Not Fine at All (Luke Hemmings a.u.)

Chapter 22

LUKE'S POV

I looked down to my chest at the sleeping girl whose head was rising and falling with each breath I took. Somehow in the night, though I don't remember when, I had moved both of us to the bedroom to avoid being ogled by Calum when he got home. My hand laid relaxed on her bare back and I could feel the puffs of air from her soft snores as they rolled across my skin.

Her face held a small smile, and I hoped it was because she was having a pleasant dream, perhaps of me. I never wanted her to experience another nightmare as long as she lived. As if she sensed me watching her, she shifted slightly and I tugged the sheet up a bit to try and make her comfortable.

So beautiful. I couldn't have asked for anything more. And in that moment, I don't think I would have if I'd had the choice.

******

LUCEY'S POV

I had never been so sick in my entire life.

It seemed as though every time I even made an attempt to move, I felt the vomit rising up my throat and the sour taste filling my mouth. Calum told me not to worry, that it was probably just a stomach bug. Him and Luke had just gotten jobs at the local Target downtown, and apparently the flu was cycling around there pretty badly.

So there I was, home alone while the two boys worked, puking my soul out into the toilet. I hadn't left the bathroom for nearly forty-five minutes, and I was beginning to worry that I was going to die there. As if I wasn't having enough trouble actually keeping my insides inside me, a loud noise at the front door nearly made me shit my pants.

The sound of someone knocking at the door echoed throughout the house. I silently prayed that it was one of the boys coming home to take care of me.

"It's unlocked!" I attempted to , my throat burning from the vomiting.

"Lucey, is that you?" A voice far too feminine to be Luke or Calum's called out. "Where are you?"

"Kelsey?"

"Yeah, it's me. I jus stopped by to return some of Calum's old things, but I can see that he's not home."

Apparently she followed the signs of my voice, and I could hear her light footsteps nearing the door. I sat up as best as I could and turned from the toilet to face her as she walked in. The look of surprise on her face when she saw me might have made me chuckle under different circumstances.

"Holy God. You look like hell."

"Yeah, tell me something I don't know," I muttered, running a hand through my disheveled hair. "I've been puking all morning. Guess I caught the bug that's going around."

"Maybe so," Kelsey nodded, though her expression said otherwise.

"So how have you been?" I attempted weakly, beginning to feel slightly better with someone else around.

"I've been alright. Missing Cal a bit, but I'm keeping on okay. How are you and Luke?"

A small smile escaped me. "We're doing very well, actually. I think things are really working out."

Kelsey was silent for a moment, as if she were choosing her words carefully. "Um, I don't mean to be too bold," she began with a somewhat cautious air. "But, have you and Luke, you know... Had sex?"

I felt my cheeks heating up at her brash question, and another wave of nausea washed over me. "Well, uh, yeah, we have a time or two," I stuttered out.

"When was the last time?" Kelsey asked quickly.

"Last night, if you have to know, but I feel uncomfortable discussing--"

"Did you ever consider that you're having morning sickness?" She interrupted softly.

"I-- what?" I was taken aback by her blunt words and nearly threw up again.

"Don't get freaked out or anything! All I'm saying is that if you and Luke are sexually active, you might wanna just check. But you use protection, right?"

Lucey froze. Until now, she hadn't really thought much about it before. Matt had never really bothered and she'd kind of gotten in the habit of just being super careful. She'd never given it a second thought until now.

The silence that followed Kelsey's question gave her the only answer she needed. "I'll take that as a no then."

A flood of emotion overtook Lucey at that point, and her nausea was replaced by the urge to cry. She bit her lip discreetly as tears welled in her eyes, and Kelsey placed a cautious hand on her shoulder. "I'm not saying it's definite or anything. I just think you should check it out."

"What do I tell Luke? We aren't ready for something like this!" A serious of graphic flashbacks whipped through her mind and panic began to set in.

"We won't have to tell him anything as long as you aren't pregnant, but there's only one way to figure that out. Do you want me to go to the store with you?"

Kelsey's willingness to help out relieved some of Lucey's anxiety, and the comfort was eagerly accepted. She was right. There was no use to start worrying now. They'd just get a test to be safe, but otherwise assume that everything was alright. It couldn't hurt, and they could be there and back before the boys even got off work.

"Alright, let's go."