New Leaves, No Strings (38 page)

‘I guess we could. Listen I need a
serious caffeine fix before English, shall we hit Starbucks and grab a coffee
and a bun?’

‘Your diet’s so bad, how do you
keep your figure?’

‘I don’t know, just lucky I guess.
Lexi’s the same, we can eat junk ’til the cows come home and never seem to put
on any weight.’ I leaned over in the chair to put the hairdryer back in my
drawer and dropped it, screaming as I was hit with a searing pain in my side.

‘Mia what’s wrong,’ Gabe shouted in
a panic as he leapt off my bed and ran to my side.

‘I just have this awful pain in my side,’
I gasped as I doubled up. ‘It feels like a hot poker moving through me. O god I
need to lie down.’

Gabe quickly picked me up off the
chair into his arms and carried me to my bed and gently lay me down on top of
the duvet. His face had gone as pale as I felt mine had and I curled up into a
ball hugging my stomach.

‘What can I do, should I ring an ambulance?’
he asked as he crouched at the side of the bed and stroked my forehead looking
worried sick.

‘No it’ll go in a while, honestly I’ll
be fine.’ I panted.

‘How do you know?’

‘It happens a lot. I get these
awful stabbing pains in my side, really bad low back pain and bad cramps that
just come from nowhere.’

‘What’s going on? I heard a scream
and shouting,’ called Lexi from outside.

‘Lexi please come in. I don’t know
what to do with her.’

I watched Gabe run a hand through
his hair as he looked down at me nervously, then I felt the bed sag as Lexi sat
down at my feet and I attempted a smile through the pain radiating through my
pelvis.

‘O god you have them back again? I
told you it’s not bloody normal, you need to get looked at. I’m going to get
you a hot water bottle , some painkillers and a glass of water, I’ll be back in
a couple of minutes ok?’

‘Thanks Lexi,’ called Gabe as she
left the room. ‘What can I do baby?’ he said as he studied me and stroked my
hair, while I lay panting.

‘Will you just lie with me for a
while?’

He walked to the other side of the
bed and I felt him climb up and carefully move into position behind me, drawing
up his knees into mine and putting his arm around me. His hand reached for mine,
which was clutching my stomach and he stroked the back of my hand with his
thumb as he kissed my hair.

‘God I can’t bear to see you like
this. You gave me such a fright. You could’ve warned me this might happen.’

‘I’m sorry. I thought it was a bit
early for the talk about my monthly cycles. This tends to happen when I’m due.’

‘When are you?’

‘Saturday or Sunday, sorry if that
ruins your weekend plans.’ I winced as another wave of blinding pain shot
through me.

‘Mia, I told you it’s not all about
the sex, the sex is fantastic and I fully intend to take advantage of you
whenever and wherever I can, but I love just being with you. So if you need a
few days or a week of no sex that’s fine,’ he murmured as he grazed his lips
over my temple.

‘You’re not into sex when woman are
on are you? As I don’t think I could handle that.’

‘Never tried it, but I wouldn’t do
anything you weren’t happy with baby.’

Lexi knocked and came in with a hot
water bottle, which Gabe reached for and he lifted my hands and placed it
carefully where I was clutching. She sat at the bottom of the bed and stroked
my leg.

‘Mia you have to get this sorted, it’s
been going on for almost four years.’

‘Then why hasn’t she been to a
doctor?’

‘Beats me, she’s so bloody stubborn
sometimes. She kept telling me it was normal to have pain with your periods and
I was like no it’s fucking not, not to this degree, but she says she just has
to deal with it.’

‘So what can we do about it?’

‘Force her to talk to the doctor.
If needs be I’m going into that appointment to make sure she tells them.’

‘Hello “she” is lying right here.
Do I get a say in the matter?’

‘No,’ said Lexi and Gabe in unison
and I sighed.

‘So let’s ring the doctor now and
get her seen straight away,’ said Gabe.

