“It’ll be okay. Just fuck me.”
Whoa. That pretty much did me in. I was moving hard inside her.
“You’re the only one who can do this to me,” she said.
“Well, I hope so.”
She was falling apart in my arms… trembling. “Oh, Lucian, don’t baby me.”
“Don’t say the word baby right now.” I moved harder and harder, and she was sopping wet everywhere.
That bartender was full of shit. Evey was into it.
Later that night, as we lay in bed, we talked about our plans. Evey kept saying, “One step at a time.” But I had the vague sense that I needed to speed things up.
IT WAS VINTAGELucian in the shower that night… strong, powerful, sexy Lucian. Something had come over him. He fell asleep first, which was unusual, but then again, he had hit the whiskey and then expended quite a bit of energy on me.
Halfway through the night, he woke me up when he made a pained sound. He started coughing, so I mindlessly rubbed his back and reached for some water. I was mortified at what happened next. I felt bone and feather breaking apart, disintegrating in my hand. Lucian was weak. He began moaning, so I felt his forehead; he was burning up.
“Lucian,” I whispered.
“I don’t feel well, Evey.”
“Your wings. Try to sit up.”
He sat up while I flipped on the light. He was wearing only boxer briefs, so I could see his back. I saw nothing—no wings, feathers, blood, or broken pieces. He had his elbows resting on his knees over the edge of the bed with his head drooping into his hands.
“Everything hurts,” he said.
“Show me your wings, Lucian.”
“I’m not hiding anything from you.”
They were gone. I felt his back frantically. He fell back into my arms. I held him in my lap. “They’re gone, Lucian.”
“I know,” he said.
“I’m going to CVS to get you some medicine. You have a fever. You might have the flu.”
“I shouldn’t be near you and the baby.”
I ignored him and got up to get dressed. “Lie down. I’ll bring you more water.”
He fell back onto the pillow. After I brought him water, I kissed his forehead and headed out. It was the second time I’d ever left the safety of our home or the loft without Lucian. The first time was just the day before.
Things were changing.
When I returned from the pharmacy, he was curled in a ball, shaking. He could barely speak. His teeth were chattering. “Evey, you can’t go out like that without me.”
“I’m fine. I’ll be fine.”
I gave him Tylenol and wrapped him in blankets. Over the next four hours, I stroked his hair and wiped sweat from his forehead. He would doze off then startle awake.
“What’s happening, Lucian?”
“I don’t know. I know nothing.”
“I’m taking you to the hospital.” I stood abruptly and felt a gush between my legs.No.I held my hand between my legs. “No.”
