Shattered

Chapter 38

            It wasn't the feeling of something warm pressing against my leg that woke me, but the nausea that was rapidly building up in my stomach. I groaned and sat up slowly with my arm wrapped around my stomach. Beside me, Mya raised her head and looked at me with a curious look on her face.
"It's okay," I said to her. "It's just..." I trailed off as I felt my stomach churn.
I stumbled out of bed and slowly headed for the bathroom. Every step seemed to make my stomach tighten, clench, and churn even more. I clapped my hand over my mouth as I felt the warm feeling rising to the back of my throat. I barely made it to the bathroom when I buckled over and the warm, clouded liquid spilled from my mouth and into the trashcan. When I was done, I slumped against the wall. Now that I was done dry heaving, I felt bruised inside.
"Curse whoever called this morning sickness," I muttered walking over to the bathroom sink and rinsing my mouth.
After I was done, instead of returning to the bed, I decided to curl up on the living room sofa. Mya followed me closely whining and occasionally nudging my leg.
"I'm alright," I murmured to her as I sat down on the sofa and picked up the television remote.
For a while I channel surfed, avoiding anything that talked about food, until I found "Madea's Family Reunion". I was about halfway through the movie when I felt my stomach churning again. I got to my feet and ran into the kitchen just moments before I once again emptied whatever was left in my stomach into the kitchen sink. I shuddered as I slumped over the sink with my hand wresting over my stomach.
"Really, baby?" I said rubbing it.
My phone rung loudly in my pocket and I pulled it out before answering it.
"Hello?" I called, my voice was raspy.
"Hey October, wow, you sound horrible. Morning sickness again?" Ericka's voice sounded on the other end.
"Yeah. It's been pretty bad lately," I answered sitting down at the table, afraid that if I was to stand any longer I would trigger the nausea again.
"Well, you're only in your first trimester. I hate to break it to you, but you will have to deal with that until the middle of your second trimester. Unless you're unlucky. Then you will deal with it throughout your entire pregnancy," she said. "I have a few remedies that can help make you comfortable. If you want to know."
"Please?"
"There are a lot of them," she warned.
"I don't care," I groaned.
"Well, there are some foods that can help you. Ginger is good, something sour like candy or lemon water, mint, crackers and toast, smoothies, trail mix, and liquids are some of the foods that help. If you don't want to eat anything then you can do things like acupressure or acupuncture, exercise, change your eating patterns, and you can use facial wipes. And if you aren't comfortable doing any of that, you can take medicines. You can take Benadryl and Unisom, acid reflux meds, use motion sickness patches, or even take prescription medications. Otherwise, you can just grin and bear it," she said. "The best remedy is ginger. Ask Keith to go and get you a Ginger Ale."
"He's at work," I muttered.
"On a Saturday? I thought he was off on Saturdays?"
"He usually is, but he accidently ratted on Gia yesterday," I answered. "Tyler came to the library where I worked and he flat out kissed me."
"HE WHAT!?!" she shouted making me flinch away from the phone. "What did Keith do?"
"They got in a fight," I answered.
"I would've loved to be a fly on the wall for that, but I saw Gia earlier today when I went on my break," she said.
"You did? Did she look okay?"
She was silent for a moment before saying, "She just looked really depressed and upset. Not like she's been beaten or anything, but like she's...grieving."
"Grieving?" I echoed.
"Yeah, maybe a member of her family died. Have you heard from her?"
"No," I answered looking down as Mya walked up to me and rested her head on my leg.
"Probably so. I hope he hasn't done something to her. Or threatened her or something. I bet Keith will have his head if he did. He deserves to be put under the jail."
"I agree. I was so angry when he kissed me. Apparently, he wants me back."
"Are you kidding me right now? What makes him think you would want his ass back after everything he did to you?"
"Your guess is as good as mine," I muttered.
"Hey listen, I've got to go. I have to do a few things before I head home. Do you want me to pick up some remedies for you? I don't mind."
