Unexpectedly Expecting the Sheik's Baby - Elizabeth Lennox Page 0,47
and slung it over her shoulder, determined to get out of her apartment and load up on healthy foods. She really hated grocery shopping, but the state of her fridge told her that she’d reached a crisis point. She would rather clean her toilet than wander through the aisles of the grocery store, but she also liked eating. Eating was pretty necessary and, actually, now that she thought about it, she was starving! A big bag of chocolate might just happen to fall into her basket, she thought. And that idea perked her up so much that it was easier to talk herself into accomplishing the hated chore.
As soon as she walked through the automatic doors of the grocery store, she slipped her headphones on and turned up the music on her cell phone. She might need to get food, but that didn’t mean she had to listen to the annoying music that the store played through the overhead speakers.
It took her only twenty minutes to grab some fruit and a few things for salads. She really did need to eat better. Her stomach was probably rebelling against all of the takeout she’d had lately and the lack of quality sleep time.
As she walked back to her apartment building, she thought she saw a tall man with wonderfully broad shoulders striding out and ducking into a black SUV.
Her first thought was that Nasir had come looking for her. But as soon as the thought formed, she banished it. He wasn’t looking for her, he hadn’t called, and she had to accept that the man was not interested in her! Bowing her head, she took a deep, calming breath.
When she lifted her head, she felt better, more focused. She couldn’t let that man interfere any more in her life, even if he was only doing it in her thoughts. Well, he wasn’t actually doing anything, she reminded herself as she let herself into her apartment and started unloading groceries. She was torturing herself.
One moment, she was putting ice cream into the freezer, the next moment, she was about to hit the floor. Grabbing the counter, she held on tight, breaking a nail as she waited for the dizziness to dissipate.
“Woah!” she whispered as the haze slowly cleared away. The darkness around her faded as the light fixtures came back into focus and she looked around, not sure what had happened. Her head was still spinning so she kept hold of the countertop, but at least she didn’t feel like she was about to pass out onto the floor.
When the dizziness cleared, she looked around, wondering what that was about. Then she didn’t have a chance to think at all. Her body was reacting. Sprinting to the garbage can, she threw up. Over and over, her stomach heaved until her tummy was empty. And still her stomach continued to clench and lurch. Cassy had no idea how long she knelt by the garbage can but when it was all over, she felt horrible, shaky, and too weak to stand up.
Okay, huge sign telling her that she needed to take better care of herself. “Got it, God,” she muttered to the silent apartment weakly. “No more long work days and no more fast food. I’ll be good,” she promised.
It took her several minutes to get up because her legs were shaking so badly. But when she stood, she reached into the fridge and grabbed an apple. Munching on the juicy, tart fruit felt better, giving her body immediate nutrients. And besides, eating apples always made her feel righteous, as if she’d done something good for herself. She never felt the same way while eating berries or other fruits. There was just something about apples that felt healthier somehow.
All day Saturday and Sunday, she ate as well as she could. But it didn’t seem to matter. By Sunday night, the nausea was still there. And when she got ready for bed that night, taking off her sports bra was painful!
Her phone rang and she ignored it, since it was just the stupid “out of area” number again. She’d gotten four of those phone calls today, but had ignored all of them. When the phone stopped ringing, she slipped into bed and called Ella.
“What’s up?” she answered immediately.
“Hey, do you know how to block a phone number on a cell phone? Is there a way?” she asked, knowing that if there was a technical issue, Ella could fix it.