Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 64362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
“You okay, Angel Face?” Rome asked. “Did I hurt you?”
He let go of my ankle and ran his fingertips across the bottom of my feet. Normally, that would make me giggle, but right now, I was positive I was going to throw up. I moved quickly, covering my mouth as the cold sweat broke out over my body.
Please let me make it to the toilet.
“Angel Face,” Rome’s concerned voice called out, but there was no time to explain.
Shoving open the bathroom door, I rushed to the toilet just as my stomach lurched. I grabbed as much of my hair as I could and bent over with the first heave. I was on my second one when I felt Rome come up behind me and take my hair from my hand, then collect the rest of it. Two more, and then it began to fade. Reaching for the handle, I flushed it, then straightened.
Rome let go of my hair, and I heard the water running. I glanced over to see him wetting a washcloth, then wringing it out before turning back to me. Gently, he cleaned my face. The cold felt good, and I closed my eyes and sighed. The nausea wasn’t completely gone, but the worst had eased.
“I’ll get you some water,” he told me, then reached over and closed the toilet seat lid. “Sit.”
I didn’t argue and sank down while he left to go get a water from his fridge. Staring at the wall, I tried to think of a reason for this, but only one came to mind. But that shouldn’t be possible. I’d had my birth control injection on time. I kept a reminder on my phone so I never missed it. Not having a period didn’t mean anything to me because I often missed periods with the shot. When I did have them, they were light.
But…I didn’t have my phone. Alarm began to crawl up my spine. What if I’d had the timing wrong? I couldn’t remember exactly when I’d taken my last one. I relied on my alert to remind me, but there was no alert without a phone.
Oh God.
Rome walked back into the bathroom with an open bottle of water and handed it to me. “Here, have some of this, and I’ll get the shower going. I’ve missed washing your hair,” he told me as his lips quirked.
Taking the water, I remained silent. I didn’t drink. Just continued to stare. Thoughts shooting off one right after another in my head. Panic, fear, worry, all rolling together.
“You gonna be sick again?” Rome asked, sinking down in front of me. His expression wasn’t concern but more…tender.
I shook my head.
He reached out and brushed my cheek with his hand. “The water will get that taste out of your mouth, and you need to rehydrate.”
A steady pounding began in my temples.
“Drink for me, please,” he said, taking the water and holding it to my lips.
I took a drink, and he gave me a moment before placing it to my lips again. My eyes met his.
“Rome,” I whispered.
“Yeah, baby?”
I swallowed. “I don’t have my phone.”
He frowned, but it held a touch of amusement. “I know. I was going to get you a new one before that bastard took you from me. We will go do that once I let you leave this room.”
I shook my head. “No. No. I—I don’t have my phone,” I said, afraid to even verbalize it. As if my words had the power to make it real. And if it was real then…I’d have to go through that all over again. Wanting it, loving it, and knowing I was going to lose it.
“What was on your phone that you need?” he asked me, putting the bottle down on the counter beside me.
“My reminder,” I replied in a hoarse whisper.
“What reminder?”
I stared at his chest for several moments, then lifted my eyes to his. “The one that reminds me to take my birth control shot.”
A small grin tugged on his lips. “Yeah, I thought that might be it.” His hands closed over mine, and he stood up.
He was happy about it. That might just break me even more. He didn’t know. He hadn’t been through it. The pain and grief. This time, it would be so much worse because I’d have to watch while Nixie’s stomach grew rounder and her baby developed safely in her womb.
He pulled me up, and I went numb.
He studied me, then frowned. “You’re not happy about it.”
I wanted to be. I wanted to be elated. But that would only make it hurt more in the end.
I closed my eyes so I didn’t have to see his face. “I can’t…I can’t carry a baby full-term.” My voice cracked. “I always miscarry. I stopped trying after I lost the third baby.” I shook my head and buried my face into my hands as a sob shook my shoulders.