The Love of Lies

Sick

Cori’s POV

I woke to Ashton gently caressing my belly, and because my stomach has been bothering me, I guide his hand to the area that actually needs his attention.

There are lotions and oils I can buy to prevent what I feel, but the ones that work are expensive, so I’ve been putting it off, hoping that my everyday moisturizer would be enough, but so far, it’s not working.

I tell Ashton the issue, and he starts rubbing a little rougher, asking me if there’s something ‘we’ can get for it. I make a noise of affirmation, and out of nowhere he tells me that we’re going to dinner to celebrate his brother’s engagement.

“What time?” I ask, trying to mentally prepare for what might be another repeat of his best friend's baby shower.

“I’m not sure, but I want to go shopping with you.”

“Do I need to buy something to wear?”

“If you want, but I just want to start planning for the baby’s room.” That’s something I never heard, and because it’s a little worrying to me, I give Ashton my full attention.

I’ve never been to Ashton and Troy’s part of the house, but I know that it connects to the lounge room and small gym behind the pool in the backyard. From what I understand, the Lewis’ smaller homes connect