Everyone laughs. “I asked you how’s work going on the Batmobile.” He winks and Wes stifles a laugh.
“Dad,” I scold. “I told you I can’t talk about it in front of others.”
Mom shakes her head, and I look past her into the kitchen again. Archer is off the phone now, but still looks stressed. Wanting to put everything behind us and start again, every fiber of my being aches to go to him and ask what’s wrong and tell him I’ll help however I can.
When he comes back to the table, I look at him, trying to meet his eye, but he keeps his gaze turned down on his plate, eating in silence for a few minutes until Dean brings up stories from their college days.
After dinner, we go outside for drinks and dessert. Weston and Jackson leave first since it’s already past Jackson’s bedtime. Logan and Owen are the next to leave, and Kara’s having a girls’ night at her house and invites me to come.
I’m feeling sick again and all I want to do is curl up in bed and watch a movie. And talk to Archer. The nausea gets worse and worse as the night goes on, and when I go upstairs to bed, Dean and Archer move into the living room to play video games. I shower, put on my pajamas, and crash into bed. I doze off and on for a while, eventually getting up to dig a mint out of my purse to try and settle my stomach that won’t stop swirling.
I sit back in bed, feeling a little better with the mint in my mouth. Something is off, and I know it. I don’t have a fever, and I don’t feel like I have the flu. Plus, I’m not nauseous all day. It’s just off and on.
Rufus jumps up next to me, resting his head on my stomach. I run my fingers over the sleek fur on his ears, hoping I feel better in the morning so I can hang out with Jamie for a bit before I have to leave. A good night’s sleep should do the trick.
Still, something nags at me in the back of my mind. Why am I so nauseous? Maybe from eating too much dessert? I binge on junk food every now and then and it never hits me like that. And eggs? Since when do I like—
“Oh my God.” I sit up so fast it freaks out Rufus. In a mad scramble, I grab my phone, pulling up my calendar. I don’t track my period, but I remember the last time I had it because I was in a meeting with a bigwig from Microsoft and felt it start. I was wearing a cream-colored pencil skirt that day, so of course it’s seared into my mind. I made it out with no bloodstains, but still, it was a close call and I missed half of what was being said because I couldn’t stop thinking about the bloodbath happening in my undies.
I flip through my calendar and find the date. Then I count forward. I should have gotten my period by now. I think I might throw up again.
I’ve been nauseous all week.
My boobs hurt and I’ve had cramps like my period was going to start.
But it didn’t.
I’m exhausted.
And I threw up last night.
Suddenly, I can’t breathe. Rufus whines, nudging his nose against my hand. I slide my arms around him, trying to get my heart to stop racing.
Archer and I had sex roughly two weeks after my period started. Two out of the three times, he came inside of me. I didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t the first time I’d had unprotected sex. The odds are against me. It can take people years to get pregnant when they’re trying.
But it can also happen in one shot.
Or twice, in my case. Though I don’t know if that’s my case. It could be really bad PMS. Yeah, that’s what it is. I’m tired from work. Sick from stress. And I’m craving eggs because my body is low on…on…what the hell are in eggs?
In the back of my mind, I know it’s more. And there’s only one way to find out, and lucky for me, there’s a Walmart close by that’s open twenty-four hours. I get out of bed, not bothering with clothes. I do put on a bra though, partly because my tank top is white and partly because my boobs hurt.
It’s late, and I don’t expect Mom or Dad to be up anymore, or at least not in the living room. I can sneak out and back in half an hour. Maybe less. Quietly, I slip down the stairs, purse over my shoulder and keys in my hand.
“Are you going somewhere?” Dean’s voice comes from the living room. Dammit. He and Archer are still playing video games, and if I’d come down a minute earlier, he probably wouldn’t have looked up from the screen and noticed me.
“Yeah, I just felt like going out.”
Dean cocks an eyebrow. “In your pajamas? And I thought you said you felt sick after dinner.”
“These PJs are comfy. And I feel better now,” I lie. The nausea comes back with a vengeance. I just need to make it outside before I barf again.
“Really?”
“Really.” I shift my weight. “I, uh, miss being able to go to Walmart at night. There isn’t one close to me downtown.”
Archer’s watching, not buying what I’m saying, but I know he won’t question me.
“We’ll go with you,” Dean says. “This controller is shit and I need a new one.” He holds up the PlayStation controller in his hand and makes a move to stand up.
“Actually,” I blurt. “I feel sick again.” I really do. I almost trip going down the rest of the stairs in my haste to get into the bathroom. I open the lid just in time and bring up the little food that’s left in my stomach into the toilet, throat burning. I slump onto the floor, feeling instant relief after throwing up.
“Quinn?” Archer’s voice comes from the doorway.
I look up at him, and my heart skips a beat.
“Are you okay? It sounded like you threw up again.”
“I did,” I admit. “I’m not sure I’m okay, actually.”
“Maybe going out shopping at eleven at night isn’t a good idea.”
“I know.”
Archer reaches for me and I stand up quickly, trying to purposely avoid his touch. I don’t think I’m strong enough to resist him at the moment, and after our close encounter in the kitchen earlier, I won’t be able to hold out. The movement makes my head spin, and the next thing I know, Archer has his arm around me. He closes the toilet lid and has me sit down.
With furrowed brows, he looks at me. “I think you should let me examine you.”
I swallow the lump of vomit rising in my throat. Nerves shoot through me and I try to find the right words to say. Archer, examining me. Removing my clothes and putting his hands all over my body. “I think that was part of the problem in the first place.”
“What do you mean?” Archer crouches down
and rests his hand on my knee. I’m half-tempted to push it off and half-tempted to slide it up farther. “Quinn, we never got to finish our conversation from earlier, and I know now’s not the best time and all, but if I keep waiting for the right time I’m worried I’ll never find it.”
His fingers gently press into my leg. “When I said I was sorry, I meant it. I never wanted to hurt you. And I don’t want to you regret that weekend, because I don’t. The only thing I regret is not telling you how much I enjoyed being with you.”
His words come out jumbled, but I know he means them. If I weren’t internally freaking out over the possibility I’m carrying his baby, they’d have more sentiment.
“So what were you going to the store for?” he asks after a beat passes and I don’t say anything.
“Feminine products.”
“Oh. Do you want me to go get you some?”
I open my eyes. “You’d go out and get me tampons?”
“Sure. Just tell me what to get. Dean wants to go out anyway. I don’t mind grabbing them.”
“That’s really sweet of you, Archer,” I start, mind going a mile a minute. “But that’s actually not what I need.”
Archer looks at me in question. “Are you trying to sneak out and meet someone?”
“No, not at all.” I sigh, debating if I should just tell him. This concerns him as well. Biting my lip, I get up and close the door.
“What’s going on Quinn? You’re kind of freaking me out, and I don’t get freaked out easily.”
I nod, nervously twisting my hair in my fingers. Maybe I shouldn’t say anything until I know for sure. If the test comes back negative, I’ll feel silly for getting him worked up over nothing. Though, it’d be nice to not be alone in this right now.
And mostly, I don’t want to lie to Archer.
“I’m not really sure,” I start, swallowing hard. “You know I’ve been sick.”
“Yeah, twice now.”
I nod. “I’ve also been exhausted, craving foods I don’t normally eat, and have had cramps like my period is going to start, but it hasn’t. And it should have over a week ago.”