I sighed heavily as my stomach ached, but I said, "No thanks, you don't have to. I'll text Keith and ask him to bring me a ginger ale."
"Okay, take care."
"You too."
I hung up the phone and sighed before getting up and making my way back to the living room. Mya followed me and curled up beside the chair once I laid back down. I was almost asleep when I heard the front door open and Mya jump up.
"Hey Mya," Keith's voice sounded from the door and I raised my head as he petted her. "How are you doing?"
She wagged her tail hard before licking his hand and running into the kitchen.
"I'll get your treats in a few minutes, Mya," Keith murmured as he walked up to me and sat down beside me.
"Hey, are you alright?" he asked touching my forehead. "You look flushed."
"Just morning sickness," I answered. "Did you manage to find out anything?"
He sighed and shook his head before saying, "No, nothing. I called Gia, but her phone went straight to voicemail and a couple of my comrades went over to their house in undercover vehicles, but no one was home. It's like they split town or something."
"That can't be right," I said sitting up. "Ericka said she saw Gia earlier today when she went on her break."
He raised one eyebrow before saying, "What else did she say?"
"Nothing, except that she looked like she was grieving. I can't think of a reason why she would be unless someone in her family died."
"I doubt that highly. She doesn't have any family other than who she gave her daughter to and from what I heard when I called them, everything is alright with them, but they haven't heard from Gia since."
Mya trotted back into the living room and grabbed Keith's shirt sleeve in her mouth before pulling on him.
"Hold on," he murmured to her.
"Well, that's to be expected, Keith. I mean he threatened her remember? He didn't want her to have any contact with them at all," I pointed out. "Go give Mya her treats."
He looked at Mya and laughed before getting to his feet and walking into the kitchen. She barked excitedly and barreled past him almost knocking him over.
"She must really love those treats," I said laughing.
"Love would be an understatement," he muttered before disappearing around the corner.
My phone buzzed and I pulled it out of my pocket before looking at it. It was a message from Gia.
October, it's Gia. Can I call you?
I sent the thumbs up emoji and waited. A few seconds later, my phone rung.
"Hello?"
"October, is this a bad time?" she asked, her voice sounded like she had been crying.
"No, not at all, what's wrong?"
"It's about Tyler," she said.
I stood up before saying, "What about him? What happened? Did he put his hands on you?"
Keith walked around the corner and stared at me before opening his mouth to speak, but I held up one finger and shook my head at him.
"No and he never will again," she answered.
"What do you mean? What're you talking about?"
She went silent and for a moment I thought she had hung up the phone, but after a few moments, I heard her let out a shaky breath.
"October, he's..." she trailed off and started to cry.
"He's what? Answer me!" I shouted without meaning to.
"He's dead!"
I froze and I wasn't sure what look I had on my face, but Keith immediately rushed up to me and raised one eyebrow.
"What?" he said.
"I'm coming over to your house if that's alright. I don't want to be alone right now and I have a letter for you that he left on the bed," she muttered.
"Yeah, that's fine. See you when you get here," I murmured before hanging up the phone and looking up at him.
"Can you tell me what is going on?" he asked throwing his hands up in exasperation.
"Tyler is dead," I answered.
"What!?! How?" he asked.
I sat down on the sofa before saying, "I don't know, we'll find out when she gets here."
He nodded and returned to the kitchen as I stared at the table.
Tyler is dead? Tyler is dead.
"Tyler is dead," I whispered feeling a smile spread across my face.
Serves him right. He deserves it.
My smile quickly faded when I remembered that there was a letter he had left for me and I could only imagine what the letter said. Part of me wanted to know, but the other half of me didn't.
Who knows what could be in that letter. Maybe he hired someone to kill me because I didn't kiss him.
My heart started to race as other thoughts entered my head. Whatever was in that letter, I wouldn't have to wait much longer to find out because Gia was on her way.