Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 74379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t have something that hurt. And the more days that passed, the more stuff that hurt.
Yesterday it was my feet. Today, it was my feet and pubic bone. Next week, it’d be my entire body, I just knew it.
“You should try this.” Reed’s whatever the hell she was, ex hopefully, lifted a clear bottle and wiggled it at me.
I looked at the bottle and frowned.
“Oh, it’s okay. Caria sells essential oil,” Opal said, reading the hesitancy on my face. “She’s the oil guru around here. Just last week she gave some to Reed to help him sleep. Lavender, was it?”
I wanted to throat punch this ‘Caria’ chick. I’d never heard her name before, or even heard her mentioned around town, but maybe there was a reason for that.
Maybe they were trying to protect me.
Maybe, Reed really did have feelings for this chick.
“What’s in it?”
“It’s Patchouli oil. Patchouli helps recovery of the skin, and prevents ugly scarring, like what you’ve got going on there,” Caria explained, holding the simple bottle out.
I took it, mostly because Opal was staring at me as if to say, ‘Well?’
“What do I do with it? Just rub it on?” I asked. “And is it safe during pregnancy?”
Caria nodded, her face impassive, and said, “Yes. Completely, one hundred percent safe.”
Opal started to nod right along with Caria, and if it hadn’t been for Opal’s agreement, I might’ve thought that this oil she was giving me was poisoned.
But as I looked at the bottle, I realized that it was actually pretty damn official looking.
“You sell this oil?”
Caria nodded. “On my website.”
She then proceeded to pull out a card and handed it to me.
I took it, looking at the words on the little rectangle, and then nodded my head. “Thank you.”
“Kris…” Reed said, surprising the three of us.
Opal grinned. “I’ll see you in a moment, dearie. I need to go give a call to an insurance agency.”
With that Opal left, leaving only Caria—who was staring at Reed with such uninhibited devotion in her eyes—and me.
“Hey,” I said, clearing my voice. “How are you?”
Caria moved until she was standing next to Reed’s side.
“How are you?”
“She’s good. She said something about stretch marks, though. I gave her some oil to help with them.”
Reed didn’t even glance at her.
“Caria,” Reed said. “Would you mind leaving? I’d like to spend a few minutes alone with Krisney.”
I wanted to whoop in excitement that he’d told her to leave.
In fact, if I could rub her nose in it, I would.
“Do you want to go to lunch?”
Reed’s question startled me.
I wanted nothing more than to spend more time with him, but I couldn’t do it. I’d been doing so well.
He took in my hesitation, and likely my decision to say no. “I want to talk…I want to figure some things out.”
I wanted that, too.
This not talking about the obvious thing we were doing was starting to grate on my nerves.
“Okay,” I whispered.
He nodded, looking thankful.
“I know that the PA saw you, but do you have any questions?”
The PA for the office was having to work in three doctors’ patients today because all three of the doctors had been out of the office delivering babies.
I hadn’t expected Reed to be back.
Which had been what gave me a false sense of hope.
I’d let my guard down, thinking he wasn’t here.
Now I had to go to lunch with him.
Shit.
He winked at me and offered me his outstretched forearm.
“Let’s go.”
I took it, unsure whether this was a good idea or not.
He led me out of the room, down the hall, and to the door that separated the waiting room from the main office.
“Oh, hold on.” He held up a finger. “I bought you something.”
Then he was gone, leaving me standing there all alone.
I pushed the door open, thinking I’d wait in the hallway for him, when my name was called.
I turned and saw Opal heading toward me, stopping me before I could reach the door.
“Hey!”
I smiled when I saw her.
“Yes?”
“Caria said this tea would help with indigestion and is supposed to help with sleep. You were saying how it’s affecting you badly in the evenings. This’ll help with that. I take it myself sometimes.” Opal handed me the box.
I took it, again thinking that Caria had some ulterior motive in giving me things.
I took the box, knowing that I would likely not drink it.
But I hadn’t counted on Reed’s bombshell he’d dropped on me moments after walking into the Taco Shop, either.
Chapter 15
I really do try to see the best in people. But with morning people, sometimes it’s too damn hard.
-Krisney’s secret thoughts
Krisney
I woke up with the worst pain I’d ever experienced.
My stomach felt like somebody had kicked it, and I immediately knew that something was very wrong.
I sat up, disoriented, and stared at the wall.