"The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it."
—Oscar Wilde
——————————————————The scalding water pounded against my skin, a functional attempt to scrub away the stench of violation, but my mind was a traitor, drifting to the horrors that could have been if Renzo hadn't arrived in time. I'd only heard such stories; living it was a nightmare.
In an attempt to shake off the haunting images of my assaulter, I gasped, tilting under the water, desperate to wash away the lingering sensation. By now, his blood had swirled down the drain, replaced by the scent of vetiver and lavender—key notes in Renzo's body wash that I was certain I'd smelled on him before. But I was still trembling. How had a man died on me? How had he almost... Christ.
I wasn't a prude. I had never purposely s
