The Chef's Sick Mate (Book 17 of the Regal Eclipse Pack Series)

Chapter 8

Gen was overly aware of the fact that she was much too thin. Years of being sick and barely able to keep food down most of the time meant that she was skin and bones. She had no boobs and no ass. She knew she could probably pass for a kid if she really wanted to. A pre-adolescent who's body hadn't started to develop yet. Not a twenty-four year old woman. Woman. She scoffed.

She'd messed with makeup when she was younger. When she was still under the illusion that if she got well enough, she might actually get to go to high school. She'd been hopeful, dreaming about it for months on end, until she realized she was being completely stupid. Her mother had told her then that her immune system wouldn't allow her to be around so many people day in and day out. There was no way she was going.

She'd been angry and threw away all of the makeup. She'd never replaced it. She'd stopped watching tutorials online and has spent hours in her room alone crying her heart out. Such a small thing, but it had crushed her, realizing her hopes and dreams of being normal were a complete waste. She'd never be normal.

She'd finally accepted that this was the shitty hand that she'd been dealt and that she had to deal with it. Once she had resigned herself to it, she found herself a bit happier. And a lot less angrier.

She would never have a normal life. No boyfriend, or husband. No children. No job. No career. She'd always live with her mom, and would be in and out of the hospital until she died. That was just the way it was.

Her ringing phone pulled Gen out of her thoughts and she sat her book down. She hadn't read any of it, she'd been so lost in her thoughts. She grabbed her phone glancing at the screen before answering it. Ana. "Hey Ana."

"Hi Gen. How are you feeling?" Her sister's voice was calm like always.

"Fine," she responded automatically without thinking about it.

"Uh huh." Typical Ana answer because they both knew she was lying.

Except that maybe she wasn't. She actually felt okay. Not great, but not bad. Much better than she had earlier right after her father had left. He'd been gone for over an hour now. "What are you up to?"

Ana sighed. "Big case I'm working on. I'm sitting here now reading over some files."

Gen frowned. All her sister did anymore was work. Ever since she'd broken up with her last boyfriend. Gen had a feeling things had ended badly with him even though Ana had never said so. "Ana?"

"Yeah?"

"What happened with Jimmy? Why did you guys break up?" Her sister never did tell her. But that had been two years ago, and Ana had remained single ever since. Gen didn't even think Ana had gone on any dates.

"He cheated on me," Ana admitted quietly.

Gen's eyebrows shot up. Someone had cheated on Ana? That was hard to believe. Ana was beautiful. She was what Gen would want to be if she wasn't sick. "Oh."

"He wasn't good for me, Gen. He was toxic, and I put up with him far longer than I should have." Ana heaved a huge sigh. "And, the sex completely sucked."

Gen smiled at that. "At least you were getting sex." Unlike her.

"Yeah." Ana was quiet for a moment. "You're a virgin," she finally said like she'd never given it any thought before.

Gen rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me. I'll die a virgin." They both knew it. It was just her lot in life.

"Wanna know a secret?" Ana asked her.

"Of course," Gen agreed. She loved when Ana shared things through her. It was her way of living vicariously through her sister. Not that Ana spilled a lot. She really didn't.

"You cannot tell Mom, or Dad. Not that it matters because I'm an adult, but still," Ana grumbled. "I can just imagine the lectures I'd get."

"I won't tell them anything," Gen reassured her. Especially not about her sister's sex life. That would just be weird. It wasn't exactly casual conversation.

"So about two months ago, I went out to a bar with some of my girlfriends, and there was this guy there. He was extremely hot. Dark hair, blue eyes, built, tattoos. He was gorgeous. And he was interested in me for some weird reason." She stopped, growing quiet for a moment.

"Probably because you are absolutely beautiful. Any man would think you're hot Ana," Gen told her. It was the truth. Her sister was gorgeous.

"Well thank you for that. Anyway, I ended up having a one night stand with him," Ana admitted.

Well this was getting more interesting by the second. "You did?"

"Yeah. Stupid, but I did," Ana said. "I went to a hotel alone with him."

"Okay?" She had a hard time believing her sister had done that. Ana was a cop, and didn't typically put herself at risk like that.

"Gen, that was the most amazing sex I've ever had in my life," Ana whispered. "It was unbelievable. Like, that's the stuff you read about in your romance novels. The things he did to me..."

She was jealous. Not of her sister, but that she would never experience something like that. Then something clicked. "A one night stand? Did you take off or did he?"

"Yeah. I snuck out afterwards while he was asleep. And I so regret that. If I could go back and change that one thing, I would in a heartbeat," Ana said quietly. "As weird as it sounds, we had like this connection I've never felt with anyone before. He was..." She sighed. "He was amazing and so sweet, and it was just an absolutely amazing night."

Gen's heart ached for her sister. "Can't you find him, Ana? I mean, you're a detective."

"I don't know his last name. Just his first. And he doesn't live around here. He lives in Pennsylvania," Ana said in frustration.

"Oh." Well that sucked. Gen felt bad for her sister. It sounded like Ana had a magical night with this man, and that had been all it was. One perfect night. "What was his name?"

"Aidan." She said it in such a way that it made Gen's own heart twist. Her sister was half in love with him.

"Well, if it's meant to be, he'll show back up in your life. And if he's got a brother or cousin that's available, send him my way," Gen joked, though that would never really happen. None of them would be interested.

Ana giggled. "I truly don't expect to see him again. But if only I could..." She sighed loudly. "Have you seen Dad lately?"

"Yeah, he brought me dinner this evening. He just left a bit ago." Gen yawned.

"Oh, I should let you go then. You need some rest and I need to finish reading this before I go to sleep."

"You work too much, Ana," Gen mumbled. She knew her sister loved her job but it kept her constantly busy.

"I know I do. You take care. I'll talk to you later, sis. Love you."

"I love you too. And I hope you find your one night stand and he sweeps you off your feet," Gen said with a giggle before ending the call. She sat the phone on the night stand and laid her head back on the pillow. Her eyes caught the book Ana had dropped off. She'd brought over a bag of books she'd picked up from the library and Gen had read most of them.

The Alpha's Mate by Astrid Asgrim

She reached over and grabbed it, flipping it open, then settled back. She'd read until she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore. Not that she was overly tired. She was actually feeling pretty good. She felt better than she had in a long time. Maybe her father's magic drink has actually helped, though she doubted it. She didn't think there was anything out there that could help her. Except death.

Gen opened the book, her other one finished and started to read, letting herself get lost in a new world, a new story.

A few hour passed when she suddenly heard a voice. 'Hello, Genevieve.'