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us.”
    “Eh. I suppose, if it must.” Damian held out his hand to me. Reluctantly I took it, and Damian helped me to my feet before letting go.
    “Where are we going?”
    Damian held the door open. “One of the empty rooms.”
    I stared at him for a few seconds, biting the inside of my cheek. He had a quirky smile across his face, and his eyes danced as they stared at me.
    “Oh, come on.” Damian reached out and grabbed my hand again, tugging me forward. An odd-looking caravan walked down the hall: Damian pulling me and me dragging the IV pole. I wasn’t thinking about where we were going or about the bag slung over his shoulder. I just enjoyed the feel of my hand in his. Never before had a guy who wasn’t related to me or treating me held my hand. Damian didn’t hesitate as if I were contagious. He just reached out and took it, and didn’t let go.
    We rushed past the nurses’ station . I felt three pairs of eyes follow us—including Leslie’s. Damian didn’t seem to notice. We rounded the next hallway and swept into the second room on the right. Damian let go of my hand to close the door behind us, and I wanted the warmth of his touch back.
    “What are we doing?” I asked as Damian took my hand again.
    Oh, good!
    “In here.” He led me into the bathroom and locked the door. “Sit.”
    “On the toilet?” I looked down. “There isn’t a seat.”
    “That or the floor.” Damian put his bag on the counter and unzipped it.
    “Are you going to tell me why you ’ve locked us up in the bathroom?”
    He grinned, facing me. “Your hair.”
    I shifted my weight. “My hair? What do you mean?”
    Dinner on Monday flashed through my mind—me staring at the strands woven through my fingers and Damian’s sympathetic eyes as he watched me. My growing feelings for him made me even more self-conscious. Now my hair was the reason we were locked in a bathroom together. Fantastic.
    “I saw how you looked at it during dinner the other night. It must be annoying having to lose it little by little like that.” His eyes were soft. He pulled out a pair of scissors and an electric razor from his bag. “I thought it may be easier if you got rid of all of it in one shot. Then no more worries.”
    I had nothing to say for a few seconds as his words sunk in. He had been thinking about me. He’d come u p with a plan. Wow.
    He took a step closer. I felt his breath on my forehead. It smelled like smoke and spearmint gum. “What do you say?” he whispered.
    I peered up into his beautiful eyes. I couldn’t form words to tell him how wonderful I thought he was. How much I appreciated him thinking about me this way. I loved his idea.
    I nodded.
    Damian grinned, reached down, and slipped my black-knit hat off my head. After running his fingers through my hair a few times, he wiped a tear from my cheek.
    Tingles shot up my spine, and I shivered at the touch.
    He motioned for me to sit. I moved the IV pole behind the toilet and sat facing the tub. I felt Damian comb through the strands. He cut the hair, and I watched my auburn locks fall to the floor. Then he picked up a chunk and handed it to me.
    “Here, do you want to keep some of it? ”
    I took it , purposefully touching his fingers. “Thanks.”
    I heard the clippers come to life and felt the metal against my head . My eyes closed, and I listened to the buzz as Damian shaved each individual hair from the top of my head. After a few swipes, he rubbed his hand over the bare skin. He repeated this gesture until all of my hair laid lifeless on the floor.
    I spun around and peered into the mirror. Damian was putting the clippers back into his bag. I swept my hand across the top of my head. The reflection looked normal to me.
    I glanced up at Damian. He had a glob of white lotion in his hand, and began to rub his hands together.
    He grinned. “I wasn’t sure if I should bring lotion or aftershave.”
    I laughed , thankful he chose lotion, and wondered if he’d really