I rolled to my back and groaned, pain zinging through me.
I’d had this feeling before, anytime I was under a lot of stress and already in pain from something else. When Bryce was in the process of leaving. The fallout of him being gone and figuring out how to parent alone.
Head-to-toe body pain, aching like I had the flu, and not entirely sure I didn’t have it.
But if I got this way from extreme emotional distress, this was the first time Jack brought me body pain.
“I feel sick.”
Jack had any parent’s reaction. “Shit, do you need to throw up?”
I snorted. “No. Body pain. Feels like the flu. My skin’s on fire and I feel like I got hit by a bus.”
His lips met my forehead and I flinched away from him. “You’re not hot.”
“Thanks,” I cracked. “And going for a kiss after how you acted last night, Jack? Really?”
“You know what I mean. And that’s how my grandma used to check for fever. You don’t feel like you have a fever.” His worried eyes passed over me where he sat up on his elbow. “Can I get you anything?”
“I’ll get up and take some Tylenol,” I moaned.
“You have to stay in bed,” he said. “You’re sick.”
I waved a hand. “It’s probably just my chronic crap. I haven’t had a flare-up in a while.”
I moved to get up and he pushed me back down with another soft kiss to my forehead. “Stay here. I’ll get it.”
I had to hope the drugs would work fast—today was Jack’s big Winter Classic game. Though, I didn’t really feel like stomping and cheering for a man who yelled at me and threw a hissy fit for saying I loved him.
Gabi was going to help me wrangle all four kids at the game, thankfully. The alternative was to keep them in the hotel, which sounded like another brand of hell. Jack returned to my side, dropping two pills in my hand and handing me a glass of water.
“Thanks,” I grumbled.
“Mara,” Jack drew a long breath. “I’m sorry.”
“You can’t act like that?—”
“I know!” he snapped, then put out his hands. “I know.”
There was commotion from next door. The day was starting whether we liked it or not.
“I’ve got the kids. Get some rest.”
Gabi stayedwith me until Jack got back. We decided to keep it easy with a movie and room service after the game. I didn’t wantto talk about Jack’s behavior in front of the kids, so I’d caught Gabi up on our fight in the quickest way possible when the kids were absorbed in something else at the stadium.
“You two were due for a fight,” she said.
“Yeah, but it’s a big one,” I said.
She shrugged. “Big fight, big makeup.”
I had fallen asleep spooning Hazel by the time Jack made it to our room. I heard him mumble a thank you to Gabi and mention that Nikki was waiting for her. As Jack got the kids ready for bed, I drifted in and out of sleep, listening to him quietly read them a book before tucking each one in.
“Hey, Mar,” he said, shaking me gently when it was time to leave their room. “Want to stay here or come to ours?”
“Ours,” I said, starting to get up. But Jack didn’t let me, scooping me up and taking me into our room. He set me on our bed and studied me.
“How you feeling?”
