Page 29 of Luna

Chapter10

Luna

“Luna.” Raina stared at me.

I was curled on the couch, watching Kitchen Nightmares, books on planting scattered around the living room. I hadn’t showered in days because the nausea had become too overwhelming. I’d spent most of the last three days curled on the bathroom floor, crawling out long enough to eat a little bit of spaghetti and then resuming my place next to the toilet.

It was clean at least.

“Baby, what’s wrong?”

I sighed. “I told you already. I don’t feel good.”

“You’ve lost weight. You’re pale. You have dark circles under your eyes, and your scent is all over the place.”

I shook my head, burrowing into the red hoodie. The green hoodie stayed in the nest, but I couldn’t bear to take this one off.

I had two more days before my next visit with Doctor Lim, and I felt like I was gonna get scolded. Managing my stress levels and taking care of myself wasn’t happening, but damn it, I was trying.

Raina didn’t say a word. She left the room, and a minute later the sound of running water came from my bathroom.

Busted. She was gonna find the pile of towels I’d been laying on while my stomach decided to eject itself from my body, and then the mother hen worrying would go off the charts.

Instead, she just helped me up and into the tub. I whined when she started to touch the hoodie, so she backed off and I undressed myself.

The water was hot and smelled like mint. I relaxed, and let the heat draw the soreness out of my body. She started washing my hair, slowly rubbing her hands into my scalp and I sighed.

“Is someone bothering you?” Raina asked quietly. “Because I can make them disappear.”

“No.”

“You’re different since you came back from Vegas.”

I sighed. My oldest cousin’s fingertips dug into my shoulders. I was the baby of the family, and Raina was eight years older than me.

She’d practically raised me.

“I don’t want to talk about all of it. It’s too personal still.” I sighed again. I could give her something, so she wouldn’t worry so much. “But I had a really amazing fling with some guys and…”

I shrugged. I didn’t want to tell her about being pregnant yet. I was about two months along, and I wouldn’t be able to hide it much longer. But still. I wanted time to think.

Even if my thoughts scattered every time I tried to figure out my next step.

“Did you try reaching out?”

“We had a fling. We didn’t bother exchanging info.” I kept my mouth shut about Dante. He was famous enough to be able to track down some way, but I shied away from the idea. He’d just been looking for a good time, not a lifetime of responsibility.

I would be a burden. When all I’deverwanted was to be wanted.

My sister Stella had her pack, and they adored her. They followed her around like lost puppies, and every time they looked at her it was with so much love, it made my heart hurt.

I wantedthatkind of love. Not the burden of duty. I was here, I was pregnant, I was convenient.

“I can track them down.” Raina turned the water on and rinsed my hair. “Give me their names.”

“You’ll just guilt them. I don’t want guilt.” My voice caught on the last word.

“I’ll get their info, and then pass it to you. I promise I won’t contact them myself.”

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