Page 65 of KAI Tortured

“What? Wait, I didn’t mean it,” I protest.

Orion leans forward. “Maisy, what’s going on? What’s happening with you?”

She doesn’t leave; if she’d tried, he’d have grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

Instead, she shrugs, and her chin wobbles before she bursts into tears. “I don’t know. Don’t know anything. I cry and I laugh, and I feel so emotional, and I’m always tired… and…”

The three of us look at each other. We know what this is. But how come she doesn’t?

“Well, for starters, we haven’t used protection.” Logan is in medical practitioner mode. “All these symptoms, changes of mood, being tired, eating more… Have you considered that you might be pregnant?”

She looks up at Logan and wipes at her tears. “You mean, the twenty pregnancy tests you kept leaving in my room were not enough of a clue?” A small smile begins to penetrate her sad expression.

Suddenly, she bursts out laughing, the sound mingling with her sobs. The laughter transforms her face and she seems lighter, the room itself seeming to brighten around her as she embraces this unexpected moment of joy.

I laugh, but I’m wary. Is she going crazy? What is all this? She was crying only a second ago. And look at her now, laughing like nothing happened.

I glance over at Orion and Logan and they laugh with her, too. But at the same time, I feel their eyes on me a tad too long, as if they’re letting me in on something. What’s the damn secret?

“You did lose your sister only a little while ago. That could be it,” I say, but instantly regret it when she resumes wailing and weeping. I rake my fingers through my hair; I got no idea what I’m meant to do right now.

Logan sits beside her, drapes his arm around her shoulders, and lets her lean into him for support.

After ten long minutes of crying, she finally speaks. “I don’t want to be pregnant. I don’t want my child to have a life like mine.”

“A life like yours?” Orion asks. “You mean, a life full of courage and bravery? Don’t you ever undermine your life, Maisy. I won’t allow it.”

That makes her stop crying. She sniffles and dabs at her eyes. She looks at Orion, at me, and then at Logan.

“No one knows if you are pregnant,” Logan says. “You’re feeling like this because someone said something. You may not be pregnant at all. The body goes through changes once you get off the contraceptive implant. I’m sure you knew that already.”

She thinks for a moment and nods. “Yeah. I did. You’re right.”

“Of course I’m right.” He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “How about this. How about we take you out for dinner today, but before the restaurant, we’re gonna stop by the hospital for a quick ultrasound. You don’t have to take a pregnancy test if you don’t want to. We’ll do this instead. Is that okay?”

“Mm-hmm.” She nods and wipes the remaining tears from her face.

CHAPTER 18

ORION

“Is this possible? Could she really be pregnant?” While we wait for Maisy to get ready to go to the restaurant – via the hospital, for the ultrasound – I consider every possibility.

Logan’s pissed. “I don’t know, Orion. I didn’t know ten minutes ago and I don’t know now. The fact that I’m a doctor doesn’t give me magical powers. I follow the science, as everyone does, but she hasn’t let us use it on her yet.”

Jeez. No one forced him to be a doctor. He chose to be. Now he’s gonna take it out on us, the commoners.

“But all this could easily be the side effects of the implant, right?” Kai asks.

Logan exhales frustratedly. “I wish you’d both stop with the questions. The moment Maisy comes out of her room, we’re going. Why can’t you be a little more patient?”

The evening can’t come soon enough. The three of us have been ready for the past hour. And I’m done waiting. For the tenth time, I walk past the mirror opposite the elevator and check myself out. I’m in my usual black shoes, white shirt, and black three-piece suit. I’m clean-shaven and have tried to slick back my dark hair, but since it’s wavy, it’s fucking hard. I’m trying a different look I think, a mature one, if such a thing exists.

Basically, I’m being stupid. I’m nervous. That’s what I am. I look over at Kai, and after observing him for a while, I realize he always looks better than the both of us, even though he steers away from suits. His black jeans, black shirt, and biker jacket look good with his messy blond locks. Logan’s the calmest of all of us, a side effect of his profession, and also because he talks slow and measured, which makes everyone believe he’s this laid-back guy. Which he isn’t, as I know for a fact. The pockets of his pants are filled with blades, even now, when there’s no need for them.

I know he’s had enough of us asking questions. I’ve had enough of myself at this point. But I want to be fully in the know for Maisy’s sake, and I want to know how to support her. Right now, I just feel like a fish thrown onto dry land.

My ridiculous thoughts disintegrate the moment I see Maisy walking down the corridor toward us. Fuck me. The woman in her has made an appearance. In her eyes, she holds a hundred kingdoms. She’s truly made an effort, or maybe that’s my dick talking because I didn’t fuck her this morning. Whatever it is, I like the feeling.

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