Broken (Broken #1) by A. E. Murphy

seeing me cry breaks his heart.
    He looks happy enough although
I know he has a headache because he’s wearing sunglasses indoors
and he’s going through painkillers like they’re sweets. I keep
telling him to go to the doctor’s but he won’t listen. He assures
me it’s nothing but this can’t be normal.

    As promised I haven’t been to
work or classes, I’m yet again curled up with Caleb watching crappy
TV with Sasha and Tommy who are insisting they drink in front of me
seeing as I can’t join in. Caleb isn’t drinking either, he says he
wants to suffer with me. I love him even more for it.
    “ I can’t
believe you’re getting married,” Sasha sighs wistfully and downs
the rest of her glass. Tommy leans over and fills it with white
wine. “You two were meant to be.”
    “ You’re so
soppy,” I joke, throwing a scatter cushion at her.
    “ I’m serious.
I’ve been single for a year. I’m sick of it now. I want what you
have,” She wags her eyebrows at Caleb. “Sure you don’t want me
instead? I’ll teach you things you didn’t know were physically
possible.”
    We all start laughing when she
tries to hook her ankle behind her head, fails and falls to the
ground with an oomph.
    “ I’m sure
you’re hot Sasha but Gwenny blows my mind.”
    “ I’m sure she
blows something,” Tommy mumbles, earning a glare from me and a
cackle from Sasha.
    “ Oh my god, I
only just got that. That’s funny,” Caleb starts laughing a few
seconds later, earning a glare from me and a cackle from Sasha and
a high five from Tommy.
    Caleb starts drifting asleep on
my shoulder after a few more minutes. This concerns me because he’s
not normally this tired by nine at night. I say my apologies to
Tommy and Sasha and take him up to bed, even more worried when he
leans on me the entire way. My panic is overloading when I have to
help him get undressed.
    “ I just need
to shut my eyes for a while,” he says softly as I kiss his cheek.
“Hey, I almost forgot.” I lift my shirt and smile when he kisses my
small bump. “I love you baby Weston.”
    “ Caleb,” I
whisper and sit beside him. “Are you okay?”
    He looks me straight in the
eyes and nods, “Yeah Gwenny. Hurry up and come to bed, I want to
hold you until…” His voice trails off as he drifts to the land of
nod.
    I rush to say goodbye to the
others and rush back to bed. I’m getting married tomorrow and
that’s the furthest thing from my mind. What’s wrong with Caleb? Is
this a lasting effect of his illness?
    He pulls me into him so my head
rests on his chest and my thigh across his legs while my hand
teases the hairs that travel from his navel to below his boxers.
Normally he’d jerk and laugh but this time he remains peacefully
sleeping. Sigh.
    “ I love you
baby,” I say and kiss his lips.
    “ Love you too
Gwenny,” He murmurs and tightens his arms around me. I thought he
was sleeping, I guess not.
    Nuzzling into his chest I stop
playing with his trail of hair and instead I hold him as tight to
me as possible.

    ******

    The sun hasn’t risen yet. Why
am I awake? Ugh, morning sickness.
    Leaning over Caleb, I check the
clock. Five fifteen in the morning, great. I’ll never get back to
sleep now. I’m one of those people who when they wake they’re awake
and that’s it.
      I can feel the smile cross my
lips as the mirage of thoughts flit through my sleepy mind. Today’s
my wedding day. I’m marrying the man I’m truly madly in love with.
I’m pregnant with his child. I’m going to be a mother.
    Mrs Guinevere
Weston.  
    Life is so
perfect.
    With a happy
sigh I stretch out my arms and legs, the wonderful relaxing feeling
is interrupted when I feel a dampness with my toes, near Caleb’s
knees. Slowly I sit up. I instinctively know something is wrong.
The bed feels cooler, there is a sweet sickly smell that hits the
back of my throat and aggravates the nausea I already
feel.
    Caleb’s
still, sleeping form lies next to me. Looking at