I bring up my knees by putting both feet on the ladder, but the spasm pitches me forward and I fall onto my hands and knees. Cameron curses and crouches by my side.
‘What the …’ He puts a hand on my shoulder. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Please go away.’
‘Why are you crying?’
‘I have stomach cramps.’ I sit on my bottom, bend my knees and wrap my arms around them. I wipe my face on my sleeve. ‘I’m okay.’
‘I’ll take you to the hospital.’
‘No!’ I lower my voice. ‘No, thank you.’
‘Julia.’ Eyes bright with concern, he gets out his phone. ‘I’ll call her.’
Deep breath. Groan quietly. ‘Five minutes ago, you were telling me off for standing her up.’
‘Please, Amelie. Let me—’
‘Go, Cameron. Please.’
‘I’m not leaving you alone like this.’
‘It’s when I ovulate!’ I lower my voice. ‘Now you can go.’
‘Are you certain that’s what it is?’
‘I know my own body.’
I sense he wants to argue but doesn’t dare. ‘What can I do?’
‘Nothing.’ My fists are clenched so tightly my arms ache. ‘It’s better when I lie down.’
‘You can’t go up to the loft.’ He opens and shuts cupboards before pulling out linen. And as I lean against the ladder, he takes cushions off the sofa and throws them into the loft before spreading a cotton blanket then a sheet over the base and tucking them in. He turns to me.
‘Can you get here by yourself?’
If I couldn’t, I’m almost certain that he’d pick me up and carry me with the same brisk efficiency he used to make the bed. I carefully get to my feet and walk a wobbly line to the sofa before lying down.
The sheet is crisp and white. He pulls another sheet over me.
‘Thank you.’
‘What medication do you take?’
‘Ibuprofen.’
‘Nothing stronger?’
‘Opioids would help but I don’t want to take them.’ Another bite of cramp. My knees shoot up.
The ladder creaks as he climbs to the loft but then he’s back. I lift my head and he puts a pillow under it. Cool, comforting. I take the second pillow, hugging it to my chest.
‘Sorry to let Julia down. I’ll apologise again.’
‘Julia didn’t say anything. Anna dropped by her house, worked out you’d cancelled and called me.’
‘Is Julia unwell? Something’s going on, isn’t it?’