Page 13 of Love is So Mean
The obscenely long ride causes me to pace and run my fingers through my hair as my brain conjures up all the worst case scenarios. Yasmeena could be in danger and I’m stuck in a fucking metal box.
The moment the doors open, I sprint towards her room. I don’t know why I feel the urge to run but my instinct tells me it’s necessary. Any time we travel together, Matthew always gives me info about Yasmeena's room and a key simply for the purpose of letting her in if she forgets it. That used to annoy me because I’m not her servant but I now see that it’s handy.
Her door is still ajar so I push my way in not caring if she’s fine and will bitch about my presence. I rush into her room, closing the door behind me just as Yasmeena reaches for a medicine bottle. Her eyes flutter and I know she’s going to pass out before her body goes limp. I slide into place and catch her before she can bang her head on anything.
My heart feels like it’s about to beat out of my chest so I say the first thing that comes to mind.
“It’s okay. I’m here now.”
It took some maneuvering but I was able to get her conscious enough to get the hydromorphone in her system with some water. I carried her to bed and am now sitting on the empty side of her bed while using my phone to research what the hell I just gave her. An opioid? Is the pain that strong? I give her another worried look and move the cold towel over her eyes.
So much was going on that I had ignored my phone ringing while I was trying to see about Yasmeena. I know Emily will beupset but I also can’t tell her why I bolted. I don’t know what I’m going to say, but for the first time in our relationship, it won’t be the truth.
This secret alone will give me an ulcer although I’ve turned her down. I’m not built for lying or omitting information but it’s not important right now. The NDA is the only reason why I didn’t call for help. Something tells me she would have been pissed if she came to, in the hospital.
Instead I send Matthew then Emily a text then put my phone on Do Not Disturb.
Me: Yasmeena and I are having an emergency meeting. We’ll return once it concludes.
If I’m the keeper of this secret, I’ll sit here as long as necessary until I know she’s fine to move on her own. The silence in the room gives my mind space to wander back to a conversation I had with Emily.
After my meeting with Yasmeena, Emily and I were having dinner at yet another trendy restaurant and it occurred to me that I never got her take on children.
“Emily, do you want children?”
She made a face that suggested that I’d asked her if she wanted to see my third nipple.
“No. I’ve never wanted children. That’s what makes us perfect, my love. We’re busy with our careers and we couldn’t do this.”
She waves her hand at the restaurant like I didn’t just send back my food. It wasn’t the best example and parents take kids to dinner all of the time.
“Have dinner?”
“Yes and no. We don’t have to find a babysitter for last minute plans or share our time and things. It’s all ours. Just peace.”
Her answer rubbed me the wrong way for some reason. It’s not that she doesn’t want kids, I have other childless friends. It was how she acted like children were only an abomination and a nuisance. We were all children once.
“Okay,” I didn’t push because I didn’t want to argue over nothing. I never said in the time we were together that not having kids was a deal breaker. Besides, I love my rose colored glass of our love.
Emily, however, giggled like the notion was hilarious. “You didn’t start thinking you wanted kids, did you?”
Movement next to me pulled me out of my thoughts.
“What happened? What’s going on?” Yasmeena removes the towel from her eyes. She turns and sees me. Immediately, she rolls away and jumps out of bed. “What?”
“One of the last times we talked, you asked me to marry you and father your child but my sitting here shocks you?” I shake my head with a chuckle, she is perplexing. “I caught you before you passed out.”
“And you placed the towel over my eyes?” She asks, suspiciously.
“Yes, in case you had a headache, and?”
“Why? Why did you do that?”
Now I’m really confused. Did she just want to pass out alone and worry about her concussion later?
“Because I’d rather you didn’t kill yourself being stubborn?”
“Oh, I would’ve been fine. It’s not the first time, I just wake up and take the medication, then maybe have tea. It works out.” She pulls her hair back into a high bun. “Do they not need you downstairs?”