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"I'm not," I mumble, putting my book down. "I'll help you look."
Aaron straightens up, raising his hands up. "No, it's fine. I'll just leave it. Besides, you know best right?"
My mouth pops open in confusion, my chest aching at the confrontation. I have absolutely no idea what has him on edge. He looks at my expression, his own softening as he smiles softly and walks over. Brushing my hair aside, he leans down and kisses me gently.
"Always looking out for me. That's my girl. I'll see you later."
I stare in disbelief as he disappears out the door, my central nervous system a mess. I hate how my heart is pounding, my mind telling me to fix whatever it is I did wrong. But I have no idea what I actually did wrong to fix it.
I stand in the same spot for a few minutes longer, before glancing at the clock on the wall. Noticing I only have about fifteen minutes to get to the campus doctor for my appointment, I quickly spring into action, compartmentalizing the encounter with Aaron as I grab my keys, phone and wallet.
Thankfully, we live just outside of campus, so it's only a short walk to get to classes. The doctor's office is on the north side of campus, and by the time I reach there, I still have a few minutes before my appointment time.
I check in with the receptionist before taking a seat in the green uncomfortable chairs. There's a television hanging on the creamy-colored wall across from me but it's turned off. There's a few other people in the waiting area, so I look around to distract myself, my fingers brushing through a pile of magazines next to me. Not surprisingly, none are recent. The most current I can find is at least three years old and I'm fairly certain the pregnant celebrity on the cover has had another baby since the article came out.
The one bonus about being on campus is students are entitled to one free basic check-up a year. I like to take advantage of it, even if it means being a pin cushion.
My leg bops as I wait impatiently, avoiding eye contact with the other patients, until I finally hear my name being called.
"Addison Holland?"
I look up, springing up from my spot as I head over to the young nurse in scrubs. "That's me."
"Right this way. I'm Gabrielle and I'll be looking after you today," she says softly, pointing to the only open door down the corridor. I head inside, taking a seat while she closes the door behind us.
"So, you're here for the general check-up?" she asks, clicking on the laptop in front of her.
I nod, confirming my information and answering general questions about my health. When she finishes running through everything, she takes my blood pressure, height and weight, before grabbing a tourniquet and supplies to draw blood.
"The blood tests check the basic stuff like your red blood count, liver enzymes, sexually transmitted diseases. The results generally take a few days to come back but if everything is all good, we will just give you a call."
"Okay, sounds good," I mumble, holding out my arm and looking away as she taps my pasty white skin to find a vein.
I grimace when the needle breaks the skin, focusing on the ugly walls and health posters until she's finished. I don't like needles at all – I'm such a baby when it comes to anything painful.
"You're all done," Gabrielle exclaims, pulling off her latex glove and disposing of it into the trash. "If you have any concerns in the meantime, feel free to give us a call. Otherwise, we will contact you in a few days."
I thank her before heading out of the clinic, stopping on my way home to grab some packet noodles. I think most college students know about the cheap food options, well – except the majority of Groveton elite. Noodles happen to be one of my staples, an easy cooked food that's budget friendly.
When I get back home, I put the pot on the stove with some water to boil and sit down at the small brown table in the kitchen. Digging out my finance journal, I make a note of my purchase and put my leftover cash into the plastic slip inside the cover. Most people are moving to a cashless society, but I'm old-school still. I like saving every penny and having it nearby so I can access it easily.
After I finish eating, I start tidying up, grumbling as I pick up Aaron's discarded clothes from the floor. The man is handsome with his black hair, blue eyes and tall frame, but gosh he is a slob. Some days I feel more like his Mother than his girlfriend, forever cleaning up after him. But he's a good man so I force myself to deal with our differences in living styles.
It's nearly dinner time when he finally gets back home, his breath smelling of cheap beer.
"Addie, you should have seen how much I won in poker today," he says, swinging me around to swoop me down into a kiss.
I laugh, trying not to breathe in the scent as I quickly kiss him back. "That's really good. We have to pay the electric bill next week. That might help with some of the pressure."
Aaron straightens up, letting me go as he dumps his shoes in the middle of the living room floor. "We can't spend it on bills. It's something I won. I'm thinking about buying a new Playstation."
My face drops as I stare at him, his features calm and relaxed as he puts his feet up on the coffee table. "I'm not sure I will have enough to cover it myself," I say shyly.
He peers over at me lazily, his eyes a little glazed. "You'll figure it out, babe. You're a whiz with money. Besides, we can watch movies on the PS. Just think how nice that will be."
"Yeah, I guess," I answer hesitantly, sitting down next to him. "I'm just worried about the heat wave. What if they cut off our electric?"
Aaron waves his hand casually, before patting me on the head like I'm a dog. "It will be fine. God, you stress too much. Anyway, what's for dinner? I'm starving."
