Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
GRIMM
“Apricot,” Sabrina screams from behind me as I jump the rest of the distance between my woman and me.
I catch her before she hits the ground and hold her to me as she starts shaking uncontrollably.
Fuck, she’s having a seizure.
“Sabrina,” I call out, not needing to, considering the woman was kneeling across from me.
Sabrina guides me through what to do with Apricot. The way she handles it, like it’s something that she deals with every day amazes me. Still, this shit is scary as fuck. Moments later, my woman’s body goes still, and it seems to have subsided.
“Come on, let’s get her off the floor and into a bed,” Sabrina mutters, picking up Apricot’s purse.
I nod and lift my woman into my arms and stand. Apricot’s head balances on my shoulder, and a part of me feels this is my fault. Maybe I should have gone to her, but I didn’t know she was gonna end up having a seizure.
Shit, she probably thought the kid was mine. Technically now he is, but that’s a whole different story.
In my room, I lay her down, and Sabrina moves in and sits next to her, examining her daughter to make sure she’s okay. Sabrina then surprises me by going through Apricot’s purse and mutters a curse as she pulls out a prescription bottle.
“Why didn’t she tell me? Damnit.” Tears roll down Sabrina’s cheeks, and if it wasn’t for Apricot being mine, I’d leave, giving her space. I also want to know what she’s talking about.
“Tell you what?” Scorpion asks from where he stands silently next to me.
Sabrina holds the bottle up and waves it. “This is a prescription for epilepsy,” she announces and I stiffen at the news. “She didn’t say anything.” The woman shakes her head and stands. “If I knew . . .”
“You know now, sweetheart,” Scorpion says, moving into his woman.
“What do we do now?” I ask, my eyes glued to my woman.
Epilepsy.
She’s got a condition and never once said anything. Why? Shit, how long had she had it? She knew she had it without saying anything to those around her.
“We wait for her to come to,” Sabrina says. “Since I don’t know everything about what’s going on, I’m not sure how long it’ll take her. It’s different for everyone. She’ll probably be tired, weak, confused, and have a headache. But we’ll see.”
I nod and move to sit next to her. “I should have gone to her and talked to her instead of asking you to get her to come here.”
“You couldn’t have known this would happen.” Sabrina sighs. “I’m going to go get Justice. You stay here with her and let me know when she wakes.”
I nod, not taking my eyes off Apricot.
The door closes to my room, and I move to sit next to her on the bed. All thoughts of anything else were pushed to the side for the moment in time. A few minutes pass, and Apricot groans, coming to and her eyes flutter open. She stares at me for a moment and blinks her confusion away.
“You scared the shit out of me, Dimples,” I state gruffly before she can open her mouth to say anything. “Didn’t know what the fuck was happening. Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because . . .” She stops, clears her throat, presses her hands to bed, and pushes herself up. “I didn’t want to see the very look you have in your eyes right now.”
“What look?” I demand, doing my best not to get pissed. She just had a fucking seizure in my arms, and I don’t want something else to trigger another one. Hell, I don’t even know what set it her off. Other than she saw me holding Justice. But that can’t be what did it, could it?”
“The pity look, one where you think I’m made of glass and always needing protecting,” she says, diverting her eyes to stare across the room.
“When did you find out?” I ask.
“A while ago. I was at school. My friend was with me and got me to the hospital. I begged them to keep it a secret. I didn’t want anyone to know about it. I found out I have epilepsy. I’ve only had one episode. And I always take my meds.”
“Did you take them this morning?”
“It slipped my mind at first, and I said I was going to take it when I got here. I just didn’t get the chance.”
I nod, still not happy with her keeping this shit from everyone.
“You know the looks that you’re given aren’t out of pity and all that shit.
It’s because we all care. None of us, especially your folks and me don’t want anything to happen to you.
I definitely don’t want to lose you when I’ve finally got you.
” I reach up and stroke her cheek with the backs of my fingers.
Apricot’s breath hitches, and she finally looks at me. “Whose baby?” she asks. “Is it yours? Is that why you weren’t home when I woke up? One of the many women you’ve been through contacted you about you having a kid?”
Narrowing my eyes, I slide my fingers to cup the back of her neck. “I’m gonna let that shit slide just this once, baby, but that’s it.”
“Well, there’s only one way a baby is made, and you’ve had a lotta experience in that department.”
I stare into her eyes for a moment, seeing the emotional turmoil in her gaze, and I know she’s getting ready to work herself up again. I’m gonna have to do something I didn’t want her to know.
Fuck.