by Ward, Kira
When I made it inside of the bathroom, I ran for the stall, and didn’t even have time to close the door behind me. I fell to the ground and threw my head over the bowl, releasing what little pasta I had eaten, and my lunch from earlier in the day. I heaved for several seconds, and when I finally had everything out, my head swam.
What the fuck? Why was I suddenly feeling so sick?
I sat there for a good minute, waiting to regain my equilibrium, and picked myself off the ground. I stepped out of the stall and took note of the beautiful marble floors and granite counters as I rinsed my mouth out in the sink.
I was quite embarrassed at that little moment, but I took a deep breath, dried my hands off, and marched back out to the dining area, avoiding eye contact with all the other guests.
“Sorry about that,” I said when I sat back down in my seat.
“Are you okay?” Hector asked. “What happened?”
“No idea. I guess I haven’t been around raw seafood for a while. The smell must have triggered something in me.”
Hector’s eyes lowered. “Well, I guess it happens. How do you feel now?”
“I’m okay,” I replied.
We spent the next hour or so chatting—well, mostly Hector chatting about himself. He told me about his races, his huge house and the pair of jet skis he had at the beach. Whenever I tried to sway the conversation in another direction—movies, music, television, he somehow managed to walk us back to the topic of his success. The similarities that he had with Rick in that regard was a huge turnoff.
I mostly picked at my spaghetti while we ate, trying to look like I was eating, but not enjoying it at all and fearful that if I ate much more that I might hurl again. I felt my stomach growl a few more times over the course of the meal, but thankfully I didn’t have to make any bathroom runs.
“Your friend Caleb should be racing against me in a couple days. I hope it doesn’t bother you when I beat him.” Hector leaned back in his chair and swirled his cup of wine in his hand then took a sip.
“You and Caleb are racing?”
“Mmmhmm. I’m surprised he’s willing to race ‘the best’ so soon after his first time on the track.”
It had been several days since Caleb had come to the door begging me to forgive him—which I did. But it still didn’t excuse the fact that he lied. We hadn’t spoken since then, and he’d stopped coming around the apartment.
Truth was, I missed him.
As I sat there with Hector, I wondered if I had been too hard on Caleb. Maybe I should have welcomed him back with open arms once he had explained the picture that I found on his phone. That’s what I wanted to do. But then I remembered how much pain I felt when I saw him lying there with another woman.
Rick had run all over me. I wouldn’t let another man do the same thing.
“You should come out to the race,” Hector said.
“Oh, I think I will.” I smiled and took a sip of my tea. It would be the perfect change for Caleb to see Hector and I together.
Hector sucked up the last bit of his wine and then wiped his lips with a handkerchief. “Well, I think we’re about done here. What do you think?”
I nodded and picked up my purse, thankful to be getting away from the smell of seafood.
Hector paid our bill, and when I stood up, he grabbed my hand and locked his fingers with mine as he led me out the door. It was a strange feeling to have my hand in his. It was a large, soft hand that should have felt very comforting, but the whole time I felt like I was doing something wrong. Maybe I had been hoping that Hector would help me forget about Caleb, but during dinner I felt almost no connection with him, which only served to make me think about Caleb more. But regardless, I still wanted Caleb to get a taste of his own medicine… but I’d be leading Hector on…
I wasn’t sure what to do.
We got in his car and Hector started the engine. “Where to now? You want to go out and dance, have a few drinks or go back to my place for Netflix and chill?”
I placed my elbow on the door and leaned my head against my hand. “Oh, I’m sorry Hector. I think we should call it an early night. After my little issue in the restaurant, I should probably just go home and rest.”
“Oh, come on…” Hector whined. “It’s so early.”
“We can always meet up again.”
“Just a couple drinks.” He leaned across the console and put his hand on my leg. “If you’re tired, you can sleep at my place.”
I squirmed a bit, hoping that he would notice he was making me uncomfortable. “Not today, Hector.” I smiled, trying my best not to offend him. “Can you please just take me home?”
Hector moved his hand away and sat back hard in his seat and sighed. “Fine.” He pulled the car out of the parking lot, and as he started driving, he shook his head. “I don’t know why you even wanted to meet up with me. Just a quick dinner and then back home? Who does that?”
“I think it’s pretty common.”
“I’ve never met a girl who just wants dinner.”
“I’m sorry I’m not like the other girls you’ve met.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“What?” I sighed and shook my head. “That’s so nice of you to say Hector.”
Hector tilted his head back and huffed. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean that… It’s just I was hoping we would spend more time together. I mean, look at you…”
“What about me?”
“You’re sexy as fuck! I’m dying to put my hands all over you.”
I couldn’t help but giggle at his blunt compliment. Hector was smooth, but when he came up against the slightest bit of resistance, it seemed like all his charm just broke down into typical horny man behavior.
“So then… let’s go cuddle up by my fireplace and—”
“Hector, no. For fuck’s sake, I told you—” The car hit a hard bump on the freeway, cutting my sentence off. I grabbed at my throat, suddenly feeling a surge of acid trying to escape from my stomach. I breathed hard, trying to hold it down. “Just go please…” I croaked. “Or pull over. I feel like I’m going to throw up again.”
