She turned and disappeared up the stairs. Moments later Gaara heard the shower start and he sighed letting out the breath he'd held since he felt her pressed against him. Ok, so he had missed her.. Missed feeling her so close to him, missed the smell that was uniquely hers.

Wow, maybe he was going crazy. He shook his head and turned towards the stairs with the full intention of going to his room. Until he felt that now his clothes were drenched.

Hey, what the hell.. He was going to go join Taryn in the shower.

—

Taryn was sitting on the edge of the tub, with a small white towel wrapped around her. The shower was running, but she wasn't in yet; she was fixing the water temperature. She was so preoccupied with what she was doing that she didn't notice the door opening behind her, but she heard in close.

With a surprised yelp Taryn jumped to her feet and whirled around clutching the towel to her tightly. Instantly she narrowed her eyes forcing a blush back, "What the hell are you doing in here?" She spat, mostly out of embarrassment.

Gaara simply strode forward removing his shirt as he neared the tub and her. "You got me soaked, I don't want to get sick so I'm going to take a shower." He said simply.

"Now?" She hissed holding the towel tightly.

"Yeah." Gaara said nonchalantly as he stepped out of his pants lying them with his shirt. He then moved over Taryn, tweaked the water a bit making it the perfect temperature, and stood staring over her. "Is there a problem?"

"Yes there is a problem!" She nearly snarled. "I'm not taking a shower with you!" She turned snatching her clothes from where she folded them and proceeded to walk around him.

She didn't get very far when he grabbed her arm pulling her back against him. Her clothes slipped from her hands and she nearly lost her towel as well. Her heart thudded in her chest and this time she couldn't resist the blush that spread over her cheeks.

"You need a shower." He murmured his mouth right next to her ear. She could feel his warm breath on her skin and it gave her goose bumps.

With her heart hammering in her chest, and her entire body trembling, icy to the touch from the rain Taryn decided he was right. She needed a shower, but she wasn't sure if she could take one with him. Sure, she was very proud of the way her body turned out, and she was not ashamed of the way she looked at all. But it was Gaara. And they were both going to be.. She refused to think about it as the girlish, perverted part of her mind snickered at her.

"Fine." She grumbled pulling herself away from him towards the shower. With a huff she squared her shoulders, turned her back to him, and dropped her towel stepping into the shower and under the hot water.

As soon as she stepped under the perfectly warm water she hissed in pain feeling the water pounding over her tense aching muscles and new cuts and scrapes. She was so focused on numbing the pain in her body she didn't notice Gaara step in the shower behind her until she turned ready to grab the shampoo.

Blinking a few times she had to remind herself that she had to keep her eyes either on his face or above his bellybutton.. Which was hard because once she caught sight of his seriously toned, slightly tanned chest she just wanted to reach out and touch him, but she resisted the urge, which proved to be more difficult than she thought. Instead of reaching out and touching him like she wanted she reached past his head and grabbed the shampoo. Before she was able to pour some of the soapy liquid onto her hand, the bottle was grabbed from her; scowling she snatched it back from Gaara.

"You are really going to irritate me as much as humanly possible aren't you?" She hissed lowly.

Gaara just smirked plucking the bottle from her hand, not saying a word, and Taryn flushed quickly turning her back to him.

Clamping her eyes shut, with a frown on her face, she breathed out deeply refusing to look at him, think of him or—

Her thoughts were abruptly cut off when she felt his hands on her head. She jerked forward, but Gaara grabbed her shoulders and grunted in that man way to show irritation without saying it.

"Hold still. You'll get soap in your eyes." He said from behind her.

"What're you doing?" She demanded.

She heard a sigh, but heard nothing more than that. Taryn just couldn't believe what he was doing. He was washing her hair like she wasn't capable of doing it herself! Snorting she rolled her eyes, making a face.

"Don't roll your eyes at me." Gaara spoke and it made Taryn jump. How'd he know she rolled her eyes? As if reading her mind he said, "I know you, Taryn. I'm not stupid."

Offended Taryn scoffed, yet again. "I never said you—"

She was whirled around, and a hand—Gaara's hand—was placed over her eyes as he moved her back until she was under the water.

"Be quiet." He muttered, but with her vision impaired at the moment, she couldn't see the smirk on his face, nor could she see what he was smirking for.

Her cheeks grew hot as he used his other hand to rinse the shampoo from her hair.

