Page 27 of A Layperry's Heart
Gendry says something as he walks into the room from the bathroom. He raises his brow at me, making sure I’m okay. I nod my head and turn towards Mama.
“He says I’m not too old for anything. He really is a keeper, Aldo, he knows when to flatter his elders.”
Gendry chuckles and I can’t help but mirror the noise. The two of us stay for coffee and dessert with my mother before finally piling back into the car and heading back home. There’s so many things swirling around inside my head but the biggest thing is a brand new certainty I didn’t have before I came here.
I should have known talking to my mother would help, it always does. When the time comes, I’m going to go with Gendry back toDeltourah. I’m going to live with him there. I’m going to be hismatronand everything that comes with it because I can’t go back to life before Gendry was here.
He’s it for me and instead of feeling scared of that realization, I feel liberated.
“Everything okay,delgando?”
I have no idea what that word means but it makes my chest flutter with butterflies. “Everything is perfect.”
Chapter Ten
Gendry
“Christian?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you have any of those round green things? The ones that burst when you sink your teeth into them? They’re sweet and juicy? I forgot the name but I would like some sooner rather than later if you have them.”
Christian opens the fridge and pulls out a bag, handing it over to me. “They’re called grapes.”
“Grapes! Yes! Thank you so much.” I pop one into my mouth and immediately moan in pleasure. Oh by the ancestors! Nothing has ever tasted as good as these grapes. They’re pleasing me the same way scratching an itchy spot would feel.
“What’s gotten into you lately?”
“What do you mean?” I ask, tilting my head to the side. “Am I acting strangely?”
“Kinda? It’s hard to put my finger on it,” he says, narrowing his eyes at me. “You’re having strong cravings, you’ve been kind of touchy feely lately, and I caught you crying during a movie the other night.”
“It was an emotional moment! The two characters finally found each other in the crowd, Christian! It was beautiful!”
“Mhmm. Right. That makes total sense.”
There’s a sensation at the back of my brain, telling me that Christian is right. But what could it be that’s different? Things with Aldo are going good. Better than good, things with him are perfect.
Yet there’ssomethingdifferent.
I look down at myself, trying to take stock of my body. My tail flicks behind me in irritation, slapping a paper plate off the counter and onto the floor.
“Sorry,” I mumble, bending down and picking it up. That’s when I notice something. My stomach. My stomach has a soft swell to it that wasn’t there before. I’ve apparently gained weight while I was here.
I place a hand on my stomach. Christian makes a strangled noise, his eyes widening.
“What? What is it?”
“Oh my god. No fucking way,” he says, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I did not think I needed to give you the safe sex talk, Gendry!”
“The sex I am having is very safe! No one is getting hurt! There is always plenty of lubricant and consent!”
Christian makes a growling noise in my direction. “Not that! I mean, have you been bottoming without Aldo wrapping it up?” I tilt my head to the side. Before I can ask what that means, Christian continues. “Have you guys been using condoms? The little plastic thing you put on your dick so that your cum doesn’t go inside someone? You know, the love juice that makes a fucking baby?”
That makes a baby.
Oh.
