Page 59 of Stroke of Fate

“Ow,” Mack groans, clutching his stomach a few hours later.

I roll my eyes, but since I’m walking behind him, it doesn’t have the desired effect. “I don’t know why you insisted on having ice cream when too much dairy wrecks your stomach.”

“You could have knocked the spoon out of my hand or something,” he whines as we weave through the tables.

We’re nearly at the door when I spot Macy in my periphery.

“Take these. I’ll meet you outside.” I hand Mack my car keys. “Don’t puke in my car,” I warn him.

I haven’t seen Bear all evening. At first, I thought we kept missing each other, seeing how busy it was, but now I’m not so sure. And yeah, I could text her, but I don’t want it to seem like I’m checking up on her whereabouts. I’m genuinely concerned, and if anyone might know where she is, it’s Macy.

“What’s up?” Macy asks, eyeing me from behind the bar.

I decide to come right out with it. “Isn’t Bear supposed to be working tonight?”

Setting a beer to the side, she wipes her hands on a tea towel. “She called out sick.”

What?

That doesn’t make sense. We texted this morning, and she never mentioned feeling sick.

What could’ve happened between then and now?

“What’s wrong with her?” I ask, trying to keep my cool and not freak out at the thought of her being sick and alone.

Macy raises her brows but doesn’t comment on my visible panic. “She was having cramps and asked if I could cover for her.”

“What kind of cramps?” I ask dumbly.

She doesn’t elaborate, simply cocks her head at me like I’m slow to catch up. Evidently, I am because it takes me way longer than it should to put two and two together.

“Oh. Those kinds of cramps.”

“Yeah. Those kinds of cramps,” Macy says. “Bear will be fine, I promise. I gotta get this drink to a table. Is there anything else you need?”

Knowing she hasn’t come down with some bug is only mildly comforting. But she’s still in pain, and that doesn’t sit well with me. I don’t have any sisters, but I grew up with a single mom, so things like periods don’t weird me out in the slightest.

Mack’s words flash in my mind.

Give her time and a reason to trust you.

The time part is out of my hands. But the trust? That I can work on.

It might not be what Mack had in mind, but whatever. Flowers and fancy things to win a girl’s heart are overrated anyway.

This plan will either blow up in my face or be the best decision I’ve ever made.

Taking a gamble, I say, “Yeah, actually, there is.”

19 | BEAR

Watching reruns of my favorite comfort show wasn’t how I planned on spending my Saturday night. Not that working would have been much better, but at least I wouldn’t be curled in the fetal position for half the night.

My period cramps are rarely this bad. But every so often, there’s the odd month when it feels like tiny hands are squeezing and twisting my baby-making organs on the first day of my period.

Thank God Macy was able to cover my shift, or else—

The doorbell rings, cutting off my internal monologue. Frowning, I sit up straighter and lift the comforter off me before padding to the front door.

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