Page 93 of Overtime
Or, more accurately, what am I going to do with myself?
CHAPTER 26
MADDIE
Ishould be excited to see Aran for our next actual tutoring session, but I’m not.
With every second that passes, I barely survive a new attempted murder from my uterus. Just yesterday I was an active member of society. I aced a midterm, tutored two students, hung out with Wyatt and Melinda, and made dinner with Ryan. Even went to bed early.
Today I’m more useless than a wet tissue.
I came to the Thundercloud for a strong coffee I could drink to get my ibuprofen going fast. But for an hour, I’ve sat at a table clutching at my stomach, unable to do anything but breathe. How am I going to even get to the library?
My phone buzzes against the table, moving dangerously close to the edge. I grab it with a shaky hand, and my heart leaps as I see Aran’s name on the screen. His text asks where I am. Seems like he’s already at the library.
Me
I don’t know if I can make it today
Seeing that it takes me forever and a half to write such a simple text, I question whether I can even make it home. Maybe I just need to rest for a moment. I lower my face to the table, because I can’t bring myself to care about germs right now, and close my eyes.
Except my phone starts buzzing again. With a groan, I feel around until it’s in my hand and open my eyes. Aran’s calling. I accept the call and lean the phone against my face.
“Why not?” is his greeting.
With a thread of voice, I reply, “I don’t feel well.”
There’s a pause on the line. Then, “What’s wrong?”
“Um.” I debate whether to tell him, but it’s not like Aran has never seen any of my imperfections. He also probably deserves an explanation as to why his tutor is flaking out. “I’ve been trying to physically move myself from the Thundercloud, but I can’t. My period’s killing me.”
“Okay.” There’s something so final about that one single word. I’m sure he’s hung up until he adds, “I’ll see you in a minute.” And then the line goes dead for real.
I squeeze my eyes shut. I don’t want to see him like this. I’d rather be transported back in time to the lake when we were making out on the shore, my back in the sand, him on top of me, and the water gently lapping at us.
Did I hallucinate that, or did that really happen?
Who knows what would’ve happened if Aran hadn’t had to go to practice. Well, I know, but that all resides in my head only. And I don’t think Aran meant to take the reverse tutoring that far in the first place—especially since it came with a no-strings-attached clause.
“Hey.”
I open my eyes, and for a moment, I don’t know where I am. My mind was replaying the study session at the lake. I liftmy head, and a fresh wave of pain slams into me so hard that I groan. Is the table swimming? Or am I the one underwater?
“Whoa, Strawberry.” I recognize the voice. It comes from somewhere beside me. “You look like a ghost.”
“I am one,” I mumble. “Pretty sure I’m dead.”
A scalding hot hand touches my forehead. “You need to see a doctor.”
“No.” I moan. “They always tell me it’s nothing and that I should lose weight instead. No doctors.”
Aran is crouched beside me. This is the second time I’ve seen him from above. The first time was when he lifted me in the water with his arms around my butt. Funny how, instead of making my womb happier, that memory makes it hurt more. His brow furrows more.
A grunt. “Fine, then let’s get you home.”
“Only if you have a teleporting machine.”
“It’s called a car. Let’s go.” He stands up and gathers my bag, then circles an arm around my waist, and with his free hand, he grabs my arm to pull me up.
