Page 72 of Connected

“Yeah, well, change of plan for now. So, I figured I’d come see what you were doin’. See if you were you feelin’ better? And… I think I need to apologize for the other night—just walkin’ in on you like that, I’ll learn to knock from now on.”

“Oh that, no, that was nothing. Really, it’s fine, we were just… you know, busy. Knocking would be good though.” she smiles. “You know I’m kinda busy right now, so did you want something specific?”

“No, not exactly.” He smiles awkwardly, trying to think of something to say. “You seem to be makin’ a mess here. Let me give you a hand clearin’ it up.”

“Oh um, no. No, I’m fine. I’ve got it. But thanks.”

“You sure?” He frowns; her flustered expression gives him cause for concern. “Why, what are you doin’?”

“Nothing. Oh this… the glass, it just fell. I mean, I knocked it off the counter.”

“No, I meant with the meds… Are you sick?” He gestures toward the open pill packet laid beside her on the counter.

“Oh, this? No, this it’s… it’s nothing.” She pushes it away and smiles. “I hadn’t been feeling great, so I was um… Look, is this important? As I said I’m kinda busy.”

“Kat, what is that?” He frowns, noticing how nervous and evasive her mannerisms are. “I thought Diggs said you had stomach flu. You need meds for that? I mean, do you think you should be takin’ pills?”

“Oh um, no… no, it’s fine. I just um, it’s just to… to um, settle my stomach. It’s kind of embarrassing, but that’s why I haven’t been training for a couple of days.”

“Do you mind if I see that? Maybe I might get some, you know, for when I have… problems. Bud’s culinary skills sometimes—” Before she can refuse, he grabs up the box and reads the label out loud. “Mifepristone? I gotta say, I’ve never heard of that. What is it?”

“I told you… actually, you probably haven’t heard of it because it’s a pharma sample—something medics are given.”

“Really?” He takes a breath and his eyebrow hitches with a frown. “I think that’s bullshit. I know you well enough by now to tell when you’re lyin’. I’ll ask you again, what is it?”

“I’m not lying. Now just give it to me. Zak, I said give it back,” she demands as he holds it high above his head and she can’t reach it. “Zak, you’re being childish. Now, just give it to me. Look, I really don’t have time for this crap. So please can you just leave?”

“No. No, I’m not goin’ nowhere, not ‘til you tell me what this is.”

“I already told you… it’s nothing.” She takes a deep breath and sighs. Then, with a cough, she clears the tension from her throat and glares at him.

“Yeah, you said that. But the thing is, I don’t believe you. I guess I’ll have to check it out for myself.” And with that, he speedily taps the name of the drug into the search bar of his phone and scrolls through the numerous search results it returns.

He gasps as he stares at her in wide-eyed disbelief. “Oh hell, are you for real? What the… Kat, what the fuck is this shit?”

“Zak please…” her eyes beg. “Please, just give it back to me. This is none of your damn business.”

“Have you taken this?” He frowns. “Kat, I said… have you taken this?” He growls with a fit of anger that she’s not seen from him before.

She bites her lip and remains silent. Shaking her head, she wipes a large tear from her cheek. “I tried to… but Luna… she won’t let me. She keeps making me throw it up. Please, Zak, you don’t understand.”

“Oh, I understand. Much more than you think. That’s why I can’t let you do this.”

“Please…” she snarls. “This is not your business. This is my… my choice.”

“You tell Digby you’re doin’ this? Or is that not his choice too?”

“It’s not his body, right? He’s not the one who’s gotta give everything up. I would have to, and I can’t do it.”

Zak takes a breath, a chesty growl in his throat. He stares at the box, then at her. Then as he again looks at the box, something catches his attention. “Wait… DoctorRiley Jacobs… What the hell? Jacobs prescribed this for you? Quinn’s brother—the shifter-freak—gave you this? Oh hell… and there was me just startin’ to warm to him. QT told me he was an all right kinda guy. Oh my god, do you know what’s gonna happen when Digby finds out that you went behind his back—with Riley?”

“No, Zak. No, please. Please, you can’t tell him that. Promise me. Zak, I already told Digby I didn’t want this pup—not now. I just want my place on the team. I waited too damn long and fought too damn for this chance. I can’t throw it away just like that.”

“No, no, you need to talk to him, right now. Hell, do you know he’s over at QT’s place tellin’ us how fuckin’ excited he is about this pup. Kat, you can’t do this to him, and I won’t let you. Talk to him.”

“I can’t. Zak, I have no choice. I’m asking—hell, I’m begging—please don’t say anything.”

“And I told you, no more secrets. I said I’d stay quiet about you seein’ Munroe, but something like this… no way. Digby, he’s… hell, he’s my life. He comes before everythin’ and I won’t keep this from him. Now, either you tell him, or I do. Kat, there’s no other choice here.”

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