Page 37 of Ms Perfectly Fine
“No, no, no,” she panted, forcing herself to breathe through the spasms, waiting for them to subside.This is what I get for neglecting my stretches,she thought bitterly, wishing she had found the time every day as she was supposed to.
Resting against her headboard, she attempted to reach for the muscle relaxers in her bedside drawer, but a twinge caused her to knock the tub to the ground. A sob and angry growl escaped her gritted teeth as she picked it up, but when she pried open the cap, she realised she had forgotten to fill her monthly prescription. She’d never done that before, but she’d been so distracted by everything going on…
The shockwaves began again, and frustration won out. Autumn gripped the closest smashable object closest to her, a mug, and hurled it at the wall as hard as she could, desperate for any release, even if it was only anger. She heard Brinkley pawing at the door, but she couldn’t find the strength to stand. She had to wait for the next spasm to subside.
Luckily, she found some painkillers in her top drawer. They wouldn’t kill the pain, but they would get her moving again. She swallowed two and watched the time on her phone, waiting out the agonisingly long twenty minutes until they kicked in.
Chapter Thirteen
Elijah
“WAS EVERYTHING ALL right at home? You worried me when you ran off last time!” Elijah’s mum exclaimed when he picked up.
“Just a misunderstanding. No need to worry,” Elijah said, feeling bad for not having called sooner. He put her on speaker so he could finish his email.
“I’ll take your word for it. I hope it won’t be too long before we get to see you again.”
“Once I finish this game, I’ll come home more,” he promised.
“I’ll hold you to it. This is still your home.”
“I know. TellFrank I said hi. I sent him tickets to the next Vixens game. Season tickets were a gift when I left Nirosoft,” he said. He was happy to give them away; he had no interest in football, but his stepfather was a huge fan.
“You didn’t have to do that! He’ll be ecstatic. You could go to a game some other time,” his mum said, and he heard in her voice how much she wanted Elijah and Frank to be close. It wasn’t that they didn’t get along, but Elijah had already been a grown man when she’d remarried; it was strange to have a new dad in his twenties.
“Sure. When I have time, I’ll give him a call.”
“Okay. Tell your girl I said hi,” she said, obviously baiting him for details.
Elijah stopped typing and leaned back in his chair. “My girl? I don’t think she would agree with you.” It still made him smile.
“No man leaves in such a hurry unless he’s worried about someone.”
“Didn’tyoutell me it was rude to pry?”
“I would call it concern, not prying. And it’s a mother’s job to worry.”
It didn’t matter how old he got, she still could make him feel like a kid.
“I’ve got to go. Your father and I are going for dinner,” she said, and hung up after a quick ‘love you.’ She always referred to his stepdad as his father, and though he’d never got used to it, he didn’t have the heart to correct her.
Elijah had just finished the email to his contract lawyer when Brinkley nudged his leg.
“Not now. We’ll play in a bit.” Elijah scratched her head, trying to calm her, but Brinkley jumped up on him in response. “What is it? Do you want to go for a walk? Food?”
Elijah removed his headphones only to hear a bump followed by a smash from above. Brinkley ran out while Elijah stared at the ceiling.What could she be doing now?
Brinkley came back and barked urgently, giving Elijah little choice but to follow her upstairs. He knocked on Autumn’s door, but there was no reply.
“Autumn, are you all right?”
His words went unanswered.
“If you ignore me, I’m coming in,” he called, resting his hand on the handle.
“I’m fine. Go back downstairs,” she said, peeking out of the doorway. He could see how pale she was. When she’d left him, she’d been basking in her victory, but now she looked like all the blood had been drained from her.
“I heard something,” he said, trying to see if she was okay without asking.
