Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 71246 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71246 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
I’m about to say something, but just as I open my mouth, I spot the white SUV half a block down. Again, it’s facing my house. There is no one in the cab, but what the fuck! That’s it, I’m done with this shit. I feel like I’m walking on eggshells with Jude right now, and I need to know what’s going on.
Walking into the house, Jude is still silent and tucked in on herself. Her walls are high, but I’m not about to give up.
“Are you sure you’re okay? Did something happen?”
“No, nothing happened. I’m just sick, Lex,” she tells me while averting her eyes. I can’t shake the feeling that I have two problems. One on the street with whoever is following us, and the other in here with whatever Jude is hiding.
“Jude, you need to tell me what’s going on.”
“It’s nothing, Lex.” She wrinkles her nose.
“Oh, it’s definitely something, and I’m concerned about whatever it is you’re not talking to me about. Something is going on, I can feel it, and if you need time or space to deal with it before you talk about it, that is one thing, but telling me nothing going on is another, especially when I can feel it inside here.” I point to my chest.
“I just want to relax and recover from feeling sick. Is that too much to ask?” Jude seems to recoil, her defenses flaring.
“No, but is that really what’s going on?”
She shrugs. “Well, I just don’t do very well with stress, and I started a new job, and sometimes people get sick, and I just don’t feel good. That’s all. Why are you pressuring me?”
Because I’m not fucking stupid.
Her words are not matching the tone of her voice or her body language. She is outright lying to me. I don’t know what about, or why, but I know something is wrong, and I’ll be damned if I let her sweep it under the rug like it’s nothing.
“Did something happen at school today? When you were working? Did somebody give you shit?” I can’t believe Seb would let anyone talk to her, but fuck, what else could it be?
“You just want to go out and beat somebody up. Is that it?” she taunts, with anger in her eyes. I shake my head, even though she is not wrong. I do want to beat someone up. I want to hurt whoever hurt her, but first, I need to figure out who is responsible, and then I’ll figure out how to get even.
Frustrated, I run a hand through my hair. We’re not getting anywhere right now. I’m exasperated, and I don’t know how to reach her. I don’t know how to help her talk to me. Her features pale, and she places a hand against her stomach.
Fuck. Rushing out of the room, she runs into the bathroom, and I can hear her hurling violently into the toilet.
Jesus fucking Christ. I feel like a Class A asshole. I think about going in there and holding her hair back or something like that but decide to give her some space instead.
When she pulls herself together and comes back out, she sits down, and I know I need to apologize.
“I’m sorry, Jude. I didn’t mean to push you and cause you stress. But it is obvious something is up with your body, and we need to see what it is. If you will get your stuff, I can take you to the doctor. The clinic is still open.”
She shakes her head. “No, I’m fine. I don’t need to go to the doctor.”
“If you are worried about money, don’t be. As a student, you have coverage using your student ID. It is one of the benefits of going to school at North Woods.”
She doesn’t meet my eyes. “No, that’s not it, I just don’t see the need. I’m going to be fine. It will pass.”
“Jude, you are not fine. I just heard you hurling your guts out. And you were sick at school too. Be reasonable. We should at least see what is going on. Come on, it’s not that big of a deal, let’s just go. No matter what it is, I will be there with you. I will see you through it.”
“Fine,” she almost yells. Reluctantly, she gets up, grabs her purse, and we head to the door. It is the first good sign that we will get through this. But then she stops right before we walk out. Turning to me, her features pale, and fear like I’ve never seen flickers in her eyes.
Why is she scared?
“Lex, I don’t wanna go to the doctor because I know what’s wrong with me,” she whispers.
“What? Tell me?”
Shaking her head, she walks back over to the couch and sets her purse down. She lets her face fall into her hands and starts to cry. Her shoulders shake as the sob wrecks through her body.