FULL NOVELXO Chapter 26
Ipinch my eyes shut as the muscles in my lower abdomen cramp. It feels like they’re being squeezed in a vise.
That’s all it takes for a whimper to escape from me.
Most months are like this.
Some are worse than others.
This one is bad.
Really bad.
Bad enough that I didn’t even attempt my nine o’clock class this morning. Instead, I shot my instructor an email to let her know that I wasn’t feeling well. Colby rolled out of bed as streaks of orange and red painted the horizon with vibrant color. He kissed me and said something about getting to an early morning practice and that he’d be back later.
That was hours ago.
I’d fallen back to sleep for a little bit.
Now I have a headache and lower back pain to go with a side of cramps.
Ugh.
Sometimes being a girl sucks.
This is one of those times.
At some point, I’ll have to find the wherewithal to haul myself from bed and go to the store for supplies. I’m down to two regular tampons. I have the sneaking suspicion this one is going to call for super plus absorbent.
Just as I’m dozing off, the apartment door opens and heavy footsteps fill the silence of the space before stuttering to a stop over the threshold of the room.
“Hey, what are you still doing in bed? I thought you had class this morning.”
I crack open my eyes and meet his concerned stare. “I don’t feel good.”
I refrain from getting into specifics. If he’s anything like Axel, he doesn’t want to hear about “girl issues.”
Colby’s brows furrow as he beelines toward the bed and drops down on the edge. His palm settles on my forehead. “Do you have the flu?” His eyes scrutinize my face. “You don’t feel warm. Tell me what’s going on.”
Even through the pain, I can’t help the smile that quirks my lips. “Are you a doctor now?”
A matching expression settles on his. “We both know that if you’re in need of a thorough examination, I’d be more than happy to provide one free of charge. Although, I’ll need to get you naked.”
I wince as another cramp racks my belly.
Argh.
It’s like my insides are being twisted.
“I don’t think that’s going to be happening anytime soon.”
“You have your period?”
Heat floods my cheeks. It’s certainly nothing to be embarrassed about, but still…
“Yup. Seems like you arrived at the correct diagnosis, Dr. McNichols. Now, if you’ll just leave—”
“You should have told me what was going on. What do you need?”
My brow furrows. “Need? I don’t understand.”
He reaches out and strokes his fingers through my hair. I can’t help but lean into the comforting touch, enjoying how easy he is with his affection.
“All right. Let’s go about this a different way. Describe your symptoms.”
“I, ah…”
Is he joking?
When he arches a brow, I realize he’s one hundred percent serious.
I clear my throat and glance away. “I really appreciate your concern, but this isn’t something we need to discuss.”
“Why not?” Confusion flickers across his handsome features. “How else am I going to make it better if I don’t know what your symptoms are?”
My gaze slices back to his in surprise. “Make it better?” I echo, unsure I heard him correctly.
“Yeah. Depending on what they are, I’ll either give you ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or one of those combo meds that has caffeine in it.”
When I continue to stare in silence, he rolls his eyes as if I’m too dense for words. “Please don’t tell me that you’re embarrassed. I have a sister and a mom. It’s a monthly occurrence. No way to avoid it.”
My brow furrows, unable to believe we’re delving headfirst into this topic. “So…you’d get them stuff?”
He pops a shoulder and continues stroking my hair. “Why wouldn’t I? It wasn’t out of the ordinary for my sister to get really bad cramps. Sometimes she’d have to get picked up from school because they were so painful. If she needed something and my parents weren’t around, I’d run to the store and grab it.” He searches my eyes as his voice softens. “It wasn’t a big deal.”
I shake my head. “It’s times like these when I realize that I don’t know who the hell you are.”
He snorts.
“Or maybe you’re just really different from the guy I assumed you were.”
“Maybe your takeaway should be that we need to actually get to know one another before making snap judgments,” he murmurs.
“You could be right.”
He cups my cheek. “Did you take pain meds yet?”
I nod. “A couple hours ago.”
“Are you still having bad cramps?”
“They’re like knives slicing through my belly.”
“Ouch. All right, I’m going to run to the store and pick up a few things.” His thumb sweeps over my lower lip before he rises to his feet. “Is there anything else you need while I’m out?”
