Page 24 of It Shouldn't Be You
“Did you get everything?” I ask as I take a few of the bags from him and head to the dining room.
“You could open your own bar with this shit,” he grunts before we get to work filling the empty bar cart in the corner with all the cocktail making supplies a girl could need. I know Cora and Lily love it when we have a girly cocktail making night, and while I’ve no idea if these three will be into it, I figured it was better to be prepared.
A short while later, everything is laid out and I’m just placing the wine glasses on the table when the doorbell rings. Shooting a look at Cole and Smithy as I go to answer the door, I can only hope they play it cool and make themselves scarce.
The moment I open the door, I’m wrapped in a hug by Rene. She’s a stunning blonde with curves for days, and soon, she passes me to Olivia, whose pixie cut dark hair looks so spiky it could hurt, but her smile is so sweet it makes you think of sunshine and rainbows, and her hug is tight enough to rival Cora’s. Rounding the group out is a slightly more reserved ice white blonde, Samantha, who just offers me a small smile and nod as we make our way into the dining room.
“Thank you for coming tonight. I know it was super random and short notice, but I figure I’ve been here long enough that I should start trying to get to know someone other than Logan.”
“Oh girl, don’t you worry. I was actually just saying to these two the other day we should invite you to hang out sometime.It’s bound to be awkward as hell not only marrying a stranger but uprooting your whole life,” Olivia sympathises as she takes one of the glasses of red wine from me with a grateful smile.
“I would be shitting a brick every day just thinking about it, but anytime we’ve seen you about you always seem as cool as a cucumber,” Samantha drawls as she takes a seat beside Rene. Olivia chooses the seat opposite Rene.
“Please, I’m definitely faking it until I make it,” I say with a laugh before excusing myself to get the food out of the kitchen. Soon enough we all have our plates in front of us and as the wine flows so does the conversation. The night passes in a blur of easy-flowing small talk and shared laughter and soon enough we’re exchanging numbers with promises to make this a regular thing.
It finally feels like I might just be able to build a community here. As much as there’s an air of toxicity in the compound in general, these three seem untouched by it and with that, a small speck of hope that not all is corrupt here starts to bloom.
Chapter 18
After the shower run-in, I've made it a point to knock before entering the en-suite because, as much as I thoroughly enjoyed the view, things are far too uncertain right now. Despite our talk the other night and the smirks he's thrown my way, he has practically been a ghost around the house this past week. While I understand why, it still stings. Fortunately, Rocky and Teddy have kept me plenty busy. Rocky's morning and evening walks have provided the perfect opportunity to catch up with Rene and Olivia most days as they walk their dogs.
“So, how are things going?” Olivia hip-checks me with a soft giggle.
“Girl, don’t even get me started,” I groan, watching as Rocky runs ahead to see what he can find.
“That bad, huh?” Rene looks at me, her eyebrows furrowed and concern lining her features. Even in the short time I've known her, it's clear she's the group's Mama bear.
“I’ve seen you girls more than I’ve seen him. Not to mention, every time I do see him, he’s rushing all over the place and barely stops to say hi.”
“Sounds like someone’s missing her man,” Olivia teases, making me roll my eyes and fight the blush that’s dying to give me away.
“If he thinks he can slip a ring on my finger, take me on one date, and then go from telling me what I want to hear to being distant, he’s got another thing coming.”
“You tell him. If he’s not going to make time for you then forget him.”
“But be sure to share the details, some of us are dying up here in our ivory towers,” Rene’s dry tone has me tipping my head back in laughter.
“If you share your insights on this place, then you’ve got yourself a deal.” With that, I whistle to call Rocky back before saying goodbye and heading back to the house. As much as I’d rather spend my day walking around the compound with Rene and Olivia while our dogs do their thing, I've already put off this appointment for too long.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” As tempting as Logan's offer is, the thought of being so exposed, so vulnerable in front of him, fills me with a terror like I’ve never known. I feel foolish for feeling this way. The man has done nothing but try to earn my trust. But I can’t shake the stomach-twisting sensation that fills me anytime I think about confiding in anyone about this, let alone my husband.
“I’m sure. Plus, I’m sure you have yet another meeting calling your name.” Slipping on my jacket, I offer him a smile, which does little to remove the frown from his face. Handy, my grumpy Viking wears that look so well.
“Ready to go, Abbie?” Cole calls as he lets himself in the front door, only to stop short when he sees Logan and his glower only intensifies at the sight of Cole. I’m sure part of his unease about this is my refusal to let Smithy come along, but like hell am I letting Smithy get even a hint about why I’m going to the doctor's.
As much as I can’t stand the thought of Logan being there with me, I also don’t want someone else to sniff out what’s going on before I have a chance to talk to him.
“Careful, Viking. Your face might just freeze like that,” I tease him before leaning up and placing a kiss on his cheek and leaving him there, watching us leave.
The drive passes in silence—mostly due to my whirling thoughts—and before I know it, we're sitting in the waiting room. Me, bouncing my knee and fighting the urge to bite my nails, while Cole scrolls on his phone, doing his best to give me a sense of privacy.
Going to the doctor alone is one of the top five most daunting things. So, it’s with my pulse pounding and my palms sweating, I leave Cole in the waiting room and make my way to the examination room alone.
“It says here you have some concerns with your cycle?” the doctor asks as she turns in her chair to face me as I settle on her exam table.
“Yes. I used to be very regular, but over the last couple of years, it’s become increasingly sporadic. There have been times when I haven’t had my period for months, for no reason I knowof,” I explain, and with a thoughtful hum, she gets me to lie down as she explains she's going to take a sample to send to the lab to have a look.
A quick blood test and swab later, she’s leaving me to get dressed with promises to call me as soon as the results are in. Walking out once I’m done feels strange, like I’m on autopilot as my brain races. The fact she didn’t just brush me off or try to reassure me has my mind racing even more than it already was.
