Page 55 of Now You're Mine

With a sigh, I unlock my phone and re-read my last text to Roman. It was the morning after James was killed, and I asked him how he was doing. He never responded. He never even read my text. And that silence is so damn loud, it’s deafening.

And if I’m being honest, there’s a part of me that wonders if Roman blames me for what happened. If James and I had never met, then none of this would have happened, and his brother would still be alive.

Bree would still be here, too.

The worst part of this whole thing, though, is the relief I feel knowing James is gone. Justthinkingthat feels so selfish, especially knowing the pain Roman must be grappling with. But it’s true. For the first time in a long time, I feel safe. I feelfree.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes. It’s morning, but I’m skipping class because I have really bad cramps. Like, I can hardly walk kind of cramps. They’re brutal.

And, honestly, I’m really missing my old roommate, Emily, right now. When he parents dropped her off at college, her mom left her with a little plastic tote filled with cold medication, bandaids, antihistamines, and all sorts of things. I know she’d have ibuprofen.

Rolling over onto my side, I shoot a text to Wyn.

Hey, do you have any ibuprofen, by chance?

I could text Roman. It’d be a good excuse to see him. And I know for a fact that if I were to text him a request like this, he’d answer. No question. He can’t resist being the hero. But, I don’t know, that feels a bit manipulative, and I just can’t bring myself to do that to him.

Wyn texts me back about thirty minutes later.

Sure, I’ll bring some by on my way to class. You in your new dorm room?

I type out my response.

Yup. TY.

Clutching my phone against my chest, I curl into a ball. For some reason, the deep, pervasive throb lessens just slightly when I’m in this position. It feels like period cramps, but a million times worse, the bone-deep ache radiating to my lower back.

I did a quick internet search earlier, and according to the articles and forums, cramps can be completely normal in pregnancy as the uterus grows to accommodate the baby.

But this isn’t a slight cramp. This feels like I’m being ripped apart from the inside.

I must drift off to sleep at some point because I’m awoken by a knock on my door.

“Come in,” I call out from my bed. “It’s unlocked.”

The door inches open, and Wyn walks in. ThankGod.I’m desperate for pain relief. She shuts the door and turns to me with a smile on her face, her wavy blond hair a wild mess around her shoulders.

“Hey, girl.” She shakes the ibuprofen bottle she brought. “I come bearing drugs. Sorry, I took so long. All my stuff is in boxes, and it took me a minute to find it.”

Ah, right. Wyn recently moved out of the sorority house, and into a little studio apartment. Living with fifteen other girls was getting too chaotic, I guess. Plus, she’s going through something with Gabriel right now, and I get the feeling she just really needs space to think. I’m not exactly sure what’s happening with Gabriel—she doesn’t ever want to talk about it—but I hardly ever see them together anymore.

I straighten, and sit up a little, wincing at the pain. “Thank you,” I whimper. “You’re a lifesaver.”

Her smile melts. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

Smoothing my comforter over my stomach, I make a face. “I’ve been having some pretty wicked cramping, and it just seems to be getting worse.”

I realize now, I should have also asked her if she had a heating pad. Maybe I can get one online and have it delivered? I make a mental note to order it after she leaves.

Wyn’s brows pinch together, and she sits down on the end of my bed, handing me the bottle of ibuprofen. “Have you called the doctor?”

Opening the bottle, I pour two pills into my palm. I doubt two pills are going to cut it, but I don’t want to take too much, and risk hurting the baby. “The internet says it’s normal.”

She lifts a brow. “The internet,really? That’s the medical advice we’re going with?”

I shrug. “The people on those forums seem pretty knowledgeable. One lady said she’s had five kids and had cramps withallof them. So that’s reassuring.”

Wyn’s eyes flick briefly to my stomach. “So I’m guessing you’ve decided to keep it, then?”

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