35. Wren
WREN
I’m pulled from sleep by a pulsing pain tearing through my abdomen.
My eyes fly open, and I remember that I’m not in my own bed, but in Kai’s, his arm curled around me.
Small beads of sweat pool around my temples, and I feel a wetness between my thighs that wasn’t there when we fell asleep.
“No, no, no,” I whisper to myself, carefully trying to free myself from Kai’s arm without waking him. Once I’m finally successful, I move as gently as possible off the bed and toward his bathroom, closing the door before turning on the light.
I assess the situation, becoming more mortified by the second.
Blood has soaked the underwear I was sleeping in—has made a mess between my legs and thighs.
My eyes sting, just as another horrible pain hits, nearly bringing me to my knees and causing my stomach to lurch.
I move toward the toilet, not sure if I can even start cleaning myself up, or if I’m going to be sick.
The latter wins, and I have no hope of not waking Kai up at this point.
His knock on the door follows soon after. “Wren? You okay? What’s wrong?”
“I just need a minute,” I mutter before violently heaving again.
“I’m going to come in, okay?”
Tears start flowing freely as he walks in, and I reach a level of embarrassment that I’ve never felt before.
Of all the times for this to happen, why now?
It’s been less than two weeks since my last period ended.
I didn’t think to put any supplies in my bag and didn’t bring my purse, so I am royally fucked unless I revert back to my high school ways and fold toilet paper into my now-ruined underwear.
I look up just long enough to see Kai’s expression as he takes in the scene before him, and not a hint of disgust is to be found. He comes to stand next to me, crouching down beside me in nothing but his boxers, gently brushing my hair from my face.
“Surprise visit?” he speaks softly, his hand moving down to my back and beginning to rub soft circles there.
All I can do is nod.
“Let’s get you taken care of. Think you can handle a shower? Just to rinse off, then we can get you a bath. I have some Epsom salts that help with sore muscles, so those might help too.”
He stands, moving around his bathroom, grabbing a couple of towels and turning on the shower, before coming back to me and holding out his hand. “Do you want to get in now, or do you need to stay where you’re at?”
“I think I need a couple more minutes here,” I manage.
He nods, going back to the cabinet, pulling out a washcloth before turning the faucet on and getting it wet. He crouches next to me again, placing the cool cloth against my forehead. It feels so good, and honestly does help a little.
Thankfully, no more heaving is happening for the moment.
Kai flushes the toilet and helps me to my feet.
Tears are still falling from my eyes, refusing to stop.
He gently wipes them away with his thumbs before placing a kiss on my forehead.
“You’re okay, Freckles. It’s nothing to worry about. Let’s get you in the shower.”
He carefully helps me out of his stained T-shirt, and I kick my underwear to the side as well. “Might want to just burn those.”
Kai smiles gently. “It was my least favorite.”
I chuckle as he opens the shower door, and I step inside.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes. Think you’ll be okay?”
I nod, letting the hot water hit my body, relaxing my muscles. “Yeah, I’ll be good.”
“Okay. I love you,” he says, backing toward the door and grabbing the soiled clothes from the floor. “Yell if you need me. I’ll leave the door cracked so I can hear you.”
He leaves, and the tears start up again.
It feels so good to have someone taking care of me for once. It feels like I’ve been stuck in a whirlpool of give, give, give—putting everyone before myself, neglecting my own needs.
But you can only pour out of an empty cup for so long before it starts to crack. Before resentment toward those you care for and love so much starts to surface.
I love my family so much. I truly do, but being shoved into the role of a caretaker when I’m still trying to figure out my own life and juggle so many different things at once is weighing on me heavier by the day.
My cup is cracking, has cracked, and the only person who seems to want to patch it back up is Kai.
He wants to help me carry the load. He wants to take some of the burden. He wants to take care of me. He wants to love me.
He does it all so well, even with so many of his own responsibilities weighing on him.
Maybe that’s why we work so well together. We’re both strong on our own, but together we’re unbreakable.
Minutes pass, and Kai comes back in to check on me, carrying a cup of water and some Advil.
I turn off the shower, gladly accepting the pills as he wraps a towel around me.
“Do you want to try a bath right now? Or wait?” he asks, setting the cup of water on the counter by the sink.
“A bath sounds good,” I say. “What time is it anyway?”
“A little past three.”
My eyes bulge. “I am so sorry.”
He shakes off my apology. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”
Kai gets the bath going, dumping in a good amount of the Epsom salt before I get in. I sit, relaxing against the back of the tub.
He smiles softly. “Feel good?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“You don’t need to thank me, Freckles.” He stands, moving toward the door. “I’ll be back in a few, okay?”
Closing my eyes, I nod, doing my best to let the warm water ease the aching.
At some point I must fall asleep, because the next thing I know, Kai is back, gently trying to wake me up.
“You must be feeling a little better?”
I sit up, causing the water to slosh slightly. “Yeah, it definitely helped.”
“Good.” He smiles. “I ran down to the gas station really quick; it was the only thing open. I looked in your bag first, but I didn’t see any supplies, so I figured you’d need some,” he says, grabbing the bag at his feet and opening it before pulling out two boxes.
He holds them up toward me. “I didn’t know if you used the same ones from high school or if that changes as you get older, so I just grabbed a box of tampons and a box of pads.
Don’t blame me if I got the wrong ones; there wasn’t exactly a large selection.
” He sets the boxes on the floor before rummaging more in the bag. “Also grabbed a couple of these.”
He holds up two king-size Twix bars. I raise my eyebrows at him. “Two, huh?”
Kai grins. “Yup. One for you, and one for me.”
“Of course.” I run my hands over the top of the water, realizing just how shriveled they’re starting to look.
Kai must notice too. He grabs my towel and holds it up for me. “I think it’s time to get out before you turn into a prune.”
He wraps me in the towel as I get out, and I meet his gaze. “Thank you.”
“I told you, there’s no need to thank me,” he says, backing toward the door. “I enjoy taking care of you. I put a new shirt on the counter and a pair of compression shorts. It’s the best I can do until morning, and I figured those might have a better chance of staying on than my boxers or sweats.”
I smile at him as he returns to his room and closes the bathroom door, giving me some privacy.
I quickly assess the situation, get dressed, and toss my towel in the hamper before joining him in his room.
I freeze as I step out and see Kai putting the comforter back on his bed. He pauses when he sees me staring, a flush creeping into my cheeks once again. “Are they ruined?”
“Nah,” he says, pulling the covers back and climbing in before patting the spot next to him. “They’re in the wash. No big deal.”
“You can say that since you’re not the one that got blood all over your boyfriend’s sheets,” I mumble.
He pulls me close to him as I get under the covers, kissing me quickly. “Wrenley Mae, you could ruin everything I own, and I still wouldn’t love you any less. Seriously, it happens. It’s natural and a part of you.” He shrugs, and I have no choice but to believe him. “Let’s get some sleep.”
I snuggle closer to his side, wrapping my arm around his waist and laying my head against his chest. “I love you.”
“Love you too, Freckles. Get some sleep.”
I drift off, feeling safe, loved, and cared for, with my cup a little less empty than it was before.