CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE

           THE BRUNETTE SAT ON THE EDGE OF THE BED AND CLOSED HER EYES AS NAUSEA OVERCAME HER. Her skin looked paler than usual, dark circles forming under her eyes from the lack of sleep. Lucy wasn't even sure why she'd been feeling this off lately but it was starting to annoy her. The dull ache in her stomach had been persistent for days now and she was starting to wonder she had gotten some sort of stomach bug or the flu. 

That, or maybe it was her body's way of telling her she was finally hitting her breaking point.

Lucy sighed and ran a hand through her hair which felt greasy despite having washed it only the night before and she grimaced. Everything just felt... off and she wanted it to go away.

The woman heard Marcus laughing in the living room with Rio as they played a video game and for a brief moment she forgot how horrible she felt. Even with everything going on, it was nice to know that they still had moments of normalcy. But that normalcy felt distant, slipping through her fingers. She felt trapped in her own body, a constant knot of anxiety tightening in her chest and stomach.

Maybe it's just stress, she told herself. 

As she stood from the bed, the familiar wave of nausea hit her and she clutched her stomach while closing her eyes to ride it out. The pain wasn't sharp but it was constant, a gnawing ache that made it hard to focus on anything else and she prayed it wasn't her appendix. She leaned against the dresser, trying to steady her breathing.

The brunette managed to steady herself and push down the nausea as best as she could. Her fingers gripped the edge of the dresser until the dizziness passed. Just as she thought she could stand upright again, her phone slipped off the dresser, tumbling to the ground with a clatter.

"Shit," she muttered, the sound echoing in the quiet room.

She knelt down, feeling her stomach twist again as she reached for the phone but the ache subsided just long enough for her to grab it.

Before she could fully rise, the door creaked open and Rio poked his head in, his brow furrowed with concern. "You okay in here? Heard something fall."

Lucy groaned internally, not wanting to worry him more. "Just dropped my phone. No big deal."

He entered the room fully and narrowed his eyes as he took her in, pale and a hand on her stomach while she kneeled on the floor. "Are you sure? You don't look fine."

She let out a frustrated exhale and tried to brush off his comment as she stood up but her body betrayed her with another dizzy spell. She grabbed the edge of the dresser for balance, her stomach still aching.

"Lucy..." Rio's voice softened, stepping closer as his hand reached for her shoulder.

Lucy shook her head, trying to ignore the ache in her gut and Rio's worried gaze. She hated when he looked at her like that, as if she were fragile, like she might break at any moment. She didn't want to break. Not now. Not after everything they'd been through.

"I'm fine, Chris." she snapped, her voice sharper than she intended.

He blinked and pulled his hand back, his expression shifting from concern to something more guarded. "You don't look fine." he said, his tone more cautious now. "Maybe you should lie down. Let me—"

"I said I'm fine!" she cut him off again, louder this time as anger bubbled up in her chest for no real reason. The frustration hit hard, the nausea only amplifying it. "Just... stop hovering, okay?"

The second those words left her mouth she felt the guilt settled in. She saw the hurt flicker across his face, his jaw tightening but he didn't say anything. Rio wasn't the type to fight back with words, but the silence between them felt heavy.

"I'm sorry." Lucy muttered quickly, rubbing a hand across her forehead. "I don't know why I'm like this. I just... I don't feel good." Her voice softened, the edge of anger replaced by weariness.

Rio didn't move for a moment he just stood there watching her. Then, after a beat, he stepped forward and gently took her arm, guiding her back toward the bed. "You don't need to apologise. Let me help you."

She resisted the urge to push him away, knowing deep down that he was just worried. "I don't know what's wrong." she whispered, her voice almost breaking. "It's been like this for days. I thought it was stress or something, but I feel... off."

Rio sat beside her on the bed, his hand resting on her knee. His eyes raked over her entire frame slowly as his brows furrowed, as in deep thought. "We should get this checked out."

Lucy sighed, sinking deeper into the mattress. "I don't need a doctor. I just need... rest, maybe. I don't know. I'm sorry I snapped."

He shrugged, brushing off her apology with a wave of his hand. "You don't need to say sorry, ma. You're allowed to not feel great. I just want to make sure you're okay."

The woman forced a small smile onto her face and reached forward to squeeze his arm. "I promise, i'll be fine by tomorrow. It's just a bug or something, heard it's been going around."

Rio's eyes remained on her, skepticism clearly written on his face. He didn't believe her, not completely but he also knew when to pick his battles. "Alright," he said softly, though there was a trace of doubt in his voice. "but if it gets worse, you're seeing a doctor, no arguments."

"Okay," she nodded.

He glanced around the room, his brows furrowing slightly. "Do you need anything? Water? Medicine?"

"Actually... I'm hungry."

Rio's face softened at that and he shot her a smile. "Hungry, huh? Alright, I'll make you something to eat." He stood, stretching out his arms. "I'll get Marcus to help me in the kitchen."

