Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 32732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
“No doctor,” I mumbled.
He sighed. “Sis, I’m really fucking worried about you.”
The couch dipped as he sat down again. I slowly opened my eyes to look back up at him. He was frowning, worry lines creased on his forehead. “You shouldn’t frown,” I muttered. “It makes you look old.”
He snorted. “Only you could be a fucking smart ass and look like you’re lying on your fucking death bed.” He ran his hand over my hair again when I groaned in discomfort. “Think you can get some water in your system?”
I gagged at the thought of putting anything in my mouth. John quickly back tracked. “Okay, no water. You keep getting sick like this, Montana, and I’m going to have to take you to the hospital. You’re going to get dehydrated and pass out. I know you don’t want to be pregnant, but you have to take care of yourself if your body has any chance of taking care of that baby.”
Tears burned in my eyes. How did my brother get me so easily?
“You’re right,” I whispered. “I don’t want to be pregnant.” I swallowed vomit. I wasn’t ready to throw up again. “But I won’t neglect it.” I drew in a deep breath through my nose. “But I don’t think it does me any good to drink something just to throw it right back up.”
He sighed. “Part of me wants to strangle Jonah for putting you in this position.”
I snorted. “Takes two to tango or some shit like that.”
John grunted. “I know how sex works, Montana.” That brought a small smile to my face. “It’s the only reason I don’t currently have my fucking hands around his throat.” He sighed. “Have you even told him how miserable this shit is? Why isn’t he here with you, sis?”
I shrugged, my eyes closing again. For some reason, the churning in my stomach and the vomit rising up my esophagus was easier to deal with when my eyes were closed. “Because I haven’t told him.”
John groaned in annoyance. “He needs to know so he can help take care of you, Montana.”
I shook my head. “Baby is inside of me for me to deal with,” I muttered. “Not much he can do.”
“Jesus Christ,” my brother swore. “How about just sitting here and being here for you? What about him doing what I’m doing right now? He can be a distraction. Get you what you need. Goddamn rub your stomach. Something, sis.”
I shook my head and patted his thigh. “The only person I need here is you, big bro.”
He sighed and gently squeezed my hand, the fight inside of him seeming to die down at my words. I yawned. He leaned over me and brushed a kiss to my forehead. “Try to get some rest, yeah? Anything in particular you want on TV as background noise?”
I shook my head. “Just put on some stupid cartoon.”
He got up from the couch, and a minute later, I heard SpongeBob playing. I smiled softly. He’d remembered my favorite cartoon.
John gently laid a blanket over me, and I pulled it tighter around my body, listening to the sounds of Patrick droning on, and eventually, I fell asleep.
* * *
“How is she?” I faintly heard Jonah ask.
“Absolute shit,” John told him bluntly. “She’s probably going to kill me for calling you, but she didn’t make this baby by herself.”
“Thanks for letting me know,” Jonah told him. “I don’t want her going through this by herself. We did this together.”
I slowly opened my eyes and sat up with a groan, reaching up to rub the sleep from my eyes. When I opened my eyes again, Jonah was kneeling in front of me. He placed his hands on my thighs and gave each of them a gentle squeeze. “John said you’ve had a rough day.”
I just shrugged. After I’d fallen asleep, I’d woken up three more times to get sick. A glance at the clock told me it had been two hours since I’d thrown up last, and so far, my stomach seemed settled.
“It’s been a shit day,” I said evasively.
He frowned at me. “There’s no reason to lie to me, Montana.”
Wasn’t there, though? If I allowed him in, allowed him to comfort me too much like I had before, wouldn’t he just run off and disappear again?
“Isn’t there?” I murmured, running my eyes over his handsome face. God, why did he have to look so perfect?
His frown deepened, and his brows furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You disappeared after my first week of detoxing,” I reminded him, leaving it at that.
He sighed and hung his head. “My dad passed away,” he said quietly. My eyes widened in shock. I hadn’t known that. No one told me. “His garage was left to me in his will. I had too much to take care of.”