Page 31 of Craving Francesca

I was always careful. Always. Why had I let my guard down?

I thumped my head against the wall, letting the rhythm soothe me.

Eventually Lou came back in to ask why I was still in the shower, and I hurriedly washed the events away. I opened my mouth to say something but closed it again.

I wondered if she’d be so sure that everything would be fine if I told her that I’d changed birth control three weeks ago. The old one was giving me horrendous periods, so the doctor had prescribed something different. She’d reminded me more than once that I needed to use another form of contraception until the new stuff was fully effective.

I hadn’t said anything to Scott. Why would I? It was my own private medical decision, and as far as I knew, we wereusinganother form of contraceptive.

After drying off, I pulled on the oversized hoodie that Tommy had let me borrow and I’d never given back, and a pair of sweats. Thick socks on my feet. My stomach flipped as I glanced at the bed. Jesus, how much semen was on those sheets? I stripped the bedding off angrily and dropped them on the floor.

How hadn’t I known? He couldn’t have been doing it every time, or I would’ve noticed. There was no way that I would’ve missed it fully sober. Unfortunately, there had been plenty of nights that he’d shown up when we were having drinks.

“Breakfast,” Bas announced quietly, stepping into the doorway.

“I’m coming,” I replied hoarsely, looking up at him.

“I’ll fix the door,” he said, glancing at it. “You’d locked it.”

“I’m not worried about the door,” I assured him as he threw an arm around my shoulders and led me down the hallway.

“I know places he’ll never be found,” Bas murmured.

I let out a scoff and laid my head on his shoulder. “No need for that.”

“You sure?”

“I’ll let you know if I change my mind,” I joked as we reached the kitchen.

Lou was flitting around getting everything plated, and Brody was washing his hands at the sink.

“Hey, I didn’t know you stayed,” I said to Brody. I pulled away from Bas. “This looks good, Lou.”

“I was hungry,” she replied, handing me a plate. “Hash browns, eggs, bacon, and toast. You want coffee?”

“I can get it.”

“Go sit.” She waved me toward the living room. “We need a kitchen table.”

“But then the house wouldn’t flow as well during parties,” I mumbled, stuffing a huge bite of toast in my mouth.

“God forbid,” Brody joked dramatically, following me into the living room. “You good?”

“I’m fine.”

“You sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“Well, you look better than Scott.” He shrugged his shoulders. “He had a shiner when he left.”

“What did you do?” I asked, dread pooling in my belly.

“I just told you,” he replied slowly. “Gave him a shiner.”

“You punched him?”

“He went down like a sack of potatoes,” Brody confirmed with a mouth full of food. “Pussy.”

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