"That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen."

The man grinned and dramatically rolled his eyes as he looked down at her. "We're a good team. We've got this." He leaned down, kissing her gently on the forehead. "Stay here, rest. We'll be back with food soon."

She watched him head for the door, feeling a warmth settle over her despite the lingering discomfort in her stomach.

          THE KITCHEN WAS WARM AND FILLED WITH THE SCENT OF HERBS AND SIZZLING VEGETABLES. The quiet hum of conversation from the living room filtered in, but Lucy was focused on the rhythmic sound of water as she washed the cuts of meat under the faucet. Beside her, Juan was chopping more vegetables with ease, his knife moving swiftly over the cutting board.

"You know," Juan started, as he glanced at Lucy with a grin on his face. "I didn't peg you for the type to like cooking. You seem more like the 'order-takeout' kind of girl."

Lucy rolled her eyes as she peered at him sideways before placing the rinsed meat on the cutting board. "I actually love cooking. But yeah, we've been living on take out lately and we cannot survive on it forever."

The older man let out a soft laugh. "He probably wouldn't notice, to be honest. That man would eat anything if you put it in front of him."

She smirked, nodding. "True. But I like knowing what we're eating. And after all the chaos lately, I kind of miss doing simple things like this."

Juan paused his chopping for a moment and looked at her with a thoughtful expression. "Are you feeling better? Heard you were sick this morning and if i'm honest you do look a bit like death."

"Thanks for that," she raised an eyebrow in amusement. "but yeah, this morning was rough. Whatever it was i'm just glad it has passed. I couldn't deal with being stuck in bed another day."

"Good thing you're feeling better, because I'm not sure I could cook all this on my own. I'd probably burn the place down." Juan said as he resumed chopping the veggies with a faint grin on his face before he placed them in a bowl for the salad. 

"Right, and I'd have to explain to Chris why his best friend set his kitchen on fire."

"Oh, he'd kill me for sure. You'd have to smooth it over for me."

They shared a laugh, the ease between them felt comforting to her, the sense of normalcy to the otherwise heavy atmosphere. Lucy had always appreciated how easy it was to talk to Juan, like an old friend who never let the weight of the world get to him, no matter how crazy things got.

"So... what are we even cooking?" asked Juan as he kept his tone casual as he glanced at the rest of the ingredients. 

"Lasagna is already in the oven and I know you're not the biggest fan so we're also making chicken tenders and salad." she shrugged as she cut the chicken up the way she liked.

Juan let out a dramatic sigh of relief, clutching his chest as if he'd narrowly avoided a disaster. "Thank God. For a second, I thought I was going to have to eat that nasty food. You know how I feel about lasagna or any type of pasta for that matter."

Lucy rolled her eyes playfully. "I'm well aware. That's why I made sure to give you options, picky eater."

"Hey, I just like what I like." Juan tossed the sliced veggies around in the bowl, smirking as he leaned against the counter. "And you can't go wrong with chicken tenders. It's a classic."

She smiled, the banter helping to distract her from the underlying tension of everything going on. The simplicity of cooking with Juan was a break from the chaos that had surrounded them for so long. As she seasoned the chicken, Lucy found herself almost forgetting the weight of what lay beyond this kitchen.

Her eyes drifted to the living room where Rio and Mick were hunched over the table, talking quietly over stacks of paper that were laid out in front of them. It wasn't hard to guess what they were discussing, business, no doubt and most likely how to deal with Beth in the most discreet way possible.

The thought sent a shiver down her spine, and she found herself biting her lip, a wave of unease settling over her. Knowing Rio, he'd find the most efficient way to take care of her without drawing too much attention, but there was still a heaviness in the pit of Lucy's stomach that wouldn't go away. She absolutely hated herself for feeling this way because she knew Beth deserved to suffer.

Juan noticed her silence and nudged her gently with his elbow, pulling her attention back to the kitchen. "Hey, you alright?"

She blinked, forcing a small smile as she turned back to the chicken. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... thinking."

Juan's gaze flickered to the living room, catching the scene of Rio and Mick in conversation, and he gave a knowing nod. "Don't stress about it too much, Luce. Whatever they're planning, he's got it under control."

Lucy met his eyes and gave a faint nod, though the knot in her stomach remained tight. "I just... I wish it didn't have to be like this."

Juan's expression softened, his usual playful demeanor replaced by a rare seriousness. "Me too, but we all knew what we were getting into. People like Beth... They don't just walk away."

Lucy swallowed hard, knowing he was right. She turned back to the stove, trying to focus on the task at hand. The sound of sizzling chicken and the comforting smell of food filled the room, providing a small distraction, but her thoughts kept drifting back to the confrontation.

