Torrential Love

Chapter Twenty

~ DUNCAN ~

"You asshole!" Yael yelled, and his shock over those words hit him like a train at top speed. He had assumed she would cower from what he had said to her. This woman - she was stronger than she looked.

He threw his head back in a deep sigh. When he looked at her again, fury was still all over her face. "Look, it's about time for dinner. What do you want to eat? I'll cook anything for you."

"Beef Wellington, you bastard!"

"I'll get to it right now," Duncan said, leaving his seat for the shelves. He picked out a thick hardcover and brought it to the kitchen. His memory of how to cook one was rusty, and he flipped open to the page he needed to familiarise himself with before he closed it.

As expected, it took him a long time before the meals were ready. He carried Yael to the table, and they ate. While they did so, Yael immediately became engrossed in many hilarious tales from her childhood. She gestured high and wide with her flailing hands, laughing louder than any woman he ever knew. He watched her in wonder as she attempted badly to find the right words to describe what had happened. It was like their fight just now had never occurred and she never became angry. The way she was now, she was overflowing with happiness.

They talked, laughed, talked some more until finally, Yael gave an enormous yawn. He chuckled at that and lifted her off her seat, bringing her back to the bed. He tucked her in and turned the lights off. He got into his sleeping bag and soon drifted off to sleep, only waking later in the middle of the night to a soft groan.

He sat up in his sleeping bed, eyes narrowed at Yael. Another soft groan came from her direction and he removed himself from the bed to light a candle up. He brought it to her bedside and nudged her shoulder.

"Yael, are you alright?"

"It hurts - " she said, clutching onto her stomach.

"Your stomach?"

"Yes."

"Let me see," he said, taking the covers off her body.

Red.

"Oh crap," he said. The sheets were stained with red everywhere. His heartbeat thundered in his ears and his stomach twisted into a knot. His breath grew short. "We - We need to get you to a hospital!"

"Relax, man," she said. "It just my period."

"Oh," he said, heaving a heavy sigh of relief. "Thank god."

"Look at your silly face," she said with a loud laugh.

"I'm gonna leave you like this, I swear," he said.

"You will not."

"Here," he said, putting his hands under her body. "I'll bring you to the bathroom."

"Thanks."

He carried her there and set her down on the toilet bowl. "Ah, well - " he stumbled over his words as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Lucy said this would eventually happen. She told me what to do if she wasn't there."

"What she say?"

He flew over to the mirror cabinet over the sink. Opening it, he dug around the things inside, removing the items Lucy had instructed him Yael would need. Things like tampons and pills.

"Wait here," he told her. He left the bathroom and opened countless drawers, searching for a comfortable set of new clothes and undergarments for her. When he returned to the bathroom, he handed the items to her.

"Bet you do this also for Maya, huh?" Yael said.

That soured his mood instantly. "Don't ever speak her name!" he snapped, losing it for a while.

Yael grew silent, and she dropped her eyes to the ground.

"I'm sorry," he started.

"Get out," Yael said.

"Yael - "

"I need to handle period. Get out."

"Okay, I will," he said, hurrying out of the bathroom. He closed the door but did not lock it. He stood outside, guilt stinging him. He waited, thinking about what to say to her. How he should apologise to her. God, what was he thinking? He obviously wasn't. "Yael?"

She didn't reply. He knew from her thoughts that she was well.

"Yael?" he tried again.

Silence.

"Yael, please," he said, knocking on the door. "Say something."

"Leave it alone!" she snapped at him through the door.