By the time I finished off my food, Oakley’s own was less than half gone. The boy, mostly just skin and bones, still tried to eat a few more bites.
“Once you’re full, stop eating. We can save it for later.”
Instantly, he dropped the fry he was munching on to the container and placed his hands back in his lap.
Would he have kept eating until he made himself sick?
He didn’t move as I stood, taking both of our containers to put away. Oakley didn’t move a muscle as I did so. If it wasn’t for his shoulders moving with each breath, I’d have been a bit more worried.
“Go get a shower. I’ll bring up the new clothes.”
At that, Oakley was up and out of the chair like it had caught fire. He didn’t bother to spare me a glance.
I sighed, my head dropping to my chest.
I had my work cut out for me.
Only when I heard the water in the shower start did I finally move to take up the few clothes I got for the boy? Once he’d let me know what he liked, I’d get more.
Chapter 11
Oakley
A whimper escaped before I could stop it. I clenched my eyes tight, willing the sounds and the pain to go away.
I was used to pain, but not this type of pain. It felt like my insides were about to explode.
I had tried to go to the bathroom a number of times throughout the night, but there had been no release. Only more pain, tears, and defeat.
Pulling myself into a ball, then quickly putting my legs out a bit as the pain in my lower stomach grew at the action, I didn’t stop to think as I bit around my thumb. My teeth sunk into the flesh, no doubt leaving indents. But I didn’t care, not when another cramp came forth, causing my breath to hitch.
“What’s wrong?” Sabastian was there, running a soft hand up and down my back.
I shook my head, afraid to talk. If I uttered one simple noise, all the pent-up pain would surely escape.
I breathed through the pain, hoping it’d all just magically disappear.
The man moved off the bed, clicking on a light before rounding to kneel in front of me. Through slitted eyes, I half glared at, half pleaded, with Sabastian.
Could he take away the pain? Or would he add to it?
“What’s wrong, little one?” He swiped a hand over my face, moving the hair from my sweaty skin. My eyes clenched closed again as another cramp came.
I had no clue what I could look like, other than an ugly mess that shouldn’t even be alive.
“Oh, honey. You’re all bloated, aren’t you?”
His hand gently rubbed at my stomach, his touch both nice and hurtful at the same time. Any pressure at all made a burst of pain shoot through me.
I whimpered. “Hurts.”
“I know. Come on, let’s get that taken care of.”
I shook my head. There was no way I could move. Every movement hurt more and more. It pulled at my stomach, and my insides felt like they were being pulled apart.
“Come on, Oakley.” He coaxed, helping me to sit up.
My thumb didn’t leave my mouth, and my teeth clamped harder against the skin and bone as I shuffled alongside Sabastian. I leaned more on him, hunched over as he led the way toward the bathroom.
