Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 158848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 529(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 158848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 529(@300wpm)
Embarrassment scalds my skin. I pull my covers up higher, tucking my arms under them.
“No.” My mouth screws into an annoyed pout. How mortifying to have to explain this to my boyfriend. “My body decided that early this morning was the appropriate time to make its monthly sacrifice to the moon goddess.”
Griff blinks, then frowns and finally lifts his chin with understanding. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”
Huh? “To do what?”
“To tell me you didn’t feel well?” Exasperation colors his words.
I vaguely point my chin in the direction of the bathroom. “All my stuff’s up here. I wanted to spare you the horror of waking up to a crime scene in your bed.”
He bites his lip and shakes his head.
“Don’t laugh at me.”
“I’m not,” he says calmly. “I don’t like you feeling that you have to sneak away because of something totally normal. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“You don’t understand.”
“No, not exactly. But I know what it feels like to be in pain. What do you need?”
I flop my arm to the side and point at the nightstand. “My heating pad. And some Advil. There’s none up here and I didn’t think I’d make it downstairs again.”
“Okay.” He crouches next to the nightstand and pulls out my old, plaid heating pad. Thankfully it’s here and not in my dorm room. “Did you eat something?”
My stomach lurches, rejecting the idea of food. “Ugh, no.”
He unwinds the cord and plugs in the heating pad. “Come here.” He gently tugs the covers down. My teeth chatter from the rush of cool air. His concerned frown returns. “Are you sure this is normal?”
“Yes.” I slide the heating pad out of his hands and arrange it over my stomach. “It got a little better when I was on the pill, but…” I shrug, too tired to talk.
He tucks the blanket around me again. “I’ll be right back.” He ducks down and kisses my forehead.
“Thank you.”
I close my eyes and drift through the red, misty clouds of agony. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I should’ve taken something earlier. I know the longer I wait, the worse it gets.
“Can you sit up for me?” Griff’s urgent voice pulls my eyes open.
I groan and throw my legs over the side of the bed. Griff holds out a peeled banana. “Eat that first.”
I wrinkle my nose but take it from him and bite off a piece. When I’m done chewing, he hands me a glass of milk.
“Eat a little more,” he encourages.
I finish about half then push it into his hands. “I can’t.”
He pops the rest of the banana in his mouth, chews it quickly, and shakes a few round pills out of the bottle into my hand. I toss them back and he passes me the glass of milk again.
“I’ll be right back,” he says.
I sit up for a few minutes, letting my stomach settle. Ugh, I want to claw my way out of my skin. Everything hurts so bad. I flop against my pillows and groan. This is the worst timing. I wanted to spend my last day home doing stuff with Griff, not have my uterus throw an unauthorized fiesta.
“Any better?” Griff asks as he opens my door. He sets a water bottle on my nightstand.
“No.” I reach over and take a sip of water, then groan and press the heating pad to my stomach.
He peels the covers back and climbs into my bed.
“What’re you doing?” I ask.
“I’m still sleepy.” He shifts his body closer. “And I want to be near you.”
“Are you sure about that because it’s like volcano week in here.” I rub my hand over my stomach.
He frowns at the description for a second, then it seems to sink in. “I’ll be fine.”
“Well, I tried to warn you.” I turn away from him, moving to the edge of the bed.
“Come here.” He pulls me against his chest and curls his body around mine, resting his hand over my stomach.
“Seriously, I don’t think you understand.” I shift my lower body away from him. “Sometimes all the protection in the house doesn’t cut it.”
“Would you stop.”
“Thank God it didn’t come earlier. Last night when we were…um, you know.”
He shakes with a quick huff of laughter. “Uh, you’ve seen me fight. I end up covered in someone’s blood all the time.” He kisses my shoulder. “Yours would be preferable, really.”
“Grossss,” I whine, but wiggle closer to him.
“That’s my girl.” He rubs his hand from my hip to belly button, lower, then back. “Where’s it hurt?”
“Everywhere,” I mumble.
He rubs slow, gentle circles over my stomach. Maybe it’s the Advil kicking in, but the pain seems to slip away with every caress of his big, warm hand. “That actually feels better,” I murmur.
“Good.” He kisses my shoulder again. “Go back to sleep. I’m right here. You need anything, just tell me.”