Page 108 of Fracture

I pull out my phone and type out a text to Dylan.

Please come home asap. But don’t tell Levi.

Three little circles whirs almost immediately as Dylan types back a response.

Why? Is something wrong?

Please just hurry.

I’ll be right there. Are you OK?

I just need you.

I need to tell Dylan, and I don’t know how to tell Levi. I know this is going to draw us all in deeper. I head up to the bathroom, and throw on the shower. While the water heats up, I stare at my face in the mirror.

And I realize I can’t tell them what just happened.

They’ll just kill more people. I can’t be responsible for that. I can’t have them getting into a rage and getting themselves caught. I’ll lose them. I can’t lose them again.

Oswald was goading me. He’s going to try and trap them. Gloria is going to go on the air and say how awful my father was, how abusive he was, and paint herself as the victim. My stomach drops as it all starts to fall into place. As all the messy pieces start to knit themselves together.

Gloria is going to tell the world they killed him for her.

I clutch a hand to my mouth. I have to be wrong. I have to be.

But whatever she has planned, I can’t tell Dylan and Levi. If they head out into the night and kill Oswald, and Gloria, it’s going to destroy everything. I can’t do that. I just can’t.

I strip off my clothes and get into the shower, pressing my trembling hands against the tiles.Breathe. Breathe, and remember this is real.I stave off the panic attack, letting the warm water rush over my head. I press my hand to my stomach as another cramp tenses my muscles, and blood starts to trickle down my legs.

I stay there for a long time, letting the water wash away all the blood, until there’s a soft knock on the door and Dylan walks in. He looks alarmed for a minute, then raises his eyes to me.

“Guera?” He steps towards the shower. “What happened? You worried me.”

“I was being stupid. My… My period was late, and I freaked out.”

Dylan’s eyebrows shoot up. “You thought you were pregnant?”

“Mhmm.” I nod and smile. “I did. But I’m not. My period just came.”

Dylan perches his hands on his hips and exhales heavily. “Jesus Christ.”

“Sorry to scare you.”

“I mean, I’m fine, I just…” He huffs out a nervous laugh. “Sorry, it’s just kind of caught me off guard. I didn’t think it was possible for you to get pregnant right now.”

“I mean, IUDs can fail, Kovac.” My voice shakes slightly, and I hope my smile isn’t wavering. “And you two have been doing a pretty good job of shaking things up in there.”

He laughs out loud, running a hand over his head. “I guess we have.”

“Would it bother you if I was?”

“No.” He says quickly, his eyes locked on mine. “Not at all. If it happens, it happens.”

“Do you want to come join me? It’s lonely in here.”

He cocks an eyebrow. “You’re on your period, you sure you want me in there with you?”

“Orgasms are great for cramps.”

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