Page 67

Willow

A sharp pain lanced through my stomach, slicing through the dull ache that pulsed in my thighs. My stomach grumbled from my belly button all the way to the base of my throat. Alarm bells rang in my head, a warning of what was to come.

Feeling suffocated, I flung the bedding off me and launched myself into the bathroom. I didn’t even consider shutting the door before I flung myself to the ground before the toilet.

My nose stung and eyes streamed with tears as I emptied my guts into the bowl.

The night’s cider lined the bowl, then the chicken and mushroom pizza.

With every gag, pain sharpened in my lower belly and back.

When met with a brief reprieve from vomiting, I peered down my body between my arms, finding my suspicions confirmed.

Blood was seeping through my underwear, staining my thighs.

The sight of blood brought a new wave of sickness, and I retched into the basin.

Since a horrendous tummy bug during school which landed me in hospital, I’d been afraid of sicknesses. Puberty hit me with the biggest fuck-you , experiencing acute pain that sent my body into a spiral of panic until I expelled everything, including all energy and sustenance.

The nausea subsided, and I collapsed on the floor in a shivering heap, curling inwards to retain heat. Tears fell and I silently begged for my mum or Nana Jean.

I vaguely registered the pad of feet from the bedroom, and it took me a moment to realise it was Jack’s voice that was calling my name.

“ Willow?! ” He bent before me, his hands hovering over me. “Sweetheart, what’s happened?”

“Sick,” I whispered through dried lips. I shivered, and he pulled me into his lap, ignoring the shakes of my head and feeble attempts to push him away.

“Stop wriggling and let me help,” he grumbled as he checked me over.

I fought his attempts to place me in his lap, too aware that my arse meeting his bare thigh would mean I’d bleed on him, and that was a step too far, regardless of all the intimacy we’d shared.

Eventually, he relented and leaned my floppy body against the wall across from the toilet, straddling my legs.

Through heavy, blurry eyes his face was full of worry.

I brought my palm to his cheek offering feeble reassurance.

He leaned into the touch before taking the hand in his.

“Always looking after others even when you need looking after. Can you tell me what’s wrong? ”

“Period.”

I tried to cross my ankles, hiding the ever-growing patch of blood staining between my thighs, but Jack’s straddling form stopped me.

“And the sickness?”

“Period. The pain’s too much. It always happens. I’ll be okay soon, go get some sleep, Lamb.”

“Good one,” he quipped sternly. “I’m not going anywhere until you feel better. Do you feel like you’re going to be sick again?” I shook my head weakly. “Come on, I’ll run you a bath. You’re freezing.”

“Jack, it’s like four in the morning. Just let me fester here, I’ll be okay.”

His face crumpled into a frown.

“I know you’ve received shitty treatment previously, but here we take care of the people we love. So, I’m going to pick you up, run you a bath and find something to ease the pain. Do you have a problem with that?”

My chin wobbled and tears fell as I shook my head, accepting his help. With ease, he hauled me into the air.

“There’ll be blood on you,” I mumbled into his bare chest, mortified that he was seeing me like this.

“Hush, sweetheart.”

He placed me on the chair in the upstairs bathroom, and I faded into a daze as he moved around me, filling a bath and bringing a glass of water to my mouth before popping pain and sickness medication in my hand.

As instructed, I leaned into the care he offered, my body aching from the tips of my fingers to my toes.

He helped me out of my blood-stained underwear and last night’s jumper and took my weight until I was seated in the steaming bathtub.

He pulled the chair up beside the tub and held my hand as I sunk into a more relaxed mind frame.

“Are they always this bad?”

I lolled my head to look at him. He was pressed against the edge of the tub, chin on top as he caressed my hand with his thumb.

“Yep,” I croaked. “I haven’t had one in a long time, I guess due to stress.

Call it a compliment, lamb.” He frowned, confused.

“My stress levels have decreased quite significantly since loving you.” His brows lifted and he nuzzled into my fingers, kissing each one.

“I’m sorry I’ve made a mess. Nothing more humbling than the time of the month. ”

Jack shook his head .

“Stop. I’ve been surrounded by menstruating women all my life, it’s one of those shitty things.”

“The world needs more secure men like you, Jack Lambert,” I hummed my appreciation. “But I’m not sharing so they have to find their own.”

He chuckled and we remained like that until the water cooled.

I winced and groaned at the pain, simultaneously cursing my cycle and rejoicing that my body felt safe enough to return to normalcy. Through it all, Jack kissed my hands and stroked my hair, as we waited for the pain relief to kick in.