Standing was too generous a term. She was doubled over, her shaky hand gripping the wall beside her head so hard her knuckles turned white.
Through gritted teeth, she forced out, “Happy now?”
Bending down, I pushed the hair covering her face behind her ears so I could get a good look at her. Immediately, I could tell it wasn’t an illness keeping her in bed. There was pain etched across her pretty face, and I would have given anything to take it away.
“Talk to me, baby. Tell me where it hurts.”
Her tough façade cracked, and she let out a shuddering breath that could have easily passed for a sob.
The winter wind whipped around us, and that’s when I realized Gemma only wore an oversized T-shirt, her legs bare against the chill. The millions of thoughts running through my head quieted until the most important one came to the forefront. I needed to get her inside and back to bed. I could figure out the rest after that.
Not wasting any more time, I brought my arm behind her knees, scooping her into my arms, forcing myself to ignore her whine of protest. As I kicked the door closed, Cannoli barked excitedly, jumping up to place his paws on my shin.
“I’ll take you out in a minute,” I promised. “Gonna get Mom back upstairs first.”
Gemma’s body was rigid, every muscle tense, but she managed to loop her arms around my neck as I strode through the house. Taking the steps two at a time until I reached her bedroom, I gently eased her onto the mattress.
She curled up instantly, moaning as she hugged her knees.
Kneeling at her bedside, I kissed the clammy skin of her forehead. “Let me help you.”
“You can’t,” she hissed, her eyes squeezed shut.
“No, what I can’t do is sit here and watch you suffer, doing nothing,” I countered.
“There’s nothing you can do. I just need to sleep it off.”
I’d been injured a few times during my career, so I knew a thing or two about pain. And I would be the first to admit that when it had you locked in a chokehold, sleep was damn near impossible.
“What happened?” I pressed, needing answers as to what had put her in this state.
Those hazel eyes cracked open, and I could see the silent war playing out behind them. Whatever was going on, she was hesitant to tell me.
We stayed like that, eyes locked on each other for what felt like an eternity before she finally whispered, “Cramps.”
My eyebrows shot sky-high. “Cramps?” I mean, I knew women suffered during their menstrual cycle, but I had no clue it could be this debilitating. Was it like this for her every month?
The pale skin of her cheeks pinkened a touch, and she averted her gaze. “Yes, so just let me ride it out in peace. I’ll be fine.”
“Can you take any sort of pain reliever?”
She swallowed thickly. “Already did. Barely touches it.”
“Jesus.” Taking a deep breath, I rose to my feet. “I’m gonna take Cannoli out, and then I’ll be right back, okay?”
Weakly, Gemma shook her head. “You should probably go.”
Placing both hands on the mattress, I leaned over where she lay in the fetal position. “I’m not leaving you like this.”
Not giving her any time to argue, I walked out of the room. I clicked my tongue to gain his attention, and Cannoli perked up when I reached the bottom of the stairs. Leading him to the sliding glass door, I pulled it open, making sure to hook the lead onto his collar so he didn’t venture too far before letting him go with a pat on his furry bum.
Letting my weight rest on the cold brick exterior of the townhouse, I pulled out my phone. I was out of my depth and needed help.
You guys still awake?
Braxton:I’m about to slip into bed with my naked wife, so no.
Maddox:Dude. Keep it respectful.
