Page 31 of Unexpected Forever
“Let me go get you some water. Don’t move.”
“Trust me, I won’t.”
I sigh and lean my head against the wall.
I hate being sick. It does nothing but get in the way of all my plans.
When I open my eyes, my gaze lands on the box of tampons sitting in a basket next to the toilet.
A cold snake of fear runs through me, making me shiver. I think back to when I had my last cycle.
Oh my God…I can’t remember when it was.
When Megan comes back in, she hands me the glass and sits down next to me. “Thanks.”
I sip the water to help my parched throat, but it does nothing to help the unease in my belly.
“Megan, I need a favor.”
“Anything, girl.”
“First, can you help me up?”
“Sure.” She helps me stand—my stomach protests but the water stays down—and I open the medicine cabinet, taking out my pill pack.
Everything looks like it should; all the days up to today are gone.
So why can’t I remember when I last had my period?
I put the pill pack in the cabinet and close the door. The mirror reflects the two of us in it.
Megan looks as fresh as a daisy with her bright red shirt showing off her dark hair, reminding me of another Gentry.
Next to her I look like death warmed over with my ratty T-shirt and bird’s nest hair.
Her reflection frowns. “Charley? What’s up?”
“I’m trying to think of when I had my last cycle. It should have been a couple of weeks ago and yet, I don’t remember having it.”
“What was going on at the time? Anything to help you remember?”
I blow out a breath and think back. “I’ve been stressed trying to learn my new job. I helped at the Silver Moon when they were down a person over one of the spring break weekends. I worked and slept and that’s about it.”
She leans against the doorjamb. “You have been busy lately. We missed our last queso and ’ritas night.”
“I know.” I rub my forehead with the back of my hand. “I think that’s why I feel so worn out.”
“Maybe the stress and work threw your cycle off?”
“Maybe.”
But the unease in the pit of my stomach yawns louder as I realize I really don’t remember when my last one was. There’s only one way to know for sure.
“I hate to ask this, but could you drive me to that drugstore outside of town?”
She raises a brow and stares at my reflection in the mirror for a beat. “You need a pregnancy test.”
I turn to face her and lean against the sink. “I need a pregnancy test. And I don’t want the whole town knowing about it. I don’t need this to get back to my mom when I’m sure it’s just a false alarm.”
