Okay, baby. Sleep tight. Text if you need me. I’ll keep my phone on. Love you.
She smiled as she read his text. A tear slid down her cheek too. Did she even deserve this man?
Chapter 26
When Bex woke up the next morning, she felt like hell. The room was spinning and her stomach was in revolt. She must have picked up a flu bug during their travels. She stumbled to the bathroom and drank a glass of water, deciding to go back to bed after a few sips.
That didn’t help. Five minutes later, she was back in the bathroom, kneeling in front of the toilet, emptying the contents of her stomach from last night’s snacks.
After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she felt somewhat better, but she had no desire to push it, so she once again climbed back into bed. It was after eight. Bracken would be up. She decided to call him. Her fingers were shaking too badly to text.
He answered on the first ring. “Hey, baby. Did you sleep okay?”
She sighed and rolled onto her side. “Yeah, but I woke up sick. Did you?”
“No. What kind of sick?”
“Stomach is upset. Tired. I’ve climbed back into bed.”
“Did you drink too much?” His voice was inquisitive, not accusing.
“Didn’t drink anything at all. I wasn’t in the mood. I feel like I have the flu.”
“I’m so sorry. You want to sleep a while? Or I could come over and get you if you want.”
“I think I’ll go back to sleep for a while. I’ll call you when I wake up.”
“Okay. Do you have any white soda or some crackers?”
“Probably. I’ll ask Shayla to set me up.”
“Good. Call me if you need me.”
“I will. Thank you.” She ended the call, set the phone on the bedside table, and immediately fell into a deep sleep.
The next time she awoke, the sun was high in the sky and someone was knocking on her door. “Bex? You okay?” Shayla asked.
Bex rolled onto her side, facing the door. “You can come in.”
Shayla popped into the room. “Yikes. You look awful.”
Bex gave a wan smile. “I feel like shit. Must be the flu.”
“Have you spoken to Bracken? Does he have it too?”
“Called him earlier. He was fine.”
“I’ll go make you some toast and see if we have any lemon-lime soda.”
“That would be great. Thank you.” Bex dragged herself out of bed and into the bathroom. She looked like shit but she didn’t feel nearly as bad as earlier. She wasn’t sweating and she didn’t seem to have a fever, so she splashed water on her face and headed downstairs.
Shayla was in the kitchen stirring something in a mug. “Hey. You came down. I didn’t find any white soda, but I made you some herbal tea with honey.”
“That sounds perfect.” Bex slid onto a chair at the table and accepted the dry toast and hot tea. She took a few small bites and then a sip of tea. It went down. Was it going to stay?
“You look tired more than anything. Did you not sleep well?” Shayla asked.
“I slept like a rock actually. Weird.” Bex ate a few more bites and went back to the tea. “I feel better. Maybe it’s just some short flu.”
“Could be.” Shayla sat across from her. “You’ve been stressed. It’s possible your immune system got tired of fighting.”
“You’d think after two weeks of vacation, I’d be relaxed and ready to roll.” Bex shrugged and finished off the toast. “Let’s hope this stays down. Seems okay so far.”
“Maybe lie low the rest of the day. Movies, books, sleep.”
Bex nodded. “Sounds like a plan.” She heaved herself to the couch, curled up on one end, and found an old movie to watch. A few hours later, she was able to eat some chicken noodle soup and crackers without much trouble.
When Bracken texted, she called him. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself. How are you feeling?”
“Better. It’s like I’m tired. I only threw up this morning. Since then I’ve managed to keep everything I ate down. I don’t understand how I got sick and you didn’t. That’s just weird.”
“It is strange. We did everything together. Maybe it was something you ate last night with your friends?”
“No one else is sick though.”
“Good point. Well, as long as you’re starting to feel better. Do you want me to come get you?”
“No. I think I’ll climb back into bed and sleep another night. No reason to risk you getting sick too. Hopefully tomorrow it will be gone.”
“Okay, but I miss you, so tomorrow I’m coming over there if you’re not well.”
Bex smiled. She missed him too actually. She’d meant to take some time to think about where things were going with Bracken, but after spending the day without him, she wanted to wrap her arms around him and snuggle into his chest. She almost relented and told him to come get her. It was a bad idea though. No sense getting him sick too. By tomorrow, she would go back to his place no matter what.
When Bex woke up the next morning, she rolled onto her back and took several breaths before realizing, nope, today was not better. After fighting the nausea for as long as she could, she rushed to the bathroom and dry-heaved into the toilet.
Fuck.
She felt weaker than yesterday, and she dropped down onto the tile for a few minutes, leaning her forehead against the toilet seat. It took a while for the nausea to pass and then she pulled herself off the floor, brushed her teeth, and turned on the shower. She hadn’t even bathed yesterday. Maybe if she showered, she’d feel more human.
Twenty minutes later, she was back in her room in a clean tank top and shorts, dropping onto the bed as if she’d gone for a long run instead of showering. She grabbed her phone and called Bracken.
“Hey, baby. I was thinking about you. Feel better today?”
“No.” She sighed. “The same. Maybe worse.”
