Chapter 25 #2
“It means I know what your doctor said.” He runs his palm over my knee. “And I’m not gonna ignore medical advice because you’re stubborn.”
“Yes, I’m bruised and have a concussion, but I’m not broken, Callum. I can still want things.”
“I know you can.” His hand finds mine. “But wanting something and being ready for it are two different things.”
The truth in his words settles between us. He’s right even though I hate admitting it. My body is screaming at me to stop moving, lie down, and rest. But my mind refuses to listen.
It’s always been like this. As long as I can remember, I pushed through distress like it was nothing. I ignored my body’s warnings because feeling physical discomfort was easier than sitting with emotional pain.
“I just want something normal.” My disappointment bleeds through my words. “Everything in my life is wrong right now. Nothing makes sense. But this—you and me—this feels right. Can’t we just have that?”
“We can.” He pats the space next to him. “Just not like this. Not when it could hurt you.”
I move to sit beside him and rest my head on his shoulder. “How long did the doctor say?”
“Two weeks minimum.”
“That’s forever.”
“It’s fourteen days, Lily.” He strokes my hair. “Besides, you’re still having your period, right?”
“No. It stopped last night.”
“That was short.”
“My periods have never lasted that long. You know that.”
He nods but doesn’t say anything. We sit in a moment of silence while I do a mental scan of my body.
“My head hurts.”
“I know, love.” He adjusts our position so I’m lying down with him beside me. “When did you last take your medication?”
“This morning.”
“That was eight hours ago.” He scoots off the bed. “You’re supposed to take them every six.”
“Will you get them for me?”
“Yeah, that’s what I was getting ready to do.” He grabs a sage-colored blanket from the bottom of my bed and covers me. “I’ll be right back.”
He leaves me, and I admit to myself how sore I am. He returns after a few minutes with my bag, my medication, and a glass of water.
He places my bag near the bathroom and hands me the pills and the water. “Take these.”
I swallow them without argument because the pressure in my head has gone from manageable to excruciating. I need to close my eyes and rest.
“I’m going to try to take a nap. Will you lie here with me?”
“Sure, but you get comfortable first. I’m gonna put your stuff away and straighten up your place. Once I’m done, I’ll join you.”
“Perfect.” I close my eyes, and I’m pulled into a slumber once my medicine kicks in.
I wake to cramping low in my belly. The kind that makes me curl inward on instinct.
Callum’s arm is draped across my waist. His breathing is deep and even against my neck. The warmth of him should be comforting, but all I can focus on is the tightening building in my abdomen.
I ease out from under his arm, moving slowly so I don’t wake him. My feet hit the floor, and I shuffle toward the bathroom.
The cramps intensify with each step. Not unbearable, but definitely uncomfortable. I flip on the bathroom light, catching my reflection in the mirror. I’m pale, disheveled, and have pillow marks on my cheek.
When I use the toilet, I see blood.
“What the hell.” I stare at the toilet paper. “I stopped bleeding last night.”
This doesn’t make sense. My period ended, so why am I bleeding again?
I pull open the cabinet under the sink, searching for tampons. Nothing. Just extra toilet paper and cleaning products.
I move to the closet in my en suite. Band-aids, pain relievers, skincare products, and a bunch of hair products I don’t remember buying. Still no tampons.
“Where are they?” I mutter, closing the door.
“Lily?” Callum’s voice carries from the bedroom. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just”— I open another drawer. —“looking for something.”
Footsteps approach. He appears in the doorway, hair messed from sleep, and concern etched across his features.
“What are you looking for?”
“Tampons.” I slam the drawer shut. “I can’t find any.”
His expression shifts. Something tense crosses his face before he scales it back to neutral. “You don’t have any up here.”
“Then where are they?” The cramping intensifies, and I press my hand to my lower abdomen. “Because I need them.”
“You started bleeding again?”
“Yes. Isn’t that weird?”
“Not really.”
“What? Why would you say that?”
“The hospital sent some supplies home.” He gestures to the hallway, completely bypassing my question. “Pads. They’re in the downstairs bathroom. I’ll go get them.”
“Pads?” I lean against the counter. “I get that’s what they had me use while I was in the hospital, but why would they send those home with me?”
He’s already moving toward the door. “Just give me a second.”
“Callum—”
“I’ll be right back.” He disappears before I can press further.
When he returns, he’s carrying a package of overnight pads. The heavy-duty kind. Way more absorbent than I’d normally need.
“Here.” He hands them to me. “Take your time. I’ll wait outside.”
“Wait.” I grab his wrist before he can leave. “Why did the hospital send these home with me?”
“Um…” His face turns red. “These were left over from the package you were using while you were there.”
“Okay.” I release his arm. “I wonder why I started again. Doesn’t that seem odd?”
“Not really.” He won’t meet my gaze. “You have a lot of trauma to your pelvic region. The doctor said it’s normal.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” He runs his hand over his neck, peeking out into the bedroom. “It’s not unusual for things to be irregular.”
The explanation sounds reasonable, but something about it feels wrong. The way he’s avoiding eye contact, how his shoulders are rigid with tension, and the careful way he’s choosing his words.
“Are you sure that’s all it is?” I study his face. “Because you’re acting weird.”
“You’re reading into things, Lily. I’m just concerned about you.”
“Then why won’t you look at me?”
His eyes finally meet mine and he shrugs.
“Is there something I should know?”
He reaches out, cupping my face. “Your body’s just recovering. Give yourself time to heal.”
“Is that really all this is about?”
“You went through a massive traumatic event. I’m just worried about you, and that’s all there is to it.”
“Okay. If you say so. Can you just give me a minute?”
“Of course.” He kisses my forehead. “I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
He leaves and I spin in his reasoning. I stop myself because Callum has never lied to me and I don’t think he would about my health.
I love him and I know he still loves me, even though there’s a gap of time between us. The reality is that we found each other again.
We were in the process of fixing whatever was broken. I’ve gone a week trying to push myself to remember, but maybe this is how it was always supposed to be.
That gives me an idea. My pulse accelerates as I clean up and prepare to approach this proposition with Callum.
Once I’m done, I limp my way downstairs. He’s in the kitchen making dinner.
I smile at the sight. “You cook now?”
He glances up. “I’m trying.”
“What are we having?” I slide onto a stool at my center island, wincing.
“You okay?” He stops and assesses me.
“Mmm hmm.”
“What’s hurting?”
“Nothing. I just…” I steady myself. “My ribs tightened when I sat down. It’s nothing to worry about.”
He huffs a laugh. “Like I’ll ever stop being concerned about you.”
That’s all it takes for me to know it’s the perfect time to reveal my proposal.
Warmth grows in my heart. “In that case, why don’t you move in with me?”