My eyes bored into hers, locking in and letting the world around us fade.“I always will.”
The DJ cranked the music, the bride and groom rushed onto the dance floor, and Rose grabbed my hand.“Come on.Show me what else you got.”
I pushed to my feet and offered an exaggerated bow.“Careful what you wish for, Grasso.”
She laughed, leading me toward the gyrating bodies and the spinning flower girl.
“I don’t think you’re ready for this,” I said, clapping my hands together and electric sliding my way to the center of the crowd.
Rose joined me, not skipping a beat or missing a step.
“Wyatt!”Chris bellowed, joined in by the rest of our college buds.
I reached into my suit jacket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses, sliding them into place.With my party-boy persona in full swing, I threw my arms up and got swept into the chaos.
The music pulsed, the lights flashed, and the temperature rose to ungodly levels.I excused myself from the dance floor and asked the bartender for water.I hadn’t had a chance to ask them to feed me fake drinks all night, but no one seemed to be paying attention to me.Besides, Wyatt already knew I was having stomach issues, so it made sense not to have a cocktail in my hand.
I took a gulp, then a few tentative sips.My eyes scanned the dance floor, but they didn’t have to travel far to find Wyatt.He was in the middle of the crowd, tie around his head, shirt halfway unbuttoned, and he and Chris were in the middle of another one of their epic dance-offs.
Cynthia took Chris’s jacket from him and spun it in the air as he flung himself to the floor and attempted to breakdance.
The music switched, and Wyatt immediately jumped into the running man.A smile curved my lips but quickly faltered as a wave of nausea slammed into me.
I swallowed, forcing down the unwanted feeling.I was doing so well.I just had to get through the next few hours, then I could curl up in bed and get some sleep.Then tomorrow I would be on my way home to the comfort of my own couch and bed.
It was probably just the heat getting to me.I took another sip of water and then placed the cool glass against my wrists.My entire body cooled, and I took several deep, grounding breaths.Within seconds, the nervous energy calmed; my nausea, while still there, lessened.I finished the water, put the glass on the bar, and made my way toward the dance floor.
My stomach churned, and I about-faced toward the bathroom.It felt like I was being punished for keeping this pregnancy a secret.It’s not like I didn’t want to tell Wy.I did.I was just… scared.
The door to the bathroom flew open, and a group of women hurried out, talking and laughing.I smiled as they went, then hurried inside.I passed by all the empty stalls and sighed when I realized I was the only one in here.
My stomach revolted against me, and I barely made it to the toilet before everything I had eaten that day came out.I grabbed some toilet paper, dabbed my mouth, and tried not to collapse on the bathroom floor.The hotel room's bathroom was one thing; God only knew what was on this floor.However, the white tile glistened and didn’t have a speck of dirt.
I flushed, waited a few minutes, and with a deep breath, headed out of the stall.
“Oh, sorry,” I said when I accidentally jolted when I made eye contact in the mirror with Lori, Wyatt’s partner for the wedding.“I thought I was the only one in here.”
She finished applying her lipstick and smiled.“No worries.Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Her eyebrow arched.“How far along are you?”she asked, and my entire body flung back at the question.
“Excuse me?”
“OBGYN.”She held her hand up.“I have a knack for guessing.”
“I…” Tears built in my eyes for no damn reason, and I blinked them back.“My sisters know, but no one else.Not even…” I couldn’t bring myself to say it.To say that the father of my child had no idea said child was growing inside me.
“Your secret is safe with me.”
“Thank you.And I’m still in the first trimester.It’s been… well, it’s been hell.I can’t seem to stop throwing up.Morning sickness has turned into afternoon and nighttime sickness.”
“Have you talked to your doctor about it?”
“I did.They prescribed me some meds that didn’t work.I read some blogs that said it took a couple of tries to get the right meds.I thought it was normal.”
Her head tilted.“Could be, but it could also be hyperemesis gravidarum.Severe nausea and vomiting.It can knock the wind right out of you.”
