Page 226 of The Heart You Kept

Bang.

I look up at the ceiling, that sound came from above, it must be from the open window on the second level.

“Alora,” I call.

I close my eyes, deep down I always knew this day was coming. I knew that one day someone would make me pay. With my heart in my throat, I slowly push the door open to see Alora is standing under the shower with her back to me, she’s naked.

“What?” My eyes fly around to see nobody in the room with her. “What are you doing?”

It’s then that I notice that the water running down the drain is red. Oh my god.

“What’s wrong?”

She turns and, catching sight of me, jumps in fright. “Argh, what are you doing?” she screams. “You scared the hell out of me.” She takes AirPods out of her ears.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I point to the floor of the shower. “Are you hurt?”

“Why do you have a gun?” she stammers.

“Because I thought you were down here getting fucking murdered,” I snap.

“No.” She screws up her face as if I’m an idiot. “I have my period really heavy and I needed a hot shower to stop the ache.”

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” I fume. “I saw the blood and you were gone and I was calling out to you,” I whisper angrily.

“Oh…I didn’t hear you; I didn’t want to wake you up, so I came down here and thought I’d listen to my audiobook while I stood under the hot water.” She shrugs as she holds her AirPods up. “I didn’t realize I dropped blood upstairs. Sorry.”

“My god.” I drag my hand through my hair. “I just lost ten fucking years of my life.”

“Who would be down here killing me?” She screws up her face. “What’s wrong with you?”

My shoulders slump and I look down to see the water in the bottom of the shower is fully red. “What is happening here?” I gesture to the floor.

“My period.”

“Surely it’s not that much blood, you’ll need a fucking transfusion.”

“This is normal, what are you talking about?”

“I don’t know about that; I think we need to go to the hospital.”

“You can’t be this clueless about periods.”

I stare at her as I reconcile what I know about women’s monthlies.

Nothing.

In fact, I have never even had a partner bleed in front of me.

“Edward?” She frowns.

I shake my head in confusion.

Why haven’t I had a partner bleed in front of me…now that I think about it, it’s fucking weird.

“See you upstairs.” I rush back upstairs, put the gun away and climb into bed.

Adrenaline is still pumping, and I pull the blankets up around my ears as an unknown emotion fills me.