“Get that smug smile off your face, Dr. Mason,” she snarked impishly.
I laughed and kissed her forehead. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, cherry.”
Chapter Nine
Aubrey
“Kill me now,” I muttered as I lay sprawled on the bathroom floor of my apartment. My stomach had been staging a revolt all morning, and I silently cursed the Chinese take-out place which was the most likely culprit of causing my food poisoning. It must have weakened my immune system which had led to me picking up a bug or virus of some sort. Because, even though I’d eaten there last week, whatever I caught had lingered, causing me to throw up everything I’d eaten for days. I managed to keep the vomiting from Nash, but I couldn’t hide the weight-loss that had come with it. Nash had started to worry which made him a little more over-bearing than usual.
I’d talked Nash into waiting another week to move me in with him, so I didn’t have to rush with packing. Now I was regretting it and wishing I was already done. It was Friday and Nash had informed me that I was taking the day off with the excuse that I needed to finish packing since the movers would be at my house the next morning, though I suspected he had other motivations for making me stay home. On top of his worry for my health, it seemed like he’d gotten a little bossier since I’d agreed to move in with him. Then again, I’d been a little moody lately so maybe I was overreacting. Besides, as I lay there on the bathroom floor, I was grateful that I’d acquiesced to his demand.
“Aubrey?” Melody yelled my name and I tried to work up the energy to get up but failed miserably. She and Madison had offered to help me with cleaning and the last of the packing, though Madison was under strict orders from Ethan not to lift anything, push anything heavy, do anything too strenuous…basically, he told her that she could come and supervise. And Melody’s man, Trace, was just as bad. Theirs was an interesting story, but one for a less stressful day. He had given Melody a list of instructions about what she could and couldn’t do as well. I chalked it up to him being a bossy bastard since he’d gotten his ring on her finger, but that might just be because I had a bossy bastard of my own to deal with.
“Aubrey?” Melody called again.
“In the bathroom,” I croaked as loud as I could.
After a minute, two heads popped around the corner of the door. “Ummm...Aubrey? Are you going for the dead look? Because if so, you nailed it,” Madison joked, but her eyes surveyed my limp, clammy body with worry.
I started to respond but my stomach chose that moment to plant another flag and shoot off a few rounds of cannon fire, forcing me to jackknife up off the floor and bend over the toilet. There was nothing left to throw up, so I just dry-heaved for a few minutes. I heard Madison apologize and bolt from the room, so it must have been Melody who lifted my hair off of my sweaty neck and put a cool damp cloth in its place.
Finally, the spasms subsided, and I fell to the floor once more. “Damn, Aubrey,” Melody murmured as she placed another cool towel on my forehead. “I was worried you were going to vomit up an organ.” I chuckled, then immediately moaned when the motion twisted my stomach. “Are you okay?”
“Food poisoning.”
She winced and nodded with sympathetically. “Well, at least yours is temporary, right?” Melody laughed. “I’m willing to bet Madison is in your kitchen stuffing crackers in her mouth so she doesn’t join you on the bathroom floor.”
I smiled weakly and attempted to sit up. Melody grabbed my hand and together, we managed to get me onto my feet. By the time I reached the sink, I was feeling slightly better. While Melody went to check on Madison, I brushed my teeth and washed my face. I sighed in relief when I took a tentative step and didn’t get dizzy. Slowly and carefully, not wanting to regress, I padded out of the bathroom and over to my bed.
Madison returned with a sheepish smile on her face. “Sorry, the morning sickness has made me a sympathetic vomiter.” I waved her off and flopped back onto my pillows.
“I get it. Just tell me you made it to the sink.”
She laughed and walked over to sit beside me on the bed. “You look like you are feeling a little better.” I nodded, my heavy eyelids drooping. “I’m going to call Nash and—”
“No!” Suddenly wide awake, my arm shot out to grab Madison’s arm and keep her from moving.
She frowned. “Is everything okay with you two? I figured since you were moving in…” she trailed off.
“Yes, yes. We’re fine,” I reassured her. “It’s just that he’s already over-protective and I don’t want him to freak out over a little thing like food poisoning.”
I heard a snort from the bedroom door and looked up to see Melody entering with some crackers and a glass of clear liquid. “All of our men are like peas in a pod. Cavemen. The lot of them.”
Madison laughed, and I shrugged helplessly. “Yeah, but we love them,” she replied.
That brought me up short. Well shit. When had I gone and fallen in love with the big brute? Fear started to creep over me as I wondered whether Nash loved me. He certainly acted like it. But, I’d been such a stubborn twit since I met him, I worried that I’d lost the opportunity for him to fall in love with me by keeping him at arm’s length for so long.
“You’re just figuring this out?” Madison asked with a laugh.
“Yeah,” I muttered self-consciously as my cheeks heated. “I think I just didn’t want to admit it to myself.” I sat up and twisted my hands nervously in my lap. “Falling in love with Nash means he has the power to crush me. I was afraid because…well…”
“Well what?” Madison prompted.
“Why would a guy like Nash want a girl like me?” I whispered. I’d never been insecure about myself, I knew I was pretty, and my body was tone and slim from running. I’d always been confident and sure of who I was. But, for crying out loud, Nash was hot as hell. Like movie star gorgeous. Smart. Rich. Funny. Etc. Etc. Etc. It was a little intimidating. “He’s a freaking real-life Malibu Ken doll—except he’s got all the right equipment in all the right places.”
Madison laughed and whacked me lightly on the shoulder. “Are you kidding, Aubrey? I could give you a million reasons, but none of that matters. Nash worships the ground you walk on. Who cares why?”
“He does not,” I scoffed.
Melody laughed as she set the glass on the bedside table and handed me the crackers. Then she folded her arms and gave me a look that made it clear she thought I was either blind or an idiot. “I beg to differ, babe. You don’t see the way he watches you like a lovesick puppy dog when you aren’t looking.” She used her thumb to point toward Madison, then back at herself. “But, we sure as hell do.”
“He does?” My heart warmed and filled with hope.
Melody nodded and gestured to the snack she’d brought. “See if you can keep down some crackers and Ginger ale.”
A couple of hours later, I was back in the bathroom, my stomach once again empty. Melody shook her head and dug through her purse, no doubt looking for her cell phone. “That’s it. I’m calling Nash.”
I stuck my tongue out at her before grumbling, “Tattletale.”
Madison was silently watching me from just outside the door, her face thoughtful. “Are you sure it’s food poisoning?” she asked. Melody paused from dialing and glanced back at Madison with curiosity written on her face.
“What else would it—” I stopped when I saw Madison rub her little baby bump. “No, no, no. No way.” I was so not pregnant. I couldn’t be, I mean we—uh—my mind started racing and I thought back to all of the times Nash and I had made love over the last six or so weeks. I couldn’t remember one single time when he’d used a condom. Son of a bitch.
“He’s a freaking OBGYN,” I snapped. “He practically lectures people about safe sex for a living!”
Melody and Madison were both doubled over in a fit of giggles and I glared at them until they sobered. “I’ll run and grab a test,” Melody offered before dashing out of the room.
While I was freaking the fuck out inside, I kept outwardly calm. “I’m going to take a shower,” I told Madison. She helped me up and waited until she was sure I was steady on my feet before going into the bedroom where she could hear me if I needed help.