Read WORTHY, Part 1 for Free Online

woke up suddenly at the weak voice. I breathed hard, wondering what kind of nightmares I was experiencing that were this polite—waking me up with an “excuse me”—until I remembered about the man. The naked man on my couch.
    I slit my eyes open, surprised at the brightness of the room. Had I left a light on last night? Yes, plus it was morning. I hadn’t been able to stay awake to hold vigil over the man, though, thankfully, he seemed to at least be well enough to be talking. Stiff, I rose slowly from the chair and stretched.
    “Good morning,” I said, talking around a big yawn. “How are you feeling?”
    “Like I need to use the bathroom something awful, excuse my crudeness,” he said, apologetic, his voice not very strong.
    I turned myself carefully to the right so that he couldn’t see the scarred side of my face, feeling suddenly and acutely aware of it. It was one thing to remove all the mirrors from the cottage in order to help myself look past it. It was another thing to expect a person in the house with me not to notice it.
    “I definitely know that there are cruder ways to say it,” I said carefully. “Do you think you can stand and walk? I could bring something.”
    “I’d like to stand and walk,” he said quickly. “There’s no need for you to trou ble yourself. It’s just that I—I don’t seem to be wearing any clothes.”
    I slapped my forehead, feeling terrible.
    “I’m sorry,” I said. “I had to … had to, um, undress you yesterday because your clothes were soaked through. I was afraid you might become hypothermic. I put them in the washing machine, but never took them out to dry because I fell asleep.”
    “You don’t have to apologize,” the man said. “I just —I don’t want to shock you.”
    “It’s all right,” I said. “I’ve already seen it. I won’t be shocked.”
    As soon as the words left my mouth, I groaned and covered my face with my hands.
    “I didn’t mean to say that,” I muttered. “I don’t know what I’m saying. I’m trying to make you feel not embarrassed and I’m just making it worse.”
    The man laughed, sounding like the act hurt him. “If you could just point me to your bathroom, I think I can make it myself. I just don’t want seem rude, roaming around your house naked after you’ve shown me such hospitality.”
    “Maybe I have something you could wear,” I said. “So you don’t have to feel weird. I’ll go to my room and look for it, and you go to the bathroom and stay there. I’ll hand something in to you.”
    “Sounds like a plan,” the man said, groaning as he struggled to a sitting position. I rushed over to help him, remembered about my scar and his nakedness, and stopped short, still turning myself carefully to my right side.
    “I got it,” he said, coughing a little hoarsely. “I can manage, promise. Now let me streak to your bathroom.”
    “It’s just right here, at the end of the hall on the left,” I said. “You don’t have long to walk. Are you sure you’ll be steady on your feet? I could—I could help you, if you think you need it.”
    “I think you’re just trying to see me naked again,” the man joked, grinning at me.
    I thought I would die of embarrassment. “I’ll meet you at the bathroom, then,” I said, hurrying down the hall and into the bedroom, shutting the door behind me. What was wrong with me? Why was I acting like this?
    The answer was easy enough: I hadn’t been around another living soul besides the creatures of the forest and my chickens for half a decade. Of course I didn’t know how to act. Of course things would be awkward.
    But did they have to be this excruciating?
    I tried to distract myself by riffling through my drawers, looking for something that could possibly fit the man. I needed to ask him what his name was. With a rush of realization, I understood that I needed to introduce myself. God! How was this so hard? I didn’t get how I could be failing at this so badly.
    I