Chapter 20
The next morning I woke up to the sound of movement in the hallways. I get out of bed tiredly and grab my robe before peering my head outside the bedroom door. Several men were moving items throughout the hallway.
I quirk my brow as I see them removing the living room couch from where it sat. I walk out of the bedroom and toward the living room where I saw Julius directing them. "Where are you taking the couch?" I ask.
He doesn't look at me as he's pointing toward the door for the men to follow, "I'm switching it out for mine, it's going into storage."
I frown, "I like that couch!" I turn to the men, "Put the couch back." Julius shakes his head before looking down at me, "My couch is better."
I scoff, "Your couch is infested with women's panties!"
"That was one time!" He turns back to the men who had begun placing the couch back into its spot, "Take the couch away." He directs them.
I point at the men, "You guys take a break."
The men shrug before putting the couch down and walking away. I spin back around to Julius who had his arms crossed in front of him. He was dressed fairly casually, with grey sweats and a fitted white t-shirt. "Why are you switching out the furniture? Without consulting me?" I ask irritatedly.
He shrugs, "I didn't think you would care."
"Of course I care. I don't want to use your stinky sex-filled furniture."
He scoffs, "I don't have sex on all my furniture. Sex on a barstool would be difficult." He pauses for a minute as he thinks, "But not impossible."
I roll my eyes at him before walking away. "We're keeping the furniture and that's final."
"What happened to consulting each other?" He asks with his brow raised.
I turn around, "That went down the toilet the second you started talking about barstool sex." I continue walking and head toward my bedroom to get ready for the day.
It was Sunday morning and Julius was officially moving in. He spent the night here last night and I had hardly noticed his presence, but that's because we were in separate rooms.
After taking a shower and dressing in something simple, a fitted grey top and some high-waisted jeans. I reentered the open living room and kitchen area to find some breakfast. The movers were gone and it looked like the furniture stayed the same. Julius was sitting down in front of the counter, reading from his phone as he sipped coffee.
"Good morning." I mumble as I open the fridge.
He looked up from his phone, his eyes scanning me before speaking, "Good morning." It was short and curt.
I pull almond milk out of the fridge before grabbing cereal and a bowl from the cabinet. I walk past Julius and toward the dining area, where I put my breakfast ingredients on the table. As I'm walking back to the kitchen I notice that the barstool Julius is sitting on isn't the same one from before. I frown, "Did you switch out the barstools?" I ask him with a hand on my hip.
He turns around to face me, "I told you I haven't had sex on these." He smirks at me, "Yet."
I roll my eyes at him, as he returns his attention to the phone. "Are you ever going to stop with the consistent flirting?"
"Probably not." He responds, not looking up from his phone.
I was feeling more irritable than usual and just decided to ignore him and eat my breakfast. There was barely any milk left so my portions were extremely small. After breakfast, I went back to my room to put on my shoes and go out for the day. I needed to run some errands and get ready for the upcoming week.
Julius glanced at me as I walked past him and toward the front door. "Where are you going?" He asks as I place my hand on the doorknob. "Out." That is all I say before leaving and shutting the door behind me.
As I drove out toward my first destination, I could feel a dull pain in my stomach. I groan, knowing exactly what was coming. I open the storage compartment of my car to see if I had any tampons. Thankfully I do and I arrive at my first destination, the dry cleaners.
I grab my purse and head inside to pick up my belongings. "Would you happen to have a bathroom?" I ask the middle-aged woman. She nods and points behind me to the door labeled women's restroom. I nod politely before heading in the direction of the bathroom, clutching my purse as I started to feel the potential disaster waiting to happen.
I rush into a stall and pull the tampon out of my purse before pulling down my pants and inserting it in. Thankfully I made it on time and there was no damage done to my undergarments.
I wash my hands and leave the bathroom, coming back to face the woman behind the counter. "I'm here to pick up my dry cleaning, under the name Harris."
She types on her computer before going into the back and bringing out some of my clothes. I thank her as I take it and head back to the car. I pop ibuprofen and drink some water before continuing on my way.
The pain in my stomach was starting to intensify as I drove around the city. Seemingly only getting worse with every stop. It was only when I arrived at the grocery store that my body decided it couldn't handle anymore.
I strolled through the grocery store, putting items in my cart despite the horrific battle within my uterus. The pain in my lower back started to intensity as the pain traveled to my legs causing them to numb. I gripped the handlebar of the cart as I tried to ignore the pain, but ultimately I lost.
"Here we go again." I mumble as my vision went black and I fade out of consciousness.
When I woke up there was a crowd around me, looking down at me with sympathy. "Do we call the paramedics?" One person asked.
"I think she's waking up, someone help her up." Another said as my eyes flutter open. I felt my body being lifted and I was brought to a chair before sitting down. "Ma'am, are you okay?" A young woman in the grocery store uniform asks. I place my hand on my head where I hit it when I fell.
"I'm alright, I think I'm just going to go home." I say as I try to get up, but fail as I lose my balance and take a seat again.