‘We’re already booked in at nine
tomorrow if you think you should wait until then?’ asked Lexi directing the
question to me.

‘Honestly, in another five or ten
minutes I’ll be fine, it’ll pass.’

‘Well I’m on hot chocolate watch. I
know a mug with two spoons of sugar always cheers you up when you’re down. Gabe
you want anything?’

‘I’d love a black coffee please
Lexi.’

‘On it.’

When she was gone I heard Gabe sigh.
‘Is it me? Is this my fault? Have I done this by being too rough with you
during sex?’ he asked quietly.

‘No, of course not. I promise you it’s
been happening for a while. Like Lexi said I just thought it was normal to get
like this, but when all the other girls at boarding school said no, I realised
something was wrong.’

‘And you’ve not done anything about
it?’

‘No,’ I said quietly.

‘Why?’

‘I’ve been too frightened to find
out, in case there’s something really wrong.’ I felt his grip on my hand
tighten.

‘God Mia you’re crazy. If something’s
wrong it needs sorting and waiting’s not going to help. I can’t believe how you
can look after others so well and just ignore yourself. Well I can tell you
that it’s not happening while you’re with me, if Lexi can’t go with you
tomorrow I’m taking you myself.’ He sounded really cross with me. ‘Why are you
going tomorrow if it wasn’t about this? Is something else wrong?’

‘No, nothing I just wanted to talk
about my options.’

‘Options?’

‘Contraception, so you don’t have
to keep wearing condoms.’

‘You’d do that for me?’ he asked as
he kissed my cheek.

‘Yes. I’m just a bit concerned
about other stuff if we take that route.’

‘Other stuff?’

‘STI’s,’ I mumbled, embarrassed to
be bringing it up.

‘I’ve never had sex without a
condom Mia, so I shouldn’t have anything, but if you need me to take the tests
to reassure yourself, I will.’

‘You would? Really?’ I twisted my
head to look at him and he planted a kiss on my lips.

‘Of course, anything to make you
happy and the thought of being able to come free of bloody rubbers is fantastic.’

‘Thank you.’

‘How are you doing? Any better?’

‘Yes the stabbing pain’s gone, I’m
just aching inside.’

‘Well we’ll lie here as long as you
need.’

I closed my eyes and took comfort
in the warmth on my belly and Gabe’s strong arms around me. I could feel his
heart beating on my back and it soothed me. Lexi came back with our drinks and
put them on the bedside cabinet.

‘I’m in the lounge sorting out our
books and notes. Call me if you need me ok?’

‘Thanks Lex.’

‘Lexi thank you, I feel so much
better knowing you’re here with her when I’m not,’ Gabe added. She smiled as
she shut the door. ‘Do you think you’re ready to sit up baby?’

‘Let’s give it a try.’

He helped me and gathered all the
pillows and put them against the headboard and I shuffled back into them.

‘Ok?’

‘Yes much better thanks, sorry if I
gave you a scare.’

‘Mia I need you to be looked at and
sorted. God if I lost you as well …’ he cut himself short and took a laboured
deep breath.

‘Gabe I promise I’m going to be
looked at. Please don’t compare my little troubles with what happened,’ I said
as I reached over and ran my fingers through the side of his hair. He turned
his head to kiss my wrist.

‘I can’t help it, I love you so
much Mia.’

The look he gave me seemed so
sincere I had to break his gaze and gingerly leaned over to grab my hot
chocolate so I could avoid looking at him. I was ok, the pain and cramps had
gone as suddenly as they’d arrived. I knew they would, it happened all the
time. Gabe reached over to grab his coffee and we sat quietly drinking our
drinks. He reached out his hand to link our fingers and stroked the back of my
hand with his thumb.

‘Ok, what do you want to eat? All
you’ve had all day is a banana and it’s nearly twelve. Do you want something
from Starbucks? I can go and get it for you.’