“That stinks. Do you have a fever?”
“I don’t think so. I’m just tired and I can’t hold anything down.”
There was a pause and then he spoke again. “Okay, I’m coming over. I’ll be there in half an hour.”
“You sure? I really hate the idea of you catching whatever I have.”
“Rebekah, stop worrying about me. I’ll be fine. Lie down. I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay.” She didn’t have the strength to argue with him. Besides, she missed him like crazy now. Was it just because she was sick and wanted him to take care of her? Or was it because she loved him to pieces and hated the separation?
She dropped onto her back again and texted Shayla, who was probably somewhere in the condo.
Still sick. Bracken is coming over soon.
Shayla popped her head into the room. “Hey. Sorry you don’t feel well. I’ll let Bracken in when he gets here.”
“Thank you.”
After Shayla closed the door, Bex took several deep breaths. Yeah, she really missed him. It had been weird sleeping without him after weeks of having him wrapped around her every night. She missed his touch. The sound of his voice. His smile.
She felt like dog doo-doo, but she wanted him to hold her anyway. They had a lot of stuff to work out, mainly her stuff, but she felt a growing confidence that separating from him was not an option. It was time to admit she wanted to move into his house. She would need to break the news to Shayla soon and figure out what to do about the lease. She wouldn’t leave Shayla high and dry of course. She’d pay her half until they figured out another plan.
Bex was still staring into space but feeling stronger when a soft knock sounded at the door and then it opened. She’d never been so happy to see someone in her life. In fact, she started crying for no reason.
Bracken had a grocery store bag in his hand. He rushed over to her, sat on the edge of the bed, and pulled her into his arms. “What’s this all about?”
She shook her head. “I have no idea. I’m just glad you’re here.” She tipped her head back. “
Maybe I was lonely.”
He smiled. “Well, I’m glad you missed me.” He felt her forehead. “You’re not hot.”
“Nope. I’ve never felt feverish.”
“You’re pale though. And you look tired.”
“I’ve slept like twenty hours in the last day. But you’re right, I still feel tired.”
He held her gaze, licking his lips a few times before opening his mouth and then closing it.
“What? Are you worried you might catch this bug? You don’t have to sit so close to me if you’re concerned.” She pouted though because she didn’t want him to move away.
He swallowed. “I don’t think I’m going to catch what you have, baby.” His voice was soft and filled with emotion.
She frowned. “How can you know that?”
He reached for the bag on the floor and removed something. “You’re going to have to humor me.”
She glanced down at what he held in front of her, blinking.
A pregnancy test.
What the…?
No. Just. No.
She shook her head. “Surely not. We’ve been careful.”
“We have. You’re right. But we’ve had a lot of sex, baby, and even though we always use a condom when I’m inside you, there have been plenty of times I’ve gotten incredibly close to your vagina without suiting up first.”
She licked her lips and sat up straighter, releasing him while she thought about what he was saying. “Surely not,” she repeated.
“Here’s the thing. We’ve been sexually active for three weeks but fooling around longer than that, and I hate to point this out, but when you called and told me you were sick, I realized you’ve never had your period since we’ve been together.”
She cringed. He was right. Shit.
“I just think you should take the test. Then we’ll know.”
She lifted her gaze. “I’m not sure that’s something I want to know.”
He smiled at her. “It’s not going to change the facts one way or the other, baby.”
She groaned and dropped back onto the bed, tossing her forearm over her eyes. “This can’t be happening.”
He twisted and leaned over her, setting a hand on the other side of her body. “Maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t. Either way, we’ll deal with it.”
Tears started to fall as she realized he was probably right. How the hell had he figured this out instead of her? She had missed her period. They’d been so consumed with each other and a dozen other things that she hadn’t noticed.
“Hey. Don’t cry.” He stroked her face. “Maybe you simply missed a period from stress and now you have the flu.”
Tears kept falling.
Bracken wiped them away and then grabbed a tissue and pressed it into her free hand. “Rebekah, look at me.”
She took a breath and lowered her arm, finding him staring down at her.
“I love you. I’ve missed you these past two days. The house was too quiet without you. I want you to come home with me no matter what the test shows. We’ll take things one day at a time. I promise not to pressure you. But we don’t know what we’re dealing with until you pee on this stick.” He grinned and then ripped the box open and pulled out the inner package.
Bex wiped her eyes and blew her nose, but she felt too heavy to rise from the bed, and she didn’t really want to find out if she was pregnant or not. Ignorance was bliss.
Bracken stood and tucked both hands under her to lift her into his arms. He carried her to the bathroom and set her on her feet next to the toilet.
Why wasn’t he freaking out? Even though she knew he wanted kids, surely he didn’t want them this week. Not with a woman who hadn’t even committed to staying with him yet. Not in a relationship that was so new that they’d hardly used the L-word.
She watched as he opened the foil package and removed the damn stick she needed to pee on. He read the directions carefully and set them on the vanity before handing her the stick. “Pretty straight forward. All you need to do is pee on the end and then we wait.”
