Hatred With Benefits novel Chapter 24

EMERSON.

"Stay away. " Carson's cheeks are flushed with redness and a laugh falls from my mouth as I watch her walk out of the room with quick strides and a hand pressed to her back.

I shake my head and grab the spoon to take another bite of the ice cream.

After finishing the ice cream, I drop the bowl into the sink, and begin to make my way out of the kitchen but stop at the notice of a phone on the counter.

Carson's phone.

I stare at the device before I give in to the urge and take it off the counter, making my way to her room.

I turn the knob of her door before peeping my head through the small space– Eva lies on the bed with her body curled into a ball and her hands clutched to her belly.

I tilt my head and stay still for a while, wondering if I should go ahead or just turn around and pretend I never saw this. It's not exactly like I'll be of any help either way, because I know absolutely shit about women and their menstruation cycles.

With a slow shake of my head, I slowly pull the door towards me, but it hangs at the sound of Carson's groan. It's a loud and painful one and it disturbs me.

Without thinking much about it, I make my way inside the room and shut the door behind me.

I mumble under my breath as I walk to Carson's side of the room, and her head remains hidden though I know she heard the footsteps.

"Hey, Carson. Are you okay?" Obviously, she's fucking not, but I have no idea what else to ask.

"Yeah, " her response comes. Her voice sounds so weak, and not so her. A frown pulls at my face as I bend towards the bed and settle at the edge of it, careful not to press against her.

"You don't sound okay. " I start, lifting my hand to her face, but Carson shifts away from me.

"Go away, Emerson. " She mumbles, burying her head in the sheets and I should do exactly what she requested, but my humanity takes over and I find myself shifting closer to Carson.

"You might want to leave your pride behind if you don't want to bleed to death, Carson. " The words slip through my lips rashly and Carson finally lifts her head to meet my eyes – gaze hard and full with hate. Something tells me it would a different situation if she weren't clutching her belly.

"Isn't that what you want?" She raises her brows slowly. "You'll take pleasure in my death, Ford so this is a good opportunity for you. "

A smile climbs on my face, and Carson throws me a revolted look as I speak, "Death? yes, but bleeding to death? No, I don't want that. "

"Leave me. " She groans, turning her head to the other side and I chuckle, staring at her back before I speak again. "What do you want me to do?"

Carson turns to me again and her expression remains unfazed, but her lips are parted just barely. I'm aware those words have been exchanged between the both of us too many times now, but it's something that can't be controlled. As much as I hate Carson and despise the thought of me being worried about her— it grows with each discomfort she faces.

"You can't do anything. " Carson's voice snaps me out of my thoughts and I arch my brows, "Are you sure about that? There should be something you always do when you're like this. "

Carson studies me for a few minutes before she speaks again, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. "There is. "

I nod, edging closer to her. "Tell me then. "

"I hate owing you, Ford. " She whines in annoyance, and I let out a laugh before I say. "You don't have a choice. "

"I could lay here for the pain to leave. " She says in a flat tone and I hum, saying, "You could lay there and bleed to death. By the way, I hope you're using your tampon? I may be open to everything else, but I'm not touching your blood, Carson. "

Carson sneers at me. A full-on sneer where she wears an expression that tells me she wants her hands wrapped around my neck, cutting my breath and killing me slowly, instead of where she has them right now.

"Fuck you, Ford. " She seethes and I shake my head, a teasing smile pressing on my lips. "I just told you I'm not touching your blood, Carson. "

There's this feeling that comes with watching Carson's face when I throw an insult at her, it's a feeling I've tried and failed to explain, but it's sure as hell a pleasurable one.

"You make accepting your help so fucking hard, do you know that?" She frowns, trying to move upward and I raise a shoulder as I watch her struggle. "That's the exciting part about my help, Carson. "

"What should I do?" I ask, returning to my earlier suggestion and Carson nods towards her belly.

"What?" I repeat in confusion and she stares at me dumbly before nodding to her belly again, saying, "I want you to caress it. "

"You're obsessed with my touch, aren't you?" I throw her a smirk as I move over her body, shifting my legs to either side of her.

EVA.

I watch as Emerson moves over me with my breathing quickening.

He fists the hem of my top in his hands before raising it to reveal my belly, and I don't miss the way he stills for a millisecond— just staring at the skin.

I'm quick to remove my gaze when Emerson starts to lift his head and I shift it back to him when he speaks. "How am I to do it?"

"Massage it. Just gentle strokes. " I must be crazy to let Emerson Ford do this for me, but there's only a fraction of resistance you can hold onto when it comes to pain.

When I open my eyes, Emerson Ford isn't beside me.

A groan falls from my mouth as I sit up on the bed and frown at the feeling of something warm and wet against my skin.

Lifting my hand to my forehead, I bring down a wet towel folded in halves. I stare at the towel before taking my eyes to the spot beside me to see a bowl of water sitting at my bedside with Emerson Ford nowhere in sight.

I put the towel to the side and get out of bed to walk out of the room.

"Hey, you. " Emerson is standing in the middle of the living room as I stride inside and I jerk my head to him in response, my eyes moving down his body. He's clothed in his usual attire with his key dangling off his fingers.

"I'm heading out. " He says and I shift my eyes back to his face. "I didn't ask. " I respond as I walk past him to the kitchen and Emerson's laugh echoes behind me.

"You didn't, " he chuckles. "But your eyes did the talking, Carson. "

"Funny of you to think you can interpret what my eyes speak, Ford. " I retort and there's a silence as I grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

I gulp down a considerable amount of the liquid before turning around to Emerson's view, swiping a hand over my lips. I lift my brows when he doesn't speak, but keeps his eyes on me. "What?"

He nods towards my belly. "Are you feeling better?"

"I am. " I nod as I drop the bottle on the counter next to me and fold my hands against my chest. The confident stance drops slowly and easily as Emerson makes his way toward me, taking gracious strides that seems to match the beats in my chest.

He stops when he's inches away from me and without a word, he places his hand against my belly. He gives gentle rubs at first before it turns fast and aggressive, and I slap his hand away, a frown crossing my lips.

Emerson laughs at my reaction and takes a step back. "Just making sure you are. "

"Fuck off. " I scowl at him and his shoulders shake as he laughs before he turns around, walking towards the door.

I watch as he wraps a hand around the doorknob, and just before he walks through the door, he turns to me and says, "You're welcome, Carson. "

"I never thanked you for anything. " I tell him and he bobs his head. "Your eyes did. You're welcome. " And as I part my lips to speak, Emerson slips through the door and disappears out of sight.

I stay on the spot, staring at the door before my lips slowly spread in a smile.

"Thank you, Emerson. "