Page 64 of The Pawn

I clear my throat. “I took precautions.”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Her forehead furrows. She draws back a little. “What precautions?” she asks, skeptical of me. Rightfully so.

“It’s nothing you need to worry about. You hungry? I’m starving.”

She cocks her head and that soft gold of her eyes darkens. “My period was different than it’s ever been.”

“Probably stress. Should we get some food?”

“When I asked the doctor about refilling my prescription she said I wouldn’t need it anymore. I forgot about that with all that’s going on.”

She pulls her hand from mine, folds her knees under her so she’s taller, at eye level with me on the sofa.

I try to swallow some whiskey for the excuse of looking away.

“Why did she say that Cassian? Why are we having unprotected sex without you shoving morning after pills down my throat?”

“Allegra, I was just?—”

She pushes my hand away, jumps to her feet. “What did you do? What the fuck did you do?”

I stand. “Sit. Relax, Allegra. We’re having a nice night.”

When I try to take the whiskey from her, she pulls back sharply which sends liquid sloshing over her arm and mine, onto the couch.

“What did you do, Cassian Trevino?”

“It’s fine?—”

“What did you do?” she demands.

“I had her give you a shot. Just to be sure you were safe. To be sure there wouldn’t be any accidents.”

Her mouth falls open. She takes a step backward and glares at me.

I put my hands up in surrender. “Allegra, it was to protect you?—”

“You made a decision about something that important on my behalf while I was half out of my mind?” she asks, voice rising.

I take a step toward her. “Allegra, calm down.”

“Allegra, calm down?” she hurls her glass at me. I duck in time, and it crashes against the wall. “You fucking bastard! You don’t get to make those decisions for me! What the hell is wrong with you?”

“I was just trying to protect you. Be reasonable, you didn’t know the history.”

“Well, maybe you should have told me. Maybe you should have waited until I was, I don’t know,conscious,to fucking tell me and let me decide for myself, for my body!”

“Allegra,” I get to her, wrap my hands over her arms. “You have to understand?—”

She slaps my hands away. “It’s not me who has to understand, Cassian! It’s you. You are not God. You’re not a king who just gets to decide willy nilly?—”

“There was nothing willy nilly?—”

“Get off me. Don’t touch me.” She tries to pull her dress on over her head, getting her arms caught in the process. I go to help her, but again, she pushes me away.

“Be reasonable. I didn’t want to put you in the situation where you might be forced to make a choice?—”