AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’m not — Kelsey just brings it out of me. I haven’t had nearly enough time to show her how much I love her. If this incident has taught me anything, it’s that I don’t want to waste another minute fucking around.
“Only for her,” I reply, realizing that I haven’t actually answered her. I take Kelsey’s hand once again, hoping this time will be the time she physically responds. The song comes to an end, and rather than torture myself by replaying it, I look to her sister for direction. “Who else does she like? I love her to pieces but I can only stomach so much Swiftie.”
Savannah lets out a chuckle. “Same. She likes Chase Rice and Morgan Wallen.”
I have no fucking clue who either of those guys are, but I look them up on Spotify. I see a song called “Eyes On You” and it sounds fitting for us, so I play it.
“Oh, she loves this one. It’s one of her favorites, along with ‘Ride,’” she says with a smirk. “I’m pretty sure she thinks about you anytime she sings it.”
Well, color me fucking intrigued. I add that one to the queue and listen to the one currently playing. I will never admit this to her, but this music isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever listened to. When the next song starts to play, I intently focus on the lyrics, grinning as I take them in.
I lean into her ear so her sister hears as little as possible. “Angel, I’ll happily ride you as many times as you want me to. But I need you to wake up first.” When I pull back, I swear I see her mouth twitch into a small smile.
“Joey?” Her voice is barely more than a whisper as she opens her eyes.
“Oh, thank fuck!” I pull her in for a kiss. “You scared the absolute shit out of me.”
“What happened?” she croaks out with a dry voice, looking between me and Savannah. I grab her some water and hold the cup while she takes a few sips.
“What’s the last thing you remember?” Savannah asks her before I can.
She stares off, looking pensive. “I… I came home from school because I was in a lot of pain. I was making a cup of tea and I got dizzy. That’s the last thing I remember.”
I internally debate how much to tell her, but quickly realize that if I don’t, the doctor will anyway. “I came home from the shop instead of going to practice. I’m glad I did because you were passed out on the kitchen floor surrounded by blood.”
Kelsey closes her eyes and lets out a deep sigh. “I’m so sorry you had to see that.” She looks back at me with tears in her eyes.
“Kels, I think you need to explain some things,” Savannah nudges her from the other side of the bed.
“What kind of things? What are you guys talking about?” I look between the two of them.
Kelsey brushes away the tears that have fallen down her cheeks as she sits up. My heart feels wrenched all over again as I watch her struggle with her words.
“I have endometriosis, Joey. My periods are extremely heavy and painful. While this is the first time I’ve ever been hospitalized, these symptoms are pretty typical for me.”
“Is there anything they can do for you?”
Kelsey shakes her head. “I’ve tried a few different therapies and treatments, but they’re temporary fixes. The last thing they could do is a hysterectomy, but I’ve been hesitant to do it.” Her face is suddenly filled with heartbreak. “It would eliminate my already low chance of having a baby.”
It all dawns on me — the look on her face after that first time we had sex. The one that she wore when she told me that she was on birth control. She was holding back that it wouldn’t matter if she wasn’t. “Kelsey… how low of a chance are you talking about?”
She blinks back the tears that are once again pooling in her eyes. “The doctors have said one in a million.”
Chapter 32
The look on Joey’s face when I told him about my fertility issues was exactly what I expected it to be — full of pity. It’s hard to read whether he’s upset about it because I am, or because he wanted kids and now knows that my chances of giving him one are slim to none.
Before we can discuss it further, the doctor comes in. “Welcome back, Miss Andrews. I’m Dr. Sawyer, I’ve been tending to you since you came in. How are you feeling?”
How am I feeling? That’s a fucking loaded question. I feel like everything I’ve ever wanted is going to slip away from me because of the issues I have. I’m worried that I’m going to be too much for Joey to handle. But, of course, I can’t say any of this to the doctor without him sending me to the psych ward.
“My head is a little foggy. The cramps aren’t as bad as they were this afternoon, but I’m still feeling some pain.”
He nods at me, writing down what I’ve said. “You hit your head when you fainted. We suspect you may have a mild concussion. We’ve had to put several medications in your IV — one is for pain, one is to stop the bleeding, and saline solution to hydrate you. We also had to do a blood transfusion due to the amount you lost.” He says all of this so matter-of-factly, like what I went through is no big deal.
“When can she go home?” Joey asks from my bedside.
Dr. Sawyer’s voice is somber. “I’d like to keep you overnight for observation — the bleeding is under control right now, but that’s not to say that it can’t get worse again.”
