Page 89 of Rebellious Hearts

I wanted to hear it from Sofia directly.

I’d been open with her about everything, baring my soul to her. The least she could do was offer me the same courtesy instead of telling me that everything was fine when Iknewit wasn’t.

I hoped it wasn’t her health, but deep down, a deep-seated fear, I was a lot more worried that it wasn’t her health… it was me.

28

SOFIA

When we sat in the dining room, Ben was irritated that Richard was late, but I couldn’t focus on any of that. I felt like absolute shit.

Since I’d woken up this morning, I’d felt drained, sluggish, and I’d had a dull headache.

I’d spent the night with Ben, waking up next to him, but I’d left to go back to my room as soon as we’d woken up, telling him I needed my suitcase to dress. That wasn’t a lie, but I’d wanted to get away from him. I didn’t want him to see how sick I felt.

My throat tightened; I salivated. I was so close to throwing up. My stomach cramped.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Ben asked.

“I’m fine,” I said again. He kept asking me that, but how the hell was I supposed to tell him that I felt like I was dying right now? I was just being melodramatic, anyway. Besides, the last thing I wanted to be was a damsel in distress.

Maybe it was my period. It had been due for a while now. I’d been glad it hadn’t shown up yet, with me and Ben sleeping together, but now it would be a relief to have it.

Ben’s phone rang.

“This is him now,” he grumbled before he plastered on a smile and answered the phone.

“Richard,” he said, and I tuned out of the conversation, focusing on keeping it together. Smells wafted from the kitchen, and my stomach turned. We each had a cup of coffee in front of us. Ben had explained what kind of roast it was, but I hadn’t caught all of it. My head felt weird.

Ben ended the call and shook his head. “He’s got some emergency to take care of. Cramps in his left arm, he thinks he’s having a heart attack. If he dies now, and this project…” He shook his head. “I shouldn’t talk like that, but it looks like we’re going to be here longer.”

My stomach turned again, cramping.

I stood. “I’m going to excuse myself.” I had to get away before I hurled all over him. I didn’t know what was going on—a period was never this bad. Cramps, sure, but nausea?

Maybe you’re pregnant.

There was no way. Icouldn’tbe. I was always careful with protection, and Ben had made sure we used condoms every time, too. This was just a bad period, cramps that were worse than usual, and nausea wasn’t so uncommon. It didn’t happen to me, but never say never, right?

I hurried to the door before Ben could stop me.

“Sofia!” Amy called, waving from the lobby door. “I was just looking for you.”

My stomach rolled, and I gagged. I ran to the restrooms on the ground floor, leaving Amy behind. I crashed into a stall and retched violently, throwing up my breakfast.

I kept throwing up, my stomach retching, and I gagged and heaved until there was nothing left.

I stood, breathing hard, and pushed my hair out of my face.

Amy was standing at the basin when I turned to wash my hands and rinse my mouth. She looked concerned.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, fine,” I said. “I’m just…”On my period, I will myself to say, but the words wouldn’t come. I knew full well what was going on. My period was alotlater than it should have been, and Ineverthrew up when I was on my period.

“I’m just…”

Amy’s eyes were on mine, her face serious.