‘No thanks, but I’d love some
peanut butter on toast.’

‘I’ll go and make it for you,’ he
said kissing me and letting go of my hand.

‘Gabe?’

‘Yes?’

‘I like butter on the toast.’

‘What?’ he asked, surprised.

‘Butter on the toast, then peanut
butter.’

‘But that’s peanut butter and
butter on toast, that’s not normal,’ he stated with a frown on his face.

‘You sound just like Lexi, that’s
how I like it,’ I pouted.

‘You must be feeling better if
you’re trying your sexy pout on me. Fine, I’ll do it how you like it.’

‘Thanks and help yourself to
something, it’s your food.’

When he came back in he’d made
himself a plate of melon slices with Parma ham and the left over strawberries.

‘God Gabe, you eat so healthily.’

‘I have to, a body like this doesn’t
come without work you know,’ he grinned.

‘Then keep working, you know that’s
all I’m interested in you for,’ I teased.

‘I thought it was for my ferocious sexual
appetite and big cock.’

‘Well they’re just very
very
nice bonuses, but I’d be happy to just sit and look at you naked all day,’ I
nodded as I chewed on my toast.

‘I love that you like my body so
much.’

‘I do. I look at that picture you
sent me every time I turn on my phone, it’s my wallpaper. I was thinking of
having it made into wall art for the bedroom you know.’

‘Wow you really do like it. Well I’ve
some of your photos up too and your bath picture is my screen saver on my iPhone
and iPad and the picture of you in my shirt as my wallpaper on my iPad.’

‘You could see my parts in that
shot.’

‘No one else gets to see it but me,
my iPad’s protected.’

‘What do you have as your wallpaper
on your iPhone?’

‘The picture of you sleeping.’

‘Obsessive much? What picture of me
sleeping?’

‘The one I took while you were
asleep,’ he laughed.

‘See creepy. As if watching me
sleep wasn’t bad enough, you’re taking pictures of me as well? Let me see it,’
I demanded holding out my hand.

‘You look beautiful, your face is
still full of post fuck glow, your hair’s tumbling around your face and your
lips are slightly parted as you breathe. Your shoulder and the top of your
breasts are showing above the duvet and your soft skin is just glowing. I love
it.’ I watched his face as it went soft and his eyes shined as he talked.

‘God you make me sound so perfect,
let me see.’ I waved my outstretched hand at him.

‘You are perfect Mia, my perfect,’
he whispered as he handed it over and kissed my cheek. I gave him a shy smile
and studied it. He’d captured me in a moment where I looked so happy and peaceful.
I handed it back to him and he gently kissed my lips and stroked my hair.

As I finally got up and started to
organise my book bag, we had a rather heated discussion about his request for
me to remain in bed and not go into Uni at all.

‘Gabe seriously let it go, I don’t
need wrapping in cotton wool,’ I sighed. ‘I’m fine now. I can’t put my life on
hold just because I get the odd pain now and again.’

‘Mia I don’t want to risk something
happening to you.’

‘I’m going in whether you like it
or not. How did you get here this morning?’ I asked Gabe.

‘I ran.’

‘Before we even went running?
You’re insane. How long did it take you?’

‘About three quarters of an hour, I
live the other side of the park, near where we went for lunch.’

‘God then I really did slow you
down this morning. It took me half an hour to do less than half of the
journey.’

‘Less than half? More like a third,
but I liked running with you and I especially liked the non-running parts with
you,’ he grinned.

‘So did I, very much. Ok, we better
make a move. Lexi, you ready to go?’ I yelled.

‘Yes are we all getting the bus? If
so it’s in ten,’ she shouted back. I looked at Gabe and he rolled his eyes and nodded.

‘Ok, be out in a minute,’ I yelled
back.

‘Come on then, if you insist on bloody
doing this.’ He grabbed my bag off me and slung it over his shoulder.

‘What about your books? You didn’t
bring them?’