Page 41 of The Ruckup
And, based on a couple things her abuela said today, I don’t think I’m the only one who feels that way.
“I’m fine.” Maddie winces a little. “It’s just cramps.”
I wasn’t expecting her to be having a physical issue—I was expecting something of a more mental nature. But that’s not the part of her admission that surprises me the most. “Justcramps?”
I have a sister. I’ve seen firsthand how fucking awful cramps can be. I remember Alexis crying in misery while my mom laid her on a heating pad and fed her anti-inflammatories. It was horrifying to witness, so I can only imagine how terrible it is to experience.
Maddie shrugs. “They’re only bad for the first couple of days, then they mellow out.”
Leading her into the house, I go straight to the bathroom adjacent to our—my bedroom. “Have you taken anything for them?”
Maddie watches me in confusion as I dig through the medicine cabinet. “No. I didn’t have anything on me. I wasn’t even thinking about it when I left this morning.”
So she’s been suffering all fucking day and didn’t say anything?
I have a career that frequently involves injury, and when I’m sore, you can bet your ass everybody fucking knows. I don’t shut up about it.
I know Maddie isn’t the type to put her pain on other people, and that’s fine. But I’m notother people. I want her to know she can put it on me.
So I can take care of it for her.
Pulling out a bottle of gel tabs, I twist the cap off and tip three into my palm. “Here.” I hold them out, waiting for her to takethem before I say, “Stay put. I’m going to get you some water to wash them down.”
Rushing into the kitchen, I grab a chilled bottle from the fridge, cracking it open as I make my way back to where Maddie stands, looking just as perplexed as she did when I left.
After passing off the water, I go to the large, garden style tub and switch on the faucet. As the basin fills, I turn to find Maddie staring at me with wide eyes, the pills still clutched in one hand and the water gripped in the other.
“Are you taking a bath?”
“No.” I go to stand in front of her, plucking the pills from her palm. “You are. Now open.”
I don’t like seeing Maddie suffering. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot I can do about most of the things making her suffer. But this?
This, I know how to fix.
Maddie’s lips part, but she seems to do it more automatically than on purpose. She’s not used to anyone taking care of her, so I can imagine this is a little strange.
She’ll have to get over it. There aren’t many things I’ll push her on, but this is one of them.
Dropping one of the pills onto her tongue, I tip my head toward her water. “Take a drink.”
Again, Maddie does as I say, and once that pill is down she adds the other two and sends them to her stomach as well. Once she’s taken all the anti-inflammatories, I set her water on the counter and tip my head at her clothes. “Those need to come off.”
She hesitates, but I don’t, reaching down to grip the hem of my shirt before pulling it over my head. When I can see her face again, her expression is even more shocked than before.
Maddie’s wide eyes travel over my bare chest. “I thought you said you weren’t taking a bath.”
“Technically, the bath isn’t for me.” I unbutton my jeans and shove them past my hips, kicking away my shoes at the same time. “But I’ve tried relaxing in this tub, and it’s not comfortable, so you’re going to need some cushioning.”
And I’m more than happy to be her cushioning.
Maddie’s already wide eyes get even bigger. “You can’t get in the tub with me right now.” Her panicked gaze bounces around, jumping from the tub to my body then back to the tub again.
Hooking my thumbs into the waistband of my underwear, I send my last article of clothing to the tile. “Why not?”
“Because.” She’s still looking between me and the steaming water. “There will be… You’ll get…”
I think I know what’s got her flustered, and I get it. A lot of guys are weird about periods.