“What? Go where? Your place or mine?” He didn’t seem to realize the urgency. He lifted a bottle of water that was resting in his console. “Do you want a drink?”
“Hector…” I croaked again. I belched and grabbed my stomach, this time the feeling of acid coming very fast and powerfully. Saltiness took over my mouth, my neck arched involuntarily, and my jaw went wide as I hurled all over the dashboard and floor of his car.
“Oh, fuck!” Hector yelled. His squirmed closer to the driver’s side door and his eyes darted back and forth from the road to me. “Oh fuck! My car!” His face was twisted into a disgusted frown.
“I’m so sorry,” I huffed and coughed. “Do you have any tissue?”
“Tissue? Why would I have tissue?”
I wanted to cry at how overwhelmed I felt. It was like I couldn’t catch a break. Why couldn’t I have just had a nice date without all of Hector’s pressure? Without me getting sick? Maybe some fries and tacos…
I wiped my mouth on the front of my shirt.
“I’m taking you home,” Hector said.
“That’s where I told you to take me in the first place.”
“Yeah, well I didn’t think you’d puke everywhere.”
I just sighed and shook my head. It was hopeless.
The rest of the way home, Hector and I didn’t speak much. He pulled up to the front of the apartment and put the car in park.
“Thanks for dinner, Hector. I’m really sorry that I got sick.”
Hector took a deep breath. “It’s fine…” He tilted his head from side to side. “And I’m sorry for being a prick about it. It was just a little shocking is all. I’d still like to see you again.”
I nodded slightly. Any other time I would’ve taken the disaster as a clear indication that I shouldn’t see someone again, but I still knew that Hector was my best—maybe even my onl
y—chance at getting back at Caleb. “I’ll see you again at the race,” I said.
“See you then. I’ll give you a call on the day of the race. Maybe I can drive you there.”
“Okay.” I smiled and popped the door open. “See you then.”
“Bye…” Hector said. “I’d give you a kiss goodnight, but umm… you know.”
A kiss? That would’ve been a “no thanks”. Maybe getting sick had turned into a positive after all.
I closed the door of the R8 and made my way to the steps of the apartment. As my foot made contact with the first step, I noticed out of the corner of my eye a white car parked far in the corner of the parking lot. I was pretty sure I had seen the car there when I left to meet Hector, but what stood out was that there seemed to be a silhouette inside, just as when I left. The lights of the car weren’t on, and the parking lot wasn’t brightly lit, so I couldn’t see for sure.
Creepy, I thought. But probably just my mind playing tricks on me.
Chapter 24
Amanda
“Sorry, I’m feeling terrible today. I’ll try to make it out there next week. Okay? Thanks. Bye.” I clicked my phone off and slapped it on the bed.
That was the second photographer who had called me for day-of work. They were offering me good money, which I needed, but I had been feeling like shit all day.
It was weird. The seafood seemed to trigger my sickness, but why would I still be sick the next day? I had already run to the toilet twice, and every time I stood up, I felt dizzy.
There was a knock on the bedroom door and Layla pushed it open. “Are you feeling any better?” she asked.
“Not really.” I reached for a bottle of water that was sitting on a nearby nightstand and took a couple chugs.
“Okay, well I’m about to run to the grocery store to pick up some stuff for dinner. Do you want me to get you anything?”
“Grocery store?” I asked. I sat up in bed and rubbed my arm against my forehead. “Mind if I tag along?”
“You want to go out? If you’re sick, it’s probably better that you stay inside and rest.”
“Maybe some fresh air will make me feel a little better.”
Layla shrugged. “Okay, up to you. Of course, you can come.”
I pulled myself out of bed, fighting off the nausea that was taking over me. I had never felt sick like that before, and I had no symptoms that would indicate that I had the cold or flu. Maybe I was overthinking things, but the thought that I might be pregnant crossed my mind.
It had been a little less than two weeks since Caleb and I first had sex, and it wasn’t even time for my period, but the slight possibility was there. We hadn’t used a condom, and I remembered very clearly how Mason managed to get Layla pregnant on their first try. And they even used a condom. Sure, it broke, but Mason was fertile enough that it fought through the spermicidal lubricant and still knocked her up.
What if the other Greene heartthrob was just as potent as him?
I didn’t even know if a test could tell if someone was pregnant so soon after having sex, but at least taking one would help put my mind at ease. I probably just had food poisoning or something.
I threw on a pair of a sweats and a t-shirt and met Layla at the front door. She drove us to the local supermarket, picked out a cart, and I started following her down the various isles, helping her pick out snacks for Travis and health food for Mason.
“I’m going to run to the restroom real quick,” I said once we were well past the isle with the pregnancy tests. I didn’t want Layla to get the notion that I might be pregnant yet. I didn’t even know if I’d tell her if I was pregnant. I didn’t know anything.
“You want me to come with?” she asked.
“No, it’s okay. I’ll be right back.”