I glance away, watching him from the corner of my eye.
God, but I hate to ask…
He cocks his head and continues to watch me.
This is so embarrassing.
“Pads or tampons?”
Air rushes from my lungs. It’s like a balloon deflating. “Tampons.”
“What size?”
“The biggest ones you can find.”
“No problem.” He reaches down and strokes his fingers through my hair one more time before pressing a kiss against my lips. “I’ll be right back. If there’s anything that comes to mind while I’m out, text me. Okay?”
I nod, grateful he’s here.
And isn’t making a big deal out of this.
Thirty minutes later, Colby returns with a couple of grocery bags in tow. He sets the first one down on the bed as I drag myself to a seated position, curious about what he picked up. What he thinks a girl with her period needs.
This should be interesting.
As long as he bought tampons, it’s all good.
Nothing else matters.
He settles on the edge of the mattress before delving one hand into the plastic and pulling out the first item.
It’s a small box of pills.
“Those combo meds I was talking about. Not only do they help with headaches and cramps but bloating, fatigue, and muscle aches as well.”
My brows rise. “I’ve always just taken acetaminophen.”
He turns the box over. “This one has that but other things as well.”
He passes the container to me so I can read the list of active ingredients for myself.
“I wasn’t sure how much the cramps were bothering you, so I bought some hot and cold patches.”
When my face scrunches, he says, “You peel and stick them on your lower abdomen. They’re mentholated and will help with the cramps. My sister swears by them.”
Huh. I’ve never used anything like that.
He reaches into the bag again before pulling out an oversized package of pads.
“It’s the multi-pack.” He taps the colorful wrapper. “This has everything from light to heavy.”
Then he adds a couple of blue boxes with a sporty looking woman on them. “I know you said heavy duty, but there was a sale. Buy two and get a third for free. There’s a variety. I figured you’d use them at some point.”
The tampons run the gamut from tiny and light to oversized and super-duper absorbent.
“I wasn’t sure if you had a gelled eye mask for headaches, so I grabbed one of those as well.”
I shake my head and fight back the tears that are threatening to fill my eyes. Stupid hormones. “I can’t believe you bought all this. I really appreciate it.”
“I’m your husband. That’s what we do.” He flashes a lopsided grin. “Plus, there’s more.”
“More? How’s that possible?”
What more could there be to buy?
He reaches into the bag again and pulls out an oversized chocolate bar.
“Did you know that dark chocolate is rich in magnesium? Apparently, that helps relax uterine contractions.”
Laughter gurgles up in my throat. “Are you being serious?”
“One hundred percent. Plus, it just tastes good. I’d challenge anyone to eat chocolate and not feel better.”
Well, the man makes a valid point.
“And lastly, I noticed that you have a Kindle. So, I picked up a gift card. That way you can buy a few books and get your mind off everything. I’ve never been much of a reader, but isn’t that what books do? Transport you to another place?”
“Colby…” My voice trails off as thick emotion fills it. “Thank you.”
I really didn’t expect any of this from him.
More than that, I can’t remember the last time someone took care of me in this kind of manner. As if I were important.
“You have sisters,” he says, interrupting the whirl of my thoughts. “I’m surprised your family didn’t do the same.”
This time, I do bark out a laugh. “No. My mom was a nurse and would give us painkillers, but she always acted like that time of the month wasn’t a big deal and you didn’t whine about it. Instead, you powered through and kept working.”
Colby frowns. “Well, that sucks. If you’re in pain or have symptoms, they need to be treated.”
How is this man for real?
“You’re being too good to me,” I force myself to whisper when I’ve got my emotions under control.
“You’re my wife,” he says simply. “All I want to do is be good to you.”
He rises to his feet and heads for my bathroom. “I’m going to run you a hot shower. After that, we’ll apply a patch to your belly, and I bought some soup for lunch. Then you can download a new book or take a nap. Up to you.”
I can only stare as he saunters out of the room. After a few heartbeats, my gaze falls on everything he bought that’s still spread out on the bed.
Even though I’ve never been much of a crier, I burst into tears.