Afraid To Love Again

Chapter 16 - Wrong timing

"Why did you stop walking? Let's go", he comes to a halt after noticing my reaction breaking whatever trance he had put me in.

The whispers did not stop however and a few people I didn't even recognize came over to me to say hi, guys being the majority of them. Kendricks was with me the whole time as if he was worried someone might take me away or something.

"I'll go grab something to drink", I excuse myself from Kendricks, "I'll be fine by myself", I assured as if I knew he was going to follow me around the whole evening

"Be back soon", he said in a dramatic demanding voice I found cute.

"Okay boss", I smile as I teased him and walked over to the beverage despensers. I just stood there, realizing a few seconds later that a smile had formed on my face.

"Snap out of it", I shake my head aggressively before any wild thoughts got to me.
Getting him a drink too wouldn't hurt. I grabbed two plastic cups on the counter besides the despensers and filled them up. Just as I turned around out of nowhere my stomach growled causing me to come to a halt because of the slight pain it came with.
I take a second before I could start walking again back to were I was sitting with Kendricks. This time I was stopped again by Blake who approached me. Without giving any sign I was going to even let a word out, he said first.

"Erica. Looking hotter than ever", he scanned me from head to toe then let out a whistle of amusement

I stare at him blankly, "Thanks", I finally say with no slight expression, "Leave the compliments for Chloe", I maintain the same tone of voice.

"Hey", he says in a way of stopping me from walking right past him, which I was going to. "Chloe and I are just friends now. She lost all feelings for me for a while now"

"And?" I asked making it clear I didn't give a fuck.

"I can tell she still likes Kendricks even when I'm the one beside her. Why don't you let her and Kendricks have their time? And we can have ours"

"Well Kendricks doesn't like her anymore and don't ever think I would want to hang out with you. You look like a player"

"Kendricks could be playing you too", he jokes around.

But it led my thoughts somewhere they never went before. And from his expression I could tell that he thought that he had got to me but I immediately stopped that thought of his, not wanting him to think he had defeated me. "Well he's not", I say and attempt to leave without giving him a chance to get the last say.
I was headed back to Kendricks but that growl came back with an unbearable cramp accompanying it causing me to drop both cups I had in my hands and slump to the ground in pain.

"No. Not now", I say to myself as I squeezed my lower abdomen in pain with my head facing the ground. I hid behind all my hair that had fell to the front covering my face.
Shit. What do I do?

In a second I feel someone shadow me as the person threw their blazer on me covering my back. Immediately I could tell it was Kendricks. I squeeze my eyes shut in embarrassment and he pulls me up by my shoulders leading me out the hall where the event was. I still had my head facing the ground because I couldn't face him.

"You okay?", He asks me still walking me with his hands on both my shoulders

"I-", my stomach growls again cutting me off because of the pain and I squeeze my stomach again.

Is that...a waterfall I feel down there?
Shit shit shit.

I run to the bathroom the rest of the way leaving Kendricks behind and quickly run to a free stall and shut myself in and sat down in misery

"It could've been any other day. Any other freaking day", I shouted uncontrollably hitting the wall in embarrassment. I flinch in pain because of another cramp.

How do I get out? I don't know. Where is Amelia when I need her?

"Erica?", Kendricks said in a soft voice from the door making me realize he was still out there, "Come out for a second"

Hardly convincing me to move from my position, I budge anyway and peak out the ladies room. With the first thing greeting me being a pad. I look at Kendricks looking away awkwardly as if he knew I was embarrassed. His hand was still holding out the pad. "Thanks", I said quickly grabbing the pad then shutting the door.

"No, really. Thank you Kendricks", I said talking to myself while looking at the pad. He partially got me out some deep shit.

But gosh, this is embarrassing

◍✧⁠*･｡˖⁠♡

It was one of the moments I didn't realize how I got here. I was in Kendrick's car because he sent the limo away. His blazer tied to my waist as a cover up and a hot water bottle on my abdomen. How he keeps getting all this emergency girl kit stuff, I don't know.

I looked out through the window to view the night sky. It was quiet and peaceful in the night as he drove me home.
I awkwardly broke the silence because this would probably be the perfect time for my stomach to show what it was capable of in terms of growling.

"You could have stayed", I break the silence

"I could've, but I didn't", he responded with his eyes on the road

"But you should've"

"Well I didn't. What? How were you going to get home in your condition in that dress? Perhaps on your skateboard?", He finally looks at me giving me butterflies for the hundredth time this evening. For what?
"We'll be there soon", he looks back at the road assuring me in a calm voice.

Silence aroused again.
And I broke it again for good reasons.

"Thank you", I finally said what I had been wanting to say all this while, "For getting me out of there when I didn't know how...and the rest", I concluded.

"No problem"

"I'm going to miss the pretty you", he slipped the words out

He just had to.

"What do you mean by that?", I said sounding like a bomb that would explode any second if he selected the wrong choice of words.