Hybrid Aria by Jessica Hall novel Chapter 45

Taking a seat in the kitchen, Reid rummaged through the pantry, making something that I knew was going to turn my stomach upside down. The smell alone of him just getting the ingredients out was enough to make me dry heave. I felt lightheaded and rested my head on the cool tabletop. Reid came over.

“What’s wrong?”

I didn’t say anything, refusing to give him any reason to send me back to the cell. Loneliness and the quiet down there was enough to send a person crazy. I was also scared that if I did go back down there, I would sleep. What if I slept the entire time away, slept until this pregnancy was over or worse never woke up. That thought scared me, the thought of leaving Lily alone in this world without me to protect her. I didn’t want to go back to the cell. My own thoughts would send me insane, and I couldn’t bear being away from Lily. I needed her like I needed air. She was the piece of my life I was proud of, the only thing I would fight to the death for besides Reid, who I wasn’t so sure would do the same for me, at least not anymore. Making sure to keep my walls up so he couldn’t invade my thoughts and think I was just trying to defy him. I could feel him probing trying to find a way in.

“Stop blocking me out, Aria,” he growled annoyed. “I have warned you and yet you still go against the warning. Are you trying to piss me off?”

“They are my thoughts; you have no right to know them. If I wanted you to know what I was thinking, I would tell you.” I told him, taking deep breaths through my mouth, so I couldn’t smell the revolting stench of the bacon he placed on the counter. Reid gripped my shoulders, hauling me to my feet. The room spun before tilting. I bent over throwing up bile and narrowly missing Reid’s foot. Walking over holding my breath, I washed my face under the sink and rinsed my mouth, trying to bring my temperature down. My body felt like it was on fire burning up and to think he wants me to keep going through this for another twenty weeks. Grabbing a tea towel and wetting it, I walked back over to where I threw up, intending to clean it. Reid snatched the tea towel from me.

“Sit, I will clean it.” He sounded furious like he thought I did it deliberately. I suddenly wished to be back in the cell, anything to stop this heat that was overtaking my senses boiling me from the inside. I sat in the chair and watched as he cleaned the floor before walking out and chucking the tea towel in the laundry. A few seconds later, Wendy walked in with a mop.

“Here Wendy, I will do it,” I said, trying to take the mop from her hand.

“Sit back down, Aria, I didn’t say you could move.” I glared at him.

“I’m pregnant, not fucking disabled.” I spat back at him, snatching the mop from Wendy’s hand. I was not going to make her clean up after me. Especially something so embarrassing like vomit. When I was done, Wendy took the mop and bucket and left. She didn’t say one word to me the entire time. I wonder what Reid has said to them, usually even Wendy would have pushed the limits with Reid and tried to reach out to me. Only she didn’t this time. Was she mad at me too for wanting to abort this pregnancy? Was I the only one who thought this was a disaster? Maybe I had gone too far, gone against the Moon Goddess.

I sat back down, my stomach starting to settle now that it was empty. Surely, I can’t be sick again after throwing up already. That thought was soon proven wrong when Reid walked over, placing the plate in front of me. He had cooked bacon and eggs, toast, and fried tomatoes. I stared at it, not wanting to be anywhere near it. I knew the consequences of eating, I could feel it already in the back of my throat, threatening to come up at any moment. I could already taste the bile coming back up. Reid grew annoyed, his fist coming down on the table next to me, making me jump. The wood creaking and cracking up the centre from the force. I was quite surprised it actually didn’t break and split down the middle. Looking up, Reid was glaring at me. If looks could kill I would have been turned to ash with the way he is glaring at me, the venom in his words made my heart sink to someplace deep and dark.

“Fucking eat, or I will force-feed it to you.” I didn’t want to know what that entailed, so I picked up a piece of toast and tore off a bit. Chewing slowly before trying to swallow, as soon as it touched my tongue, I heaved and ran for the sink. Only just making it in time and throwing up yet again in the kitchen sink. Reid was at my side in an instant gripping my arm making sure I didn't run off.