—

After a much embarrassing shower, Taryn nearly fell as she scrambled from the shower throwing a towel around her now clean body. She faced him, expecting him to have a towel on by now only to discover that he had not yet put one on. Her face heated up, but she was unable to tear her gaze away from his, well, fine body. Whole body. He was perfectly proportioned in every way, and even as he moved to grab a towel, not noticing her bright eyes on him, his muscles rippled in a seriously sexy way.

Her gaze traveled from head to toe and back again, and when she got to look at his face again he was looking directly at her with a smug smirk on his face.

Her face turned a dark, unattractive shade of red. And Gaara being himself had to say, "Like what you see?"

Turning away from him and crossed her arms over her chest and denied it with a shake of her head.

"Really?" Gaara's smirk widened and he strode forward, his towel secure across his waist, moving so he was right behind her.

"Mhmm."

"I think you're lying." He said and flicked her in the back of the head swiftly walking past her and out of the bathroom.

For the longest time Taryn just stood there, her heart pounding in her chest, struggling to get enough air into her lungs to breathe.

—

Now that she was dressed in a pair of loose black sweatpants and a black cami with her head on right instead of acting like a school girl with a crush she tried to think of the shower as nothing more than 'saving water'. Sitting on a chair facing the mirror she brushed out her long black locks of silken hair and she frowned. The area underneath her right eyes was bruised and swollen, her lip was cut open and there was a fading, nearly healed cut across her cheek.

Setting down the brush in her hand she turned over her arms counting the marks, bruises and cuts. Then her sapphire hues moved to her legs as she pulled up the legs of her sweatpants. So many—too many to count.

Taryn closed her eyes and put her face in her hands resting her elbows on the small desk in front of her. Why had she let it go this far? Why did she leave in the first place? Feeling water roll down her face she figured she didn't dry her hair good enough and she just lay her head against the table. Why did things turn out this way..? Why couldn't she forget him?

Why didn't he love her?

That last question made her jerk out of her wallowing, pitiful thoughts and she sat up straight with a scowl on her face. Then glancing in the mirror she saw her eyes, red and slightly puffy from tears she didn't know she'd shed. But that was not what caused her to scream.

He was right behind her.

Startled she whirled around stumbling over her chair only to see that no one was there. Eyes wide, with her heart pounding in her chest she nearly had a heart attack when her door slammed open and Gaara burst in. His eyes were narrowed, and dangerous as he scanned the room, then moved swiftly over to her.

"Why did you scream?" He asked, but his voice had a demanding edge to it as if she had no choice but to answer.

"I.. I saw..." She fought to explain to him what she saw but thinking it over as her heart settled down she knew it was irrational, and could never happen.

"Saw what?" Gaara's eyes narrowed and he turned looking around the room again.

"Nothing." She said shaking her head. "I didn't see anything." She turned back to her mirror and desk placing her hands on the smooth top.

"If it was nothing you wouldn't have screamed." Gaara argued.

"I didn't scream. You're hearing things." Taryn muttered.

"Don't lie to me—"

"I'm not lying!" Gaara grabbed her arm and Taryn hissed in pain wincing causing him to let go. "Please refrain from touching me." She said icily.

She couldn't let herself get any closer to him, to feel anything else for him, to get too involved with him anymore. It'd only get the both of them killed instead of just her. She didn't want to have him killed too.

Taryn knew she wouldn't be able to handle him dying. Especially not since the entire thing was her fault.

Gaara just stared at her, his eyes narrowed. Her voice told him she wanted him away from her, yet her eyes in the reflection of the mirror said she didn't want that at all. Moving so he was directly behind her Gaara looked at her in the reflection of the mirror.

"I will not." He leaned over her so his mouth was directly beside her ear and he whispered to her, making her eyes widen and her heart to skip a beat.

A/N: Ok so I have gotten back on this one and sorry for the delay. -.-; Christmas break and family things (elch) all piled on top of me. Ewie! Ok, so I'm not sure when the next chappie is going to be out since I have to move into my dorms on Tuesday, and I have to work this weekend, which just sucks. xD haha. Okay so I hope you like the chappie 'cause I did.

For those of you who read 'With This Knife' an update shall come later today or tomorrow night. M'hm. -nodnod- Okay so! Hope ya liked this chappie! Buh-byes loves! Wish me luck at college! Hehehe