‹ Prequel: Pup Among the Big Dogs
Chasing the Moon
Pricks and Piercings
"Gabby, baby, please wake up,"[i/] echoed in my head. I groaned softly. I didn't want to be conscious again.
"Gabriella, I love you," he sobbed again. I knew I should let him know I'm okay, but I didn't want him to know I was awake yet. I didn't even want myself to know I was awake! But Aiden kept on sobbing my name and proclaiming his undying love for me, so I knew I had to let him know I was fine. Despite how I felt about it, I turned on my side and snuggled into his chest.
"Baby?" he mumbled softly, his hold on me tightening. I nodded slightly, afraid the world would go black if I moved too much. I was actually welcoming the thought at that point. "Are you okay?"
"No," I groaned, clutching his shirt with my hands as a way to get rid of some of my pain. I felt like someone was stabbing me all over. There would be little pricks, then random sharp piercings throughout my body.
"What's wrong, then?" he asked me. I opened my eyes and saw his face. His eyes were so soft and glistening with the tears they kept. His face was in a permanent frown. I soon found that we were lying on the couch together, though we were certainly not alone.
"Gabby, what happened?" Zach demanded. I heard a chair rocking back and forth as though it was confused as to where Zach had gone. I felt a hand clamp down on my shoulder and he whirled me around to face him. I clutched my stomach to keep myself from vomiting. Aiden pulled my back to him.
"I don't know," I grumbled, wincing as the stabbing got sharper. "I just passed out. It hurts a great deal."
"Mom, isn't there something we can give her? Anything?" Aiden whimpered, seeming as if he was in more pain that I was. His grip only tightened on my and it hurt so much, but I couldn't voice my protests for I didn't have enough energy to spare on mindless babble.
I saw Celeste shake her head from the wall she was leaning against. She glanced once at me and she looked guiltier than anything, but I don't know what she had to feel regretful about. She sighed before casting a sad look to her son then Zach. Zach's eyes widened.
"No! No, no, no! You're wrong, Celeste. You're just dead wrong!" he shrieked, suddenly in front of her, glowering down at her. She abandoned her post.
"You're merely a man, Zach. It's something only a woman would know, you fool. Don't degrade my judgment!" she hissed, glaring up at him. Usually that wouldn't frighten you if someone shorter was yelling at you, but I could see the death stare she was giving him. Zach was the one to look away.
"You tell her, then. Since you're so sure and everything: go on," he spat at her, waving her off as he retreated back to his recliner.
"Aiden, maybe you two should talk about this...?"
I turned around in Aiden's arms to face him with an uncertain expression on my face. I didn't like that he was keeping something from me.
"We should probably discuss this in private. It'd be a bit embarrassing and I don't doubt that Zach would rip my throat out for some of the details," he mumbled in my ear.
"Please, baby, what is it?" I begged, grabbing a tight hold of his shirt again. I felt the ground moving and I found myself being held close to Aiden's chest as he walked me up the steps. When we got to our room, he set me down, immediately pulling me to his chest. He kissed me passionately and I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him even closer. "What do you think of Celeste?" he asked suddenly.
"She's a bit strange," I smiled softly. What a strangely random question!
"And what do you think of Hailey-April Jordan and Gavin-Wyatt Jordan?"
"I don't think I know them," I admitted after thinking for a moment.
"I don't know them yet either," he murmured, a somewhat sketchy look in his eyes.
"What do you mean?" He was silent. My eyes shot wide open and I tore myself from him, staring up at him in disbelief. "You're not serious."
"I am."
"Gabriella, I love you," he sobbed again. I knew I should let him know I'm okay, but I didn't want him to know I was awake yet. I didn't even want myself to know I was awake! But Aiden kept on sobbing my name and proclaiming his undying love for me, so I knew I had to let him know I was fine. Despite how I felt about it, I turned on my side and snuggled into his chest.
"Baby?" he mumbled softly, his hold on me tightening. I nodded slightly, afraid the world would go black if I moved too much. I was actually welcoming the thought at that point. "Are you okay?"
"No," I groaned, clutching his shirt with my hands as a way to get rid of some of my pain. I felt like someone was stabbing me all over. There would be little pricks, then random sharp piercings throughout my body.
"What's wrong, then?" he asked me. I opened my eyes and saw his face. His eyes were so soft and glistening with the tears they kept. His face was in a permanent frown. I soon found that we were lying on the couch together, though we were certainly not alone.
"Gabby, what happened?" Zach demanded. I heard a chair rocking back and forth as though it was confused as to where Zach had gone. I felt a hand clamp down on my shoulder and he whirled me around to face him. I clutched my stomach to keep myself from vomiting. Aiden pulled my back to him.
"I don't know," I grumbled, wincing as the stabbing got sharper. "I just passed out. It hurts a great deal."
"Mom, isn't there something we can give her? Anything?" Aiden whimpered, seeming as if he was in more pain that I was. His grip only tightened on my and it hurt so much, but I couldn't voice my protests for I didn't have enough energy to spare on mindless babble.
I saw Celeste shake her head from the wall she was leaning against. She glanced once at me and she looked guiltier than anything, but I don't know what she had to feel regretful about. She sighed before casting a sad look to her son then Zach. Zach's eyes widened.
"No! No, no, no! You're wrong, Celeste. You're just dead wrong!" he shrieked, suddenly in front of her, glowering down at her. She abandoned her post.
"You're merely a man, Zach. It's something only a woman would know, you fool. Don't degrade my judgment!" she hissed, glaring up at him. Usually that wouldn't frighten you if someone shorter was yelling at you, but I could see the death stare she was giving him. Zach was the one to look away.
"You tell her, then. Since you're so sure and everything: go on," he spat at her, waving her off as he retreated back to his recliner.
"Aiden, maybe you two should talk about this...?"
I turned around in Aiden's arms to face him with an uncertain expression on my face. I didn't like that he was keeping something from me.
"We should probably discuss this in private. It'd be a bit embarrassing and I don't doubt that Zach would rip my throat out for some of the details," he mumbled in my ear.
"Please, baby, what is it?" I begged, grabbing a tight hold of his shirt again. I felt the ground moving and I found myself being held close to Aiden's chest as he walked me up the steps. When we got to our room, he set me down, immediately pulling me to his chest. He kissed me passionately and I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him even closer. "What do you think of Celeste?" he asked suddenly.
"She's a bit strange," I smiled softly. What a strangely random question!
"And what do you think of Hailey-April Jordan and Gavin-Wyatt Jordan?"
"I don't think I know them," I admitted after thinking for a moment.
"I don't know them yet either," he murmured, a somewhat sketchy look in his eyes.
"What do you mean?" He was silent. My eyes shot wide open and I tore myself from him, staring up at him in disbelief. "You're not serious."
"I am."