"Maybe we should call the ambulance." An older woman suggests. I shake my head and wince at the pain. "No that's fine really, I just need to get home."
"Is there anyone we can call for you?" The grocery store clerk asks. Another cramp attacks my uterus and I wince, causing the helpful bystanders to widen their eyes.
"My fiancé, Julius." I mumble out, handing the girl my phone. I didn't have the energy to speak to him, my head still felt weak and the pain was still rushing through my body. She nods as she takes my phone and calls Julius's number in my contact list.
I wanted to call Sheila, but she didn't have a car so that was out of the question. My parents would question why I'm calling them and send Julius anyway. So he was the only person who could come get me. I knew if I drove one bad cramp might throw me off the road. And I could hardly walk at the moment, let alone drive.
Julius got here sooner than I anticipated and rushed into the grocery store. His eyes meet mine as I was laying down tiredly in a chair by one of the registers. He rushes over to me, keys in hand. "Stella are you okay?" He asks.
"Just take me home please." I ask tiredly. He nods and thanks to the grocery store girl before helping me to the car. "Also can you get some extra strength ibuprofen and Ben & Jerry's cookie dough ice cream from the store before we leave?" I ask. My uterus gives itself another stab and I wince. He nods quickly and rushes into the store as I lay down in the back seat.
God, I can't wait to take a shower.
-
When Julius and I arrive at the complex he carries me inside so I wouldn't have to walk, which I greatly appreciated. I mumble a thank you before wobbling toward the bathroom in my room. I stripped out of my clothes and turn the shower onto its hottest temperature before stepping in.
The hot water helped a lot with relieving the pain that was soaring through my body. But I was still completely uncomfortable when I got out, the full pain of my cramps invading my lower back and stomach.
I threw on a t-shirt and some loose basketball shorts before crashing into bed. It was still only evening but my day was now over. I knew the only reason I briefly fainted was because of the lack of food in my system compared to the amount of blood I was losing. It happened often on my period, especially during the first two days.
I lay on my stomach as I tried to ignore the pain when I heard a slight knock on my door. "What!" I called back irritatedly.
He opened the door slowly, peeking his head into the bedroom. "Um, are you okay?"
"Do I look okay?" I mumbled into the sheet.
"Is there anything I can do? Do you need a doctor?" He asks.
"Can you tell my uterus to stop trying to kill me?" I ask sarcastically.
He stands there looking rather confused before answering, "Um no?"
"Then get out." I buried my face back into the bed and let out a small frustrated scream as another piercing cramp came by. God, I hated cramps.
Julius didn't leave the room, he stood there and watched me with concern written on his face. "Are you hungry?" He asks.
I look up at him angrily, ready to lash out again before my expression softens. "Yes actually."
"What do you want? I'll order in."
I tried to think of what sounded appetizing, but one of the terrible effects of my period was nausea. So everything I thought of made me feel sick. "Do we have soup?" I ask him sadly.
"I don't think so but I can get you some? What kind?"
I smile lightly at him, he was really trying. "Just chicken noodle should be fine. And please turn on the air conditioning." I tell him as I turn to lay on my stomach again.
He nods before pulling his keys out and leaving the room. I roll over in the bed as the door shuts, I might as well take my mind off the pain. I grab the remote next to me and turn on the tv in my bedroom.
The evening news was on and I watch as they talked about today's biggest stories in the area. By the time they began talking about the expected weather for the week, there was a knock on my door. "Come in." I mumble as I hug the pillow in front of me.
Julius walks in with a tray that had my bowl of soup, as well as some saltine crackers on the side and a tall glass of water. I sit up against the headboard as he places the food in front of me. "Thank you Julius."
"Are you starting to feel better?" He asks.
I shrug, "Somewhat, I'm sure it'll get better once I have something in my stomach." I take a spoonful of the soup and place it into my mouth as he sits on the edge of my bed.
"So why did you pass out at the grocery store? You sure you don't need to see a doctor?" He asks.
I shake my head, "It happens when I'm on my period and I don't eat enough. I'll be fine." I assure him.
"You're staying home from work tomorrow right?" He asks.
"No, I have to go to work." I say as I open the pack of crackers.
"Stella you passed out in a grocery store." He reminds me.
I shrug, "It wasn't the first time and I've gone to work in this state several times. Periods are every month."
His eyes widen, "You go through this monthly?"
I turn to him, "For someone so into women, you know nothing about them." I say as I take another spoonful of soup.
"I don't see them like this. How am I supposed to know this happens?"
I shake my head at him, "Thanks for the soup, I think I'm going to get some rest now."
He chuckles, "Fine I'll go. Let me know if you need anything."
I nod as he leaves the bedroom, allowing me to finish my meal and get ready for bed. I pop another ibuprofen before getting into bed and turning off the tv.
-----
I wish someone would bring me soup during my period.
Anyway, as you may or may not have noticed. I changed the cover of this book. I was in between two options. Which do you like better? Please comment 1 or 2.
- AuggiePooh_
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