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That was hours ago.
I’d fallen back to sleep for a little bit.
Now I have a headache and lower back pain to go with a side of cramps.
Ugh.
Sometimes being a girl sucks.
This is one of those times.
At some point, I’ll have to find the wherewithal to haul myself from bed and go to the store for supplies. I’m down to two regular tampons. I have the sneaking suspicion this one is going to call for super plus absorbent.
Just as I’m dozing off, the apartment door opens and heavy footsteps fill the silence of the space before stuttering to a stop over the threshold of the room.
“Hey, what are you still doing in bed? I thought you had class this morning.”
I crack open my eyes and meet his concerned stare. “I don’t feel good.”
I refrain from getting into specifics. If he’s anything like Axel, he doesn’t want to hear about “girl issues.”
Colby’s brows furrow as he beelines toward the bed and drops down on the edge. His palm settles on my forehead. “Do you have the flu?” His eyes scrutinize my face. “You don’t feel warm. Tell me what’s going on.”
Even through the pain, I can’t help the smile that quirks my lips. “Are you a doctor now?”
A matching expression settles on his. “We both know that if you’re in need of a thorough examination, I’d be more than happy to provide one free of charge. Although, I’ll need to get you naked.”
I wince as another cramp racks my belly.
Argh.
It’s like my insides are being twisted.
“I don’t think that’s going to be happening anytime soon.”
“You have your period?”
Heat floods my cheeks. It’s certainly nothing to be embarrassed about, but still…
“Yup. Seems like you arrived at the correct diagnosis, Dr. McNichols. Now, if you’ll just leave?—”
“You should have told me what was going on. What do you need?”
My brow furrows. “Need? I don’t understand.”
He reaches out and strokes his fingers through my hair. I can’t help but lean into the comforting touch, enjoying how easy he is with his affection.
“All right. Let’s go about this a different way. Describe your symptoms.”
“I, ah…”
Is he joking?
When he arches a brow, I realize he’s one hundred percent serious.
I clear my throat and glance away. “I really appreciate your concern, but this isn’t something we need to discuss.”
“Why not?” Confusion flickers across his handsome features. “How else am I going to make it better if I don’t know what your symptoms are?”
My gaze slices back to his in surprise. “Make it better?” I echo, unsure I heard him correctly.
“Yeah. Depending on what they are, I’ll either give you ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or one of those combo meds that has caffeine in it.”
When I continue to stare in silence, he rolls his eyes as if I’m too dense for words. “Please don’t tell me that you’re embarrassed. I have a sister and a mom. It’s a monthly occurrence. No way to avoid it.”
My brow furrows, unable to believe we’re delving headfirst into this topic. “So…you’d get them stuff?”
He pops a shoulder and continues stroking my hair. “Why wouldn’t I? It wasn’t out of the ordinary for my sister to get really bad cramps. Sometimes she’d have to get picked up from school because they were so painful. If she needed something and my parents weren’t around, I’d run to the store and grab it.” He searches my eyes as his voice softens. “It wasn’t a big deal.”
I shake my head. “It’s times like these when I realize that I don’t know who the hell you are.”
He snorts.
“Or maybe you’re just really different from the guy I assumed you were.”
“Maybe your takeaway should be that we need to actually get to know one another before making snap judgments,” he murmurs.
“You could be right.”
He cups my cheek. “Did you take pain meds yet?”
I nod. “A couple hours ago.”
“Are you still having bad cramps?”
“They’re like knives slicing through my belly.”
“Ouch. All right, I’m going to run to the store and pick up a few things.” His thumb sweeps over my lower lip before he rises to his feet. “Is there anything else you need while I’m out?”
I glance away, watching him from the corner of my eye.
God, but I hate to ask…
He cocks his head and continues to watch me.
This is so embarrassing.
“Pads or tampons?”
Air rushes from my lungs. It’s like a balloon deflating. “Tampons.”
“What size?”
“The biggest ones you can find.”
“No problem.” He reaches down and strokes his fingers through my hair one more time before pressing a kiss against my lips. “I’ll be right back. If there’s anything that comes to mind while I’m out, text me. Okay?”
I nod, grateful he’s here.
And isn’t making a big deal out of this.
Thirty minutes later, Colby returns with a couple of grocery bags in tow. He sets the first one down on the bed as I drag myself to a seated position, curious about what he picked up. What he thinks a girl with her period needs.
