Page 16 of Only Everything
CHAPTER 6
TAUREN
The patteringof sprinkling rain bounced from the tent as I lay there with my eyes closed. There were so many sounds, I could barely process them. I was overstimulated. Anxiety-ridden. My heart wouldn’t stop racing. I was sweating despite the chill in the air. Branches creaked and the wind left leaves rustling as it blew harder outside. In the distance, I could have sworn I heard a howl.
Thunder.
It rumbled so deep and strong. I felt the vibrations as I squeezed more into my flat pillow.
I should have been terrified of what was lurking outside the tent, but all I could feel was fear for the man at my back. More, I curled into myself, pretending I was asleep, but I hadn’t been alone in the tent for more than fifteen minutes. It was enough time to cover my ass and delete my call to Reid. That was the most important thing. Whatever had happened in the time it took Emmett to go to the bathroom and get ready for bed had angered him,and I didn’t like that. He wouldn’t let it go. He'd want to vent. To talk it out—Take it out…on me.
“You’re not already asleep, are you?”
My lids eased open.
“Almost. I’m still not feeling too well. Why? Are you okay?”
A few seconds went by as I turned to my back, still keeping my lids low.
“Fine.”
But he wasn’t. It was in the aggravation laced in his tone.
“You’re still feeling sick?”
“Yeah. My stomach has felt off lately.”
Lie.
“Oh.” More seconds. Emmett stiffened. “Oh.”
My lips parted, and my eyes flared wide at his surprise. I could have kicked myself as I suddenly realized how that must have sounded.
“It’s cold and flu season though. I’m sure it’s just a bug.”
Emmett pulled off his pants, sliding under the blankets as he turned me to my side to face him. It was so dark, I could barely even make out the features of his face.
“Are you sure? I mean, I know we haven’t had much of a sex life lately, but it hasn’t been nonexistent.”
“I’m not pregnant, Emmett. I’m not even late yet.”
“You don’t have to be. They sell those“six days early”tests. They wouldn’t do that if there wasn’t a reason.” His hand came to flatten on my stomach. Again, my eyes widened, and panic grew. “Think about it. Think how amazing that would be. Me. You.A baby. We’ve been together a few years. We’re engaged now. Isn’t it time to take that next step? What if I proposed at the perfect time?”
“Emmett…I’m on birth control. You know this.”
“It’s not always effective, Tauren. People get pregnant on it all the time. And what happened last month?”
“Last month?”
“You had that dental appointment. Come on, you’re a pharmacy tech. You were on that antibiotic. I saw the bottle. The warning was right on the label.May alter the effectiveness of birth controlor whatever. What if?”
I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling the nausea increase. It had nothing to do with pregnancy and everything to do with Emmett’s knowledge of the warning and his eagerness. But if I discouraged his excitement, if I shut this conversation down, he was going to feed the anger he’d had not minutes ago. It would come back with a vengeance, and all I needed was to make it out of these woods.
Emmett’s hand adjusted on my lower stomach while his other wrapped to the side of my neck. He moved in, pressing his lips to mine, moaning as his fingers cradled the back of my head. “A baby, Tauren. The two of us engaged.” His hand began moving down. He wedged it between my legs, and my stomach rolled in panic at the thought. I pulled back, scrambling for the tent’s door.
Reid’s desperate yell of my name came back. His moans returned. His touch. It was too much as I gagged and ran a few feet before I crashed to my knees. I heaved, feeling the remnants of the power bar I’d eaten come back up. The taste only made mesicker.
A baby? With Emmett? There was no way it was possible. I wasn’t worried about it, but I was worried how eager he was about wanting me to be. What the hell was happening?
