“Can I be honest? You smell like hair oil trapped behind the ears of a dreadlocked white girl who thinks her look is ‘self-expression’ and can’t even spell ‘cultural appropriation’.”
One bright blue eye blinked up at me from the pile of covers.
“That was oddly specific.”
Maybe, but it didn’t make it any less true, and as much as I enjoyed his company, a shower would help him sober up a bit before we arrived. I crawled off the mattress, ignoring the increasingly violent cramps, and stood at the end of the bed with my hands on my hips.
“There are two things needed in civilized society. Daily showering and deodorant that is effective enough for the job. You, my friend, are in dire need of both.”
Otis huffed a laugh that turned into a rattling cough. Shit, was he getting sick? I made a mental note to talk to Ruby about medical contacts in the area. Her grandparents lived nearby, so surely she’d know someone.
“Fair enough. Okay, let’s do this.” His first attempt at getting upright wasn’t ideal, but after a short rest, he managed to find his feet and stumble out the door.
“I’ll bring you some fresh clothes,” I offered, already heading toward the stowage he kept his belongings in. I stopped briefly at my own and retrieved a tampon to insert in the restroom after Otis was sorted.
By the time we crossed the border into Florida, I was sweating. Curled up on the bed, I tried to compress my lower belly as much as possible to contain the pain.
“Tatum?” Harvey’s voice was hesitant.
I whimpered as the effort of looking at him sent another jolt of pain through my lower back and belly.
Fuck being a woman. This was cruel and unusual punishment.
I originally went on contraception to try to skip my periods because the cramping could be debilitating—especially at times of excessive stress—but my body just laughed, gave me the finger, and bled straight through all while whistling “Thunderstruck” by AC/DCand turning my muscles to stone.
A moment later, Otis leaned over me, his hair curled into dripping wet ringlets that I’d want to touch at any other time.
“Hey, what’s going on? Do you need a doctor?” he asked, placing a hand on my back.
I flinched, my skin too sensitive for touch, and he backed away from the bed like I’d struck him.
“Go get Calix,” Otis ordered Harvey, who hadn’t come past the door frame.
I’m fine. The words sat on the tip of my tongue, completely untrue, but it didn’t matter; I couldn’t seem to get them out, anyway.
The moody asshole himself made an appearance as the next wave of cramping stole my breath and twisted my back. I must have looked possessed with the way Harvey backed a little farther into the hallway.
“What’s wrong with her?” Calix asked, taking in Otis’s shrug at a glance and dropping onto the bed.
I whimpered as the movement jostled me, and his brow creased at the sound.
“Where are you hurt?”
I curled into myself tighter, praying they would leave me alone to my misery.
“She didn’t want to be touched,” Otis piped in as Calix lifted a hand toward me.
He paused, indecision written all over his face. He hated not knowing what was happening, but he wasn’t a big enough hypocrite to violate a boundary he himself insisted on.
“I’ll call a doctor,” he decided, pulling his phone out of his pocket.
I caught his wrist, shaking my head. No way was I sitting through an examination just to hear how it was completely normal for a woman on her period.
“Ruby, then,” he offered, watching me closely.
Ruby was a good option. She knew how bad I could get, and she’d hand them their asses for not leaving me alone. Bonus.
At my nod, Calix wandered out to make the call.
