Chapter 61.
Angel POV.
Children, I'm dealing with children! I thought it was bad travelling with Nate and Nico, but Ice and Ripper take the cake. All they have done is squabble since we left the gas station two hours from home. I'm even contemplating shooting them, or throwing them from a moving vehicle. I reach for my bag and take out the painkillers and a bottle of water. I pop two pills and massage my temples, waiting for the ache in my head to leave.
"Will you two please just shut the fuck up!" I snap and they go quiet as I groan and close my eyes tight. A large, warm hand lands on my thigh and squeezes. I open my eyes and look at him. He is looking concerned.
"You ok?" he asks and I nod my head as I take a few breaths in to alleviate some of the pain.
"Angel, you don't look too good. You sure you're ok?" I nod my head. I rummage through my bag and find my sunglasses and put them on, leaning my head back against the headrest.
"I'll be fine." I say as I close my eyes, needing quiet and dark. The feeling of nausea washes over me. I gulp it down. I have never been travel sick, so it must be the migraine that is trying to push forward. I gulp again, fighting the need to vomit. "Pull over." I say mumbling. I look at Ryder, and he looks at me in question.
"Pull the SUV over!" I snap and he does. No sooner has the SUV stopped I'm out the door and staggering to the side of the road as I vomit. Hand's grip me, holding my hair away from my face.
"It's ok, let it out." I heave and vomit again. I feel weak and like utter shit. What is going on? This isn't just the migraine. Sweat coats my forehead and chest. I gasp for breath as tears leave my eyes. A bottle of water is thrust in front of me.
I straighten up, taking a big lungful of air. I thank Ice for the water and unscrew the cap with shaking hands; I sip it, rinsing my mouth out and spit it out. I hate being sick. I don't know anyone who likes it. Always makes me feel weak.
"Sip it slowly." Ryder is looking at me with concern. I shake my head slightly, telling him to not make it a big deal. Because it isn't, I will be fine. I'm probably slightly dehydrated, hungry and tired, but nothing to worry about. Ripper hands me a packet and I look at it, to see its crackers and gingernut biscuits. I look at him and he shrugs.
"Sometimes I get travel sick, especially if I haven't eaten, so I always carry snacks." He says and I just look at him in shock. I thank him and take them.
"You feeling better?" Ryder asks me, and I nod my head.
"Yeah, I'm ok. Sorry to worry you." I say, feeling ashamed he witnessed me like that. Then again, it wouldn't be the first time he has seen my vomit, but still it's gross.
He helps me back to the SUV and buckles me in before he closes the door. Ice is in the back already.
"Angel, are you sure you are ok? You look ill," He says and I look at him and nod my head as I open the packet of biscuits and nibble on them.
"Yeah, taking painkillers on an empty stomach probably wasn't the best idea." I say with a chuckle as my stomach starts to settle. The driver's side door shuts and I look at Ryder, and he is looking at me with narrowed eyes. What did I do? "Where is the nearest pharmacy in the town?" he asks, and I look at him with a raised eyebrow. Why would he need a pharmacy?
"Look, I'm fine, so there is really no ..."
"No, we are going to the pharmacy." He says with a growl, and I look away with a sigh. Doesn't he get it? It's because I haven't eaten anything today and took painkillers. It's nothing sinister.
"It's not far from the house." He nods his head and starts the SUV and we drive off again. I fall asleep in the front seat for the rest of the journey. The sound of a door closing makes me wake with a slight jolt. I see Ryder placing a paper bag on my lap. I look at it, then at him. I open the bag and glare at him. He just looks at me with pleading eyes to just do it. I close the bag and place it in my bag.
"It is just a migraine." I say to him and he shrugs as he drives again.
"Just indulge me," he says, and I roll my eyes as we pull up to the house. I look at it and smile at it. The old Moretti mansion is at the top of the street. I climb out of the SUV and walk up the path to the house that was the home of the DeNucci's. Momma has kept it all nice and tidy. The paint on the walls and door is fresh. The garden is immaculate. I rummage around for the key and find it. I place it in the lock and open the door.
I stand in the doorway and just look
Ket
inside. This is my ancestral home. I take a breath in and can smell the faint smell of cleaning products. step over the threshold and into the house. I walk along the hallway past the living room and into the kitchen. Everything is the same. Only a few things have been updated.
fet
I haven't been here since I was a kid. It is exactly how I remembered it. The floors are hardwood; the walls have family pictures hanging. The kitchen has been updated. I close my eyes and can see a much younger Angel and Nate running around the kitchen laughing and giggling as we run with Lucifer, as he eats up the crumbs from the cookies we stole from the jar. Nico in a highchair squealing with laughter, clapping his chubby hands watching us.
Lucifer was my
momma's German
Shepard. Her protector. I miss that big fur ball; the family has his pups and blood line as we still use them for protection. I open my eyes with a goofy smile on my face as I look at the top of the fridge and see the jar that used to hold the cookies. I
chuckle softly to myself.
I walk to the back door and open it and see the garden and patio. The patio swing is still there. So many happy memories of being in this house on weekends or when dad was out of town on business. Momma brought us here to feel close to her family. I turn and walk back inside. Ryder, Ripper, and Ice are just watching me. I smile at them.
"Welcome to the DeNucci home." I say as I show them around and upstairs to their rooms. I open the door to the bedroom that was mine and see my momma has had bigger beds placed inside. The rooms have been updated. The walls were freshly painted and wallpapered. The beds have new sheets on them.
Momma has done a good job maintaining it. Ryder puts our bags on the floor by the bed. He rummages in the bag and takes out the paper bag and hands it to me.
"Go, we need to be sure." He says, and I take it from his hand with a sigh.
"It's just a migraine, not eating properly, stressing over the businesses and what has happened. The doctors checked this only last week." I say as he pouts and raises his eyebrow, folding his arms over his chest. He isn't going to budge. So I give in and walk towards the bathroom.
I close and lock the door and look at the paper bag. I take the box out and set it down on the sink and look at it. A pregnancy test. It has been months since we started sleeping together again and I had my period not so long ago, so I know I'm not pregnant. But he wants to
be sure.
I open the box with a sigh. I take the two packets out and do them both. Once I have done them, I place them down on the box on the counter and flush the toilet and wash my hands. I leave the bathroom and unpack my things and clothes for tonight.
My mind wanders back to the tests in the bathroom. I straighten up and place my hand on my lower belly and think. Overwhelming sadness washes over me at the thought of the baby we lost due to the crash. Could I go through that again?
I remove my hand and shake my head. It won't happen. Even though we haven't been using protection, I have been having my periods, so I know I'm not pregnant.
Once I've unpacked, Ryder enters the room and looks at me. Before he heads into the bathroom. He comes back out and I look at him before closing the bag and placing it in the closet in the room.
"Angel," I look at him and he looks at me. A mixture of emotions in his eyes.
"What is it?" I ask him as I step closer to him. He shows me the test and my breath leaves me in a whoosh.
Two pink lines, two fucking pink lines. How? I had my period. I blink and rub my eyes to make sure my vision isn't doubling. I'm pregnant!