She took it from him with shaky fingers. She suspected the new wave of nausea she felt was from nerves.
“I’ll wait outside the door in case your bladder is feeling shy,” he teased before stepping out of the room without closing the door. He didn’t hover, but he would be able to hear her.
She was out of options, so she pulled her shorts down, sat on the toilet, and peed on the damn stick. After she flushed, he returned, took the stick from her, and set it on the counter.
When she stepped up to the sink to wash her hands, he crowded behind her, reached around her body, and washed both their hands together. It would have been erotic and sensual if the situation weren’t so dire.
He set his chin on her shoulder and met her gaze in the mirror, holding it for several seconds before turning her around and taking her in his arms. He led her from the bathroom and back over to her bed where he sat on the edge and brought her between his legs.
Cupping her face, he met her gaze again. “Rebekah, I love you so much it hurts.”
She nodded, crying again. “I know you do, and the truth is that I love you too, but this is too much. It’s too soon. I’m freaking the fuck out.” A baby? She still couldn’t picture herself being a mom.
He blew out a breath and smiled, pulling her close, his hand going to the back of her head to thread into her hair. “Baby, all that matters is that we love each other. I promise this will be okay. Either way. It changes nothing.”
She nodded against him. He was right, but it didn’t alleviate her panic.
He held her face again, forcing her to look at him. “I already told you how I feel about you. This might alter our timeline a bit, but not by much. If I hadn’t thought it would make you run, I’d have asked you to marry me a week ago. Probably even earlier than that.”
She sucked in a breath. She knew all this. It just seemed so much more real with him articulating it out loud. Marriage. Jesus. Was she ready for marriage and babies?
He stroked her cheeks. “No matter what, I promise I will still slow the fuck down and give you all the time you want. If you’re not ready to marry me, I won’t even ask until you are. But baby, at the very least, please move in with me. No matter what that test shows, I want you in my home. Our home. No more of this back and forth. I want to wake up with you next to me every day. Can you do that?”
She nodded. “Yes.” She’d already known she could at least take that step before he arrived with this unexpected bomb. “I hated sleeping without you.”
He smiled. “Good. Then that’s settled. Now, deep breaths. No matter what the test shows, you’re coming home with me either way. If you have the flu, I’ll take care of you. If you’re pregnant, I’ll still take care of you. It just might take a little longer for you to feel better.” He grinned, making light of this incredibly crazy situation.
Somehow he was making her feel better.
“Ready?” he asked.
“No.”
He chuckled. “Stay here. I’ll get it.”
She sat on the edge of the bed, shivering as he strode confidently into the bathroom as if he were checking the weather. She watched his back, holding her breath.
When he finally turned around, coming toward her, he was grinning. What did that mean? He held out the stick when he reached her. “We’re having a baby.”
She stared at it for longer than necessary. Two lines. Everyone knew what two lines meant. Even people who hadn’t had sex until three weeks ago. She shuddered. My God. She was pregnant.
She was shaking as Bracken set the test on the bedside table and pulled her into his arms. He held her tight, rocking her back and forth. “I love you,” he whispered. “We’ve got this. I promise.”
She felt numb.
After a few minutes, she tipped her head back. “I was picturing a lot more sex in my life before I got huge and fat and then had to take care of another human. I only got three weeks,” she complained.
&
nbsp; He chuckled. “Is that all you’re worried about? How much sex you’ve had?” He kissed her. “Baby, I promise we’re still going to have sex. Lots of it. You won’t feel this shitty forever. It will pass. And after the baby is born, we’ll still have sex.”
She shivered yet again. Baby. Good God. She groaned. “I haven’t even told my parents I’m dating someone.”
He kissed her nose. “Might want to call them soon.”
“My God. My friends are going to freak out. I don’t think I’m ready to face this, Bracken.”
“So, don’t. We can keep it to ourselves for a while. That’s not unusual. Let’s wait until twelve weeks.”
She nodded, wondering how long she might feel this numb.
“Sit.” Bracken helped her drop down onto the bed, and then he busied himself gathering her things and repacking her bag, the one she’d never really unpacked when she came here two days ago. “Do you want more clothes from your dresser or closet?” he asked as he tucked her toiletries into the bag.
“No. I have enough stuff at your house. I’ll get more later.” She glanced down and then stood. “I need to get dressed though. And…” She turned and rushed across the room, making it to the toilet just in the nick of time.
This time she was not alone. Bracken was with her in less than a second, holding her hair back, his hand on her shoulder.
After several dry heaves, he released her to wet a washcloth and wipe her face. His expression was filled with concern, his brow furrowed. “Better?”
She nodded as he helped her up. “If I don’t start keeping food down, I’ll disappear.”
“We’ll stop at the store. I’ll run inside and get some things that will be easy on your stomach.”
Like the absolutely perfect man that he was, Bracken helped her dress and held her elbow as they descended the stairs.
Shayla was in the kitchen. She looked concerned. “Still sick?”
“Yeah. I’m taking her home with me. That way I can keep an eye on her.”
Nonstop (Open Skies Book 3) Page 17