The woman felt the nausea creep up again, an all too familiar queasiness rolling through her stomach. Her grip tightened on the edge of the kitchen counter, the cool surface grounding her as she tried to steady her breathing. The scent of the sizzling chicken, which had been comforting moments ago, now only added to the growing unease.

Not now, she thought, willing the feeling away.

She swallowed hard, trying to ignore the wave of dizziness that followed. The last thing she wanted was for Rio or Juan to notice, especially with everything else going on. They had enough to worry about, she didn't need to add to their burden.

Focusing on the steady rhythm of her breath, Lucy tried to push through it. It was probably just leftover stress from that morning. She couldn't let it get the better of her now.

Juan was finishing up with the salad, still talking about some childhood story, his voice a comforting murmur in the background. Lucy nodded along absently, gripping the counter a little tighter until the nausea subsided. She forced a small smile when he glanced over at her, making sure to act normal.

"Almost done with that chicken?" he asked, flashing her a quick grin.

"Yep," she replied, keeping her voice steady as she flipped the chicken in the pan. "just about."

It seemed to satisfy him, and she was relieved that he hadn't noticed her brief moment of weakness.

Lucy felt the gnawing ache in her stomach intensify, mixing unpleasantly with the nausea. It was as if her body was in rebellion, protesting against the very act of cooking, and she pushed through it with sheer will. Juan took over from her when she went to check on the Lasagna that smelled even worse to her.

He began to gather the dishes, effortlessly manoeuvring through the kitchen like it was second nature. Lucy followed suit, grabbing the lasagna from the oven, its cheesy aroma wafting through the air. Even though she couldn't fully appreciate it, she forced a smile, determined to enjoy this semblance of normalcy.

Once everything was set on the kitchen island, Juan called out, "Hey, dinner's ready! Come and get it!"

Lucy took a seat on one of the bar stools, attempting to keep her posture relaxed despite the tightening in her abdomen. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and reached for a glass of cola, hoping the fizz might soothe the discomfort. She took a long gulp, the bubbles dancing on her tongue but the relief she sought didn't come. 

Instead, her stomach churned again, and she swallowed hard, trying to mask her unease. This was stupid and she was thinking about it too much which is probably why this kept happening.

Rio was still talking with Mick but he glanced over at her, a concerned look flashing across his face. She quickly looked away, not wanting to meet his gaze. The last thing she wanted was for him to see through her.

"Everything okay, ma?" he asked, his voice low yet filled with concern as he reached the kitchen and sat down beside her with a hand resting on her knee.

"Yeah, just a bit of a stomachache." she replied lightly, forcing a casual shrug. "I'm fine. Ate too much cheese before dinner was even finished."

But the knot in her stomach tightened, the pressure building as she felt another wave crash over her. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, willing it to pass, but the feeling only grew stronger. The laughter and chatter around her faded into the background as her focus shifted inward, the urgency of her body demanding her attention.

Suddenly, she could no longer pretend. "I'll be right back."

She quickly stood up, her heart racing and made a beeline for the bathroom, trying to walk calmly despite the panic rising within her.

As soon as she reached the bathroom, she fell to her knees, the cool tile pressing against her skin. She barely had time to brace herself before the contents of her stomach surged up, and she doubled over, throwing up violently. The sound echoed in the small space, and she felt a pang of dread, hoping against hope that no one would hear her as she had barely time to slam the door shut.

Tears stung her eyes as she tried to breathe through the wave of nausea, the burning in her throat reminding her just how miserable she felt. 

The heaving subsided and Lucy took a moment to catch her breath, leaning back against the cool porcelain of the tub. She closed her eyes, trying to gather herself, to shove the rising tide of emotions deep down where they could fester in silence.

"Lucy?" Rio's voice called from outside the door, breaking through the haze of her thoughts. "You okay in there?"

Lucy flushed the toilet, the sound echoing in the small space, before she closed the lid and tried to regain some semblance of composure. She took a few steadying breaths, hoping the pale colour of her face would return to normal. Just as she was preparing to stand, the door opened and Rio stepped inside without knocking.

His brows knitted together in concern as he took in the sight of her on the bathroom floor, her hair tousled and face pale. He crouched down in front of her, his worry evident on his face. "Baby, what is going on with you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she promised, forcing a smile that felt shaky at best. "I just think I it is a stomach bug or something. It's nothing to worry about. It'll be over in a little bit like this morning."

His gaze searched hers, and she could tell he wasn't buying it. "You don't look fine." he said carefully, his voice low and steady. "You look—"

"Really, Chris, it's just a little nausea. It happens sometimes." She waved her hand dismissively, though her heart raced at his scrutiny.

He reached out, brushing a strand of hair away from her face and his fingers lingered there just a moment longer. The gentle gesture made her heart flutter, but the worry etched on his features only deepened her unease. "Lucy ... I don't think it's just that." he furrowed his brows as he looked her up and down slowly. "I think you might be pregnant."