Page 95 of Storm in a Teacup
A blind fury washes over me for her. I could kill him, the right bastard. Mel warned me against causing a violent scene at the wedding, so maybe I can do it before? Linny’s hand strokes over my thigh, bringing me out of the livid haze and back to reality.
She keeps speaking. “With that, he implied that if our kid had my eyes, he would love them less. Like my eyes made him love me less. I kicked him out. I screamed and yelled, but I did not shed one tear because I had used all those up over the week. We broke up, and he still to this day acts like he does not understand why.”
Finally, I feel like it’s okay for me to speak. “He was wrong forthat, Lin. He’s a daft idiot. The biggest idiot I’ve met, in fact. You and any child you have are one hundred percent worthy of all the love anyone has to give.”
She stays in my arms, but I feel as she turns away from me. “The thing is, I agree with him. It would be best if I didn’t have kids. If I didn’t risk passing on my eyes. My eyes suck. Why would I want the person or people I love most in the world to go through this like I am?”
I swallow over a thick lump in my throat. “It’s your choice, sugar. But you want kids. You said how excited you were when you were pregnant.”
“I changed my mind. That’s why I don’t do penetrative sex—it makes me feel safer. That way, I will never get pregnant again.”
“Okay, but is the risk that your kids might have RP the only thing holding you back?”
“I mean, I think it will be too hard to take care of them with my eyes.”
“I don’t agree. I think sometimes you may have to take care of them differently, but it won’t be impossible. How likely is it to get passed on?”
“I don’t have a percentage. My dad and two of his three siblings all have it.”
“How many of your siblings have it?”
She purses her lips. “Just me.”
“Mel doesn’t have it.”
“No. Only one of my cousins does.” Her jaw tightens. “But still, Ben. I’m not going to change my mind about this.”
“I’m not trying to make you. I just don’t want that man in your head, making you think you can’t have the things you want.”
She says quietly, “It’s not that I can’t. It’s that the responsible thing for me is that I shouldn’t.”
I hold her tighter. “Fuck society’s fucked up view of responsibility.”
She hums slightly, but I can’t tell if it’s in agreement or not.
I gnaw my lip. “Can I ask the timeline for all of this?”
“July 9th,” she answers instantly. “We broke up about a week later, so uh, July 16thor 17th?”
“This past July?” I confirm.
“Yeah.”
It’s been less than a year—no wonder she was sopissedat Atti when she saw him happy and laughing at that pub in early September. My face presses into her hair.
We sit there together for a while longer before she finally pushes herself up and away from me. “I’m tired.”
That’ll be my cue. “I’ll get out of your hair.”
“Can you stay the night?” She looks at me hopefully.
My heart pinches in a good way. “Can I sleep in your bed with you?”
“Where else would you sleep?”
Linny lets me borrow her facewash and an extra toothbrush so I can brush my teeth. I take off my trousers and my shirt so I can climb into the bed in my pants and undershirt. Before I do, I grab pillows from off the floor and start to build that barrier between us.
Linny laughs and throws the pillows back at me. “Just get in the bed.”
