Cold Hearts in The Rain

Chapter 30

This pain... it's unbearable... it's horrible... it's worse than death itself...

"Doe, you okay?" Caleb asked.

"Painnnn," I groaned, leaning back in my chair.

I had been indulging in chocolate with as much fervor as my good arm could muster, but the clenching pain caught up to me. My uterus was punishing me for not having a child.

I'm sixteen! Why would I want to get pregnant?!

My uterus responded with its continuation of shedding.

"Why are you in pain?" Caleb asked, concerned and probably more than he should've been. His eyes were on my arm.

"Period," I groaned and buried my head in my knees. I heard him chuckle.

"Sit on the floor with me," he ordered.

"No," I snapped. "I like it here."

"But I can help," he said, suggestively.

"And how can you do that?" I asked.

"Get on the floor with me," he said and tugged me down. He wrapped one arm around me and the other in front of me, lifting up my shirt. He then stopped.

"Is this okay?" he asked.

"I t-think so?" I stuttered. Oh my gosh, I actually stuttered. What is happening to me?

His hands moved away.

"You don't sound so sure so I'm not going to push it," he said.

"Tell me what you were going to do," I commanded.

"I was going to put my hands on your lower belly 'cause I heard heat subdues cramps," he admitted. "And I got hot hands."

"Oh," I said, taking a breath. "Okay. Go ahead."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

He hesitantly lifted up my shirt again, his eyes never leaving my face, and his hands both went to my lower belly. They were hot. I leaned into him.

The cramps didn't really go away, but his hands being where they were made me relax. I was going to ask him to get medicine for me, but I found myself suffering through the pain since I was comfortable.

If it had been Nory, however, she would've told him to get the pills immediately after the warmth of hands didn't work. She used to get really bad cramps. So bad she'd throw up.

Oh, Nory...

"You okay?" Caleb asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "My pain? 'Cause yeah I'm fine."

"No. You looked... down."

"I just thought about Nory..."

I could tell he wanted to hug me tightly but his hands were preoccupied with my lower belly so instead, he kissed my cheek.

"Thanks," I whispered. He leaned his head into my shoulder and I leaned my head on top of his.

"I just can't believe that all of this has happened... from Nory to Charlotte..." He cringed at his sister's name and he grew tense.

"Sorry," I said quickly and fell into a silence.

"I text her all the time," he said after a while. "I'm always hoping that one day she'll text me back. But she never does and probably never will."

I was scared he was going to cry and that it'd be my fault but he never did. He just sat there and held it in. His face was devoid of any emotion.

I felt anger bubbling in my stomach. I couldn't believe Clark would hurt people all just to get to me. But it was infuriating.