Page 53 of Louder Than Words

I blink. Again. For the millionth time tonight, because my brain surely can’t take much more confusion before it literally explodes, but…what?

Then the pieces click together.

No…she wouldn’t do that.

“Don’t tell me you told him you were on birth control,” Ana says, one brow raised.

Nora’s eyes dart between Ana and me before she flings an arm in my direction. “Well, didn’t you tell Jax you were?”

My mouth drops open. What the actual hell does that have to do with anything?

“Yeah. I did tell him that. Because Iwason birth control, Nora.”

“Wait,was?!” Ana practically screams, leaning forward, knees pulled to her chest.

Fuck.

I quickly turn to Nora, hoping to avoid a full-on interrogation—at least for now.

“Why would you do that, Nora?” I ask softly, trying not to sound accusing, but… this is wrong.

She breaks down again, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I wasn’t trying to lie,” she says through a hiccup. “I only said that because the doctor told me it wouldn’t be easy with my irregular periods.”

I tilt my head, trying my hardest to understand. “Nora,” I say flatly. “I’m anurse. Even though I haven’t been taking many shifts with everything going on I still know what I’m talking about. If you had come to me, I would’ve told you it doesn’t matter. You can still get pregnant with irregular periods—obviously.”

“Yeah, and plus you already have two daughters,” Ana adds. “Isn’t that kind of an indication that’s not accurate?”

Nora shakes her head and wipes a snot bubble away with her sleeve. “No, because it was after I had the girls.”

The room falls silent. The only sound is Jax and Gareth arguing behind the wall, but I haven’t heard anything break, so at least that’s comforting.

“He thinks I purposely sabotaged his tour,” Nora admits quietly.

“Well…” Ana starts, but I cut her a glare that saysdon’t.

I rest my hand on Nora’s back, trying to offer some comfort. “Nora, what you did…” I pause, searching for the right words that don’t sound like an attack. “That’s a form of abuse. It’s called reproductive coercion. When someone takes away the other person’s choice about having a kid… that’s serious. It’s not okay. And Gareth honestly has every right to feel the way he does right now.”

I hate having to be so blunt with her, but honestly? Right now she needs it.

She turns to face me slowly, her body stilling like she’s finally fully realizing. “Abuse?” she whispers, eyes wide. Her head shakes slowly. “I… I didn’t mean—”

Her tears cut her off, her head dropping into her hands. I keep rubbing her back through the shaking until she suddenly sits up straight. “I… I need to talk to him. I really wasn’t trying to trap him. I just thought I couldn’t get pregnant after having Salem.”

I give her a tight-lipped smile. “I know, sweetie. You should really talk to him about everything.”

“I will,” she says, then leans in and wraps her arms around me.

I watch her slide off the bed and pad back into the hallway. Then I turn and catch Ana staring straight into my soul, nearly scaring the crap out of me.

“What?” I ask, tilting my head.

Ana narrows her eyes and slowly raises a finger, waving it at me. “Don’t think I missed that little comment.”

My mouth drops open, but a smirk tugs at my lips. “Yeah, well don’t think I didn’t see James in your room with no shirt on.”

And as if he knows the perfect time, Jax comes waltzing into the hotel room, his hand running through his hair.

Ana hops right up, a smile spread across her lips. “Bye!”