.

Hopefully, I could make it through the night without giving any of them another reason to question me.