Underwater: The Silent Luna novel Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Fear might have been the reason the doctors painted such an optimistic picture back then, fear of giving him the truth, fear of breaking a powerful Alpha’s spirit, but their false hope had been a wound that refused to close. It had wrecked more than his legs. It had destroyed his relationship.

He remembered those early months after the accident with painful clarity.

Back then, he and Cynthia pushed through the exercises like their lives depended on it. Hours in the physiotherapy room. Hours of

sweat, tears, frustration. He made the physiotherapist stay late, stay longer, push harder, anything to force feeling back into his legs.

But nothing changed.

No flicker.

No spark.

No hint of recovery.

Just silence.

And here he was, all these years later, still living in the unmoving shell of legs that refused to obey him. Looking back, he was glad he had given up. The false promises and the weight of expectation would have crushed him long before the disability did.

Letting go had saved him.

But it had also scarred him.

The bathroom door opened, pulling Ethan from the dark corners of his mind. He looked up quickly.

Meadow stepped out, wrapped in a bathrobe.

Not a towel.

He almost groaned.

He had been hoping, just a little, that she would accidentally drop the towel again as she had once before. The memory alone made him stifle a laugh. It was ridiculous for a man his age and situation to feel giddy over such a thing, but she made him feel lighter in

ways he hadn’t expected.

And he wanted her to feel that same comfort around him.

She had been tense since arriving in his home, quiet, careful, always watching her steps and her hands and her breath. She feared

saying or doing something wrong. Or being punished for a mistake she never made.

17

1/4

|||

O

く

Wed, Jun 17

Chapter 40

He wanted to break that fear.

He wanted her to relax, with him, at least.

So he thought of something outrageous.

Something bold.

Something she would never expect.

“I want to shower too,” he announced casually.

Meadow blinked once, then nodded politely, thinking it was nothing unusual.

But then he said the second part.

“And I want you to help me this time.”

Her entire face turned crimson instantly.

She froze like a startled deer, her fingers trembling around the knot of her bathrobe. She looked as though her mind had short-

circuited completely.

The corner of Ethan’s mouth twitched.

He was enjoying this far too much.

“I’ve seen you, Meadow,” he reminded softly, teasing but warm. “It’s only fair that you see me.”

She swallowed so hard he could hear it.

He didn’t stop there.

“You want to remain as my wife. This”, he gestured toward the bathroom, “is me taking the first step.”

Her knees nearly buckled.

He could practically feel the panic, shyness, and budding desire swirling inside her like a storm. And yet… she didn’t run. She didn’t

shake her head. She didn’t sign no.

She took a deep breath, slow, shaky, and exhaled to steady her racing heart.

Then she came toward him.

Meadow helped him into the bathroom with gentle hands, guiding the wheelchair over the small threshold. The air grew warmer with the steam from her shower, and Ethan inhaled deeply, appreciating the scent that lingered on her skin.

17

2/4

G

|||

O

Г

Chapter 40

Once they were inside, Meadow stood before him, small, trembling, courageous.

Her fingers reached for the buttons of his shirt.

She hesitated.

Her hands were unsteady, fumbling slightly as she tried to undo the first button. Ethan watched the concentration on her face, the

way her lashes lowered, the faint tremble of her lips.

It was… adorable.

He placed his hand over hers, not stopping her, just grounding her.

Together, they unbuttoned the shirt, and he let it fall away. He helped with the rest, removing his trousers and shorts until he sat

bare in the bathroom, the cool air brushing his skin.

Meadow kept her gaze on the floor, cheeks flaming. She could not look at him directly. Not yet.

He transferred himself into the shower chair and wheeled beneath the warm spray of water.

Then he smirked.

“Come on, wife.”

Her breath caught.

She knew what he meant.

He knew she knew.

Meadow closed her eyes for a moment, inhaled deeply… and then untied her bathrobe with trembling fingers. She let it fall to the floor and stepped into the shower with him, cheeks red as sunset.

The water warmed her skin, but Ethan’s gaze burned hotter.

She turned on the water properly, then picked up the sponge, lathering it with trembling hands. When she reached forward to clean him, her hand was shaking so badly the sponge nearly slipped.

“Next time, we’ll use the tub,” Ethan teased gently. “Your hands won’t shake as much.”

She huffed silently, embarrassed.

Ethan chuckled. Then, with a slow, careful motion, he reached for her waist and tugged her into his lap. She tensed, then melted,

sitting lightly against him.

He lifted her chin with one finger, bringing her eyes up to his.

17

G

|||

O

<

3/4

11:20 Wed, Jun 17

Chapter 40

“You are beautiful,” he said, voice softer than he meant, almost reverent.

Her breath quivered.

He took the sponge from her hand and began washing her slowly, gentle, mindful, deliberate, while she sat on his lap beneath the

warm cascade of the shower.

Heat spread between her legs, pooling, pulsing, undeniable. Ethan felt the change in her breathing, the way she shifted slightly He

knew exactly what it meant.

But he also knew they had moved too fast in one day.

This moment, this closeness, this shared vulnerability, was enough.

More than enough.

He would take these small steps, these tender moments, these simple intimacies and lock them into his memory. Something to hold onto while he was away. Something for both of them to look forward to when he returned.

A beginning that neither expected, but both needed.

Comments

2

Write Comments

<SHARE

17

G

|||

O

4/4

Underwater: The Silent Luna