“I don’t think I can take much more, Jared.I thought I’d be able to find some kind of happiness.I tried filling my days with anything, just to pass the time.I grew up in a type of prison of my father’s making.Now, I’m in another prison, one that’s worse, I think.I don’t think I deserve to be treated like a dog most of the time and a whore or broodmare the rest.I think I should leave.”
“I agree.”
Sky shuddered out a breath.She hadn’t expected him to agree so fast.Maybe it had to do with not conceiving yet?Or maybe he couldn’t bring himself to touch her anymore?
“If you can give me a few days so I can look for a job and an apartment, I’d apprec...”
A scowl darkened his face.“What the hell are you talking about?”
“You just said you agree with my leaving.”
“Oh, hell, no.I agreed with the way I was treating you.”
She paused for a moment.“I still need to leave.”
“You’re not going anywhere, Sky,” Jared growled.
Sky stared at him for a moment.“You’re confusing me, Jared.What exactly do you want from me?”
“Let’s go home if you’re done with your errands in town.It will give us some privacy to hash this out.Are you about finished with your sandwich?”
Sky frowned in confusion.“I’m done.I’ll just meet you ba—”
“No, we’ll drive together.I’ll get a few hands to come back for the truck.”
Sky shrugged.It didn’t matter how she got back.She just needed to get back before her menstrual cramps got too bad.She’d been trying to breathe through the pain, but it was getting worse.She would take a pill when she got back to the ranch and away from Jared.She didn’t want him to know about her condition.It would give him another reason not to want her.She needed to concentrate on relaxing.Somehow it seemed to help, and right then she needed strength to get through the next few hours.
Chapter Sixteen
Jared stood and threw a few bills down to pay for her meal before pulling her up and grabbing the few bags she had.He held her hand as he led her out of the diner.He got her into his truck, buckled her, and was on the road back home before either spoke.
“When we get home, we’ll go to our bedroom and talk, okay?”
Sky was unable to talk because of the pain ripping through her stomach, so she just nodded.How was she going to get through the day without alerting him?She wrapped her arms around her waist and looked out the window until the pain stopped.
Jared watched her take a shuddering breath.He pulled over on the side of the road.Something was wrong with her.
“Look at me,” Jared demanded.
Sky took a deep breath before turning.
He didn’t like how pale she was and the beads of sweat on her forehead.“You’re in pain.”
How the heck did he know that?She thought she’d been doing an excellent job of hiding her pain.
Jared unbuckled himself before undoing hers, then pulled her onto his lap.She moaned as the twisting pain started again.He pressed her chest against his and wrapped his arm tightly around her back.
“God, Sweetheart, you’re scaring the shit out of me.I need to get you to the hospital.”
“No, it’s fine.I’ll be okay.”
Jared cupped her chin and lifted.“Tell me what’s wrong now, or I’m taking you to the Emergency Room.”
Sky clutched her stomach and shook her head frantically.“No, I’ll be fine.I just need to get home.I have medicine that helps.”What she didn’t say was that it might be too late to get the pain under control and she would just have to ride through it.
“Tell me now, Baby.I need to know, so I can take care of you.”
Even through the pain, Sky could feel a red tide cover her face.