I walked slowly away from our cart, and when I was out of her sight, I started shuffling my feet as quickly as possible to the woman’s isle. I scanned the various pregnancy tests, and picked out the most expensive one, not having time to read them all, but figuring that the more expensive it was the more accurate it would be.
I scooted to the end of the isle and poked my head out to make sure Layla was nowhere to be seen, and then jogged to the first open cashier that I could see.
The cashier looked down at the pregnancy test and gave me these eyes that said “Oh, so looks like you’ve got a problem,” but I was feeling too sick to my stomach to care. I paid and shuffled my way towards the ladies’ room.
The bathroom was open, and I went into the furthest stall, tore at the box and read the instructions. It was simple enough—just pee on the stick and wait up to 10 minutes for the results to appear. I had drunk enough water that day that I had enough pee to do 10 more tests if I somehow messed up.
So I followed the directions and waited, thinking that I’d just tell Layla that I had gotten sick again, hence why it took me so long.
I grabbed at my boobs and squeezed. They didn’t feel much more tender than they usually did, and Layla told me her boobs ached like crazy when she was pregnant with Travis. And other than being sick, I didn’t feel any different inside. Maybe I was overreacting by thinking I needed to take a test.
A couple minutes passed, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw only one line on the results screen. But the directions did say to wait up to ten minutes, so I gave it a bit more time.
I took another look at around six minutes and a second line was sort of visible but very, very faint. I didn’t know what that meant, but it was so light that my eyes could have just been seeing things.
But the line kept getting darker, and by the 10 minute mark the 2nd line was just as visible at the first one.
My heart thumped in my chest and my ears popped. My stomach churned again, and I dropped the pregnancy test to the floor as I turned around and hurled right into the supermarket toilet. I coughed and grabbed some tissue to wipe of my mouth, and then picked the test back up off the floor.
Still two lines—both very prominent.
Fuck me. I was pregnant.
Chapter 25
Caleb
I parked my car in the participant section at TITS and looked for the organizer to check in. I was running late, having overslept after a heavy night of drinking. I had been drinking a lot lately, trying to clean my mind of Amanda and the hurt that I was still experiencing since she brushed me off.
It felt silly. We were only officially “together” for a day before things exploded, but I still felt like I cared for the girl. I wasn’t about to flip out and text her every day, begging for her back like Rick did though. If she didn’t want me, she didn’t want me. It hurt, but I still had my pride.
“Caleb Greene for the final race,” I said to a dark-haired man behind the record keeping desk. “Sorry I’m late.”
The man didn’t even look up at me as he penciled something into a large binder. “You’re good. I’ve got you down now.”
“Thanks,” I said as I turned away. It was a bit weird how impersonal things seemed at TITS. Back in the OC, everyone knew everyone, the bookkeeper, the bookies, the vendors. But there in Miami everyone was all business. I was starting to miss the guys back home a lot. I was tired of staying in a hotel. I was tired of everything.
I walked towards the guest stands and spotted Mason and Layla, sitting and playing with Travis as they watched cars course along the track. I didn’t say anything when I was in view. I just opened my eyes comically wide and stuck my tongue out at Travis.
Travis stuck his tongue out too and then focused his attention back on the race. Clearly, he was more interested in the cars.
“How’s the GT-R feel?” Mason asked.
“It’s feels good. It’s smooth, tight, and the brakes and can stop on a dime.”
“What about the tires?” he asked.
“Pretty slick. Just the right amount of grip.”
He bobbed his head. “Good, good.”
Mason’s shop had just had its grand opening to the public, and I
had brought the GT-R in for a tuning to prepare for the race. My car was already well-worked, but his team replaced a couple parts to give it just a bit more power and versatility than it had previously. The tires and brakes that were on there now were more suitable for Miami driving.
His new Mod Shop was incredible. It was at least 3 times the size as the one in the OC, and there were several more bays for cars. The staff Mason hired was knowledgeable, and seeing my brother work was pretty awe-inspiring. He had done a good job, that’s for sure. I could see myself helping out there.
“You sure you’re ready for this?” Mason asked.
“No,” I said honestly. “I might lose. I might not. But I’m going to try my damnedest.”
Mason stood from the bleachers and looked me dead in the eye. “No. You’re going to win.”
“You’re so certain, huh?”
Mason paused and looked to the side. “The only thing you’re missing is your confidence, Caleb. If you have this willingness to accept the idea that you might lose, then you will. I never—”
“I’m not you,” I interrupted.
Mason swallowed. “But you’re a part of me. You’re my brother.”
I sighed and rubbed my fingers through my hair. “Well thanks, Mason. Maybe one day I can—”
“Stop doubting. I know you’re a damn good racer. Better than anyone else here. Better than me if you keep your head on straight.”
I appreciated his little pep talk, but I wasn’t 100% buying it. He was the guy who never lost, who got the girl of his dreams. I had lost 20k on a couple races I should have won, and the girl of my dreams walked out on me. Hell, he’s the one who got my car back when I lost it on a bad race. We simply weren’t the same.
“Amanda didn’t come, did she?” I asked.
“Oh, she’s here,” Layla said, bouncing Travis around in her arms. “But right now she’s a bit busy.”