Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 137144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
As far as she could see, though, there were only trees. They really were isolated out here.
Her stomach rumbled as she stood staring out the window. She needed to eat something. If she was going to get out of here and figure out her life, she needed to build up her strength.
Everything just seemed so overwhelming though.
Just breathe, Lily.
Hopefully he’d get her pills for her soon, although she was starting to wonder if she really wanted to take them again. Sure, it made life easier if she didn’t have to think or worry. But did that make things better? Or was she just wimping out?
Lily headed down the stairs and into the kitchen where she could hear noises.
Harvey was standing at the stove. Turning, he studied her and satisfaction filled his face. “Good, they fit. Although I feel like you’ve lost weight. Were you restricting your food intake? You said that you hadn’t eaten pasta in a long time.”
She guessed that she had stopped eating everything that she really loved because of her mother and the comments she would make. She’d always been happiest when Lily was small. So Lily had done whatever she needed to do to keep herself thin, including giving up pasta.
But it hadn’t been like she’d had much of an appetite anyway. The numb helped with that.
Lily shrugged. “I just ate whatever she gave me and didn’t ask for more.”
“What about when you’re eating out? What about with Rick? He took you out to eat, right?”
“Sure. He liked me thin as well, I guess.” At least he never seemed to care what she ate. But then she never ordered anything other than salads. Maybe if she’d ordered a giant steak or a lasagna, he might have said something.
Then again, he would have had to notice her to care, wouldn’t he?
“I don’t think he ever noticed what I ate. Or cared.”
Frowning, he walked over and placed a hand on the small of her back, leading her to a stool at the island.
“That’s not happening here, understand? You eat as much of anything that you like.”
He’d said something similar last night, so she just nodded. He set a full breakfast out in front of her, and her stomach turned slightly. She wasn’t sure that she could deal with that much food.
Especially as her stomach was a bit sensitive this morning.
“What’s wrong? You don’t like any of this?” he asked.
“No, no, it all looks good,” she said hastily, not wanting to insult him. “My stomach’s just a bit off this morning, is all.”
And for some reason, she was starting to shake. She didn’t know what was going on. “I don’t really feel that good.”
“You don’t look that great either.” To her shock, he placed the back of his hand over her forehead. “You’ve got a bit of a fever.”
Great. On top of all the other shit in her life, now she was sick? Would crap ever stop piling on her? How was that fair?
There was something else tugging at her brain. There was something she needed to ask him. But she just couldn’t seem to hold on to one thought at a time.
Her teeth started to chatter. “W-what’s wrong w-with me?”
“I don’t know, baby, but I think we better get you back to bed and get Michaela over here.”
Who was Michaela, and why did she feel a surge of jealousy at the thought of him having another woman here?
“Who is she?” she asked.
Well, it came out more like a demand.
Oops.
To his surprise, he grinned. “Are you jealous?”
“Why would I be jealous?”
“Michaela is the doctor I employ. And you have no reason to feel jealous about her. You’re the only woman in my life.”
Urgh. There was no way that she should feel any happiness at that. She wasn’t his woman. He was completely delusional.
And yet, she couldn’t help but feel relieved that this Michaela didn’t mean anything to him.
Messed up didn’t even cover the state of her mind.
10
Harvey had just finished cleaning up the bowl she’d puked in when he got an alert that someone was at the gate.
He checked his phone, spotting Michaela on the camera. Thank fuck. Lily wasn’t in a good way. She’d gone from running a temperature and trembling to vomiting.
Now she seemed almost delusional or hallucinating.
Harvey opened the front door before she had even gotten to it. “What took you so long?”
Michaela gave him a stern look. “I got here as quickly as I could.”
Well, it wasn’t quick enough for his liking.
“How is she?” the other woman asked.
“Not well,” he said. “She’s been vomiting. She’s running a temperature, and now she seems kind of out of it. She doesn’t even seem to know that I’m there.”
“Might be the flu or something. Let me examine her.”
As soon as they walked into the room, the smell of vomit hit him. Lily was sitting up, covered in it, and she was sobbing.