AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You okay?”
“Yeah.” I rubbed the side of my stomach, trying to understand what I’d felt. Probably just static electricity. What the heck?
From now on, I’d only wear shoes with rubber soles. Screw fashion.
“You good?” I asked my sister.
She stared at me strangely and nodded as Brady came up behind her to lay his hands on her shoulders. “I’m fine. Van, you’re pale. You’re sure you’re okay?”
“I’m always pale.”
“More than normal.” She laid a hand on my forehead. “You feel a little warm. You aren’t getting sick?”
Baby flu doesn’t come with a fever. At least I don’t think.
“Sure. I’m good. Great.”
Brady narrowed his eyes. “I can get Mav—”
“No need, he already heard my silent distress call.” I rolled my eyes as Mav approached.
Some part of me wanted nothing more than to curl into his arms. I didn’t feel sick, but I definitely felt…odd. As if I was having an out-of-body experience from a bad trip, except I hadn’t taken anything except five tubes of mini M&Ms.
“We can hang out for a bit.” Tab looked between me and Mav as if she feared a rumble was imminent.
Not tonight.
Normally, I’d be into it. Fighting made the best foreplay. But not when I was so out of sorts and wanting to cuddle.
Gah, what was happening to me?
“I’m fine.” I smiled as brightly as my crisis of confidence would allow. “Go home and get some rest. Or some naked time, even if I can’t imagine that at that circumference. But you know, you do you.”
Tab patted Brady’s chest. “I let him do most of the work. We figure it out.” She gave me another hug. “Call if you need me. Anytime. Day or night.”
I sniffled as my eyes prickled. “Same. Keep that kid in you.”
“I’ll do my best.”
As soon as they left, I propelled myself into Mav’s waiting arms. He didn’t withhold affection or hassle me over earlier, just stroked his hand over my hair and my back to quietly soothe me. He didn’t even know what was wrong.
I didn’t either.
“I’m scared,” I said into the silence, feeling like the biggest dolt who’d ever lived.
“I am too.”
I swallowed hard and looked up at him. “How do you feel about funnel cake?”
“Really good.” His smile gave me comfort when I wasn’t sure if anything could.
And that was even better than a warm, sugary funnel cake.
Well, at least as good.
We walked around the festival dodging friends and acquaintances and eating copious amounts of greasy and bad for you food. Mav kept pace with me, although I suspected his sweet tooth had nothing on mine, especially lately.
We played a game with a soft hammer that required force to make a bell ring. It wasn’t just force, but a certain sort of touch so you didn’t shoot over the mark. Mav did not manage to soften his enough. But I did and won a stuffed pink giraffe for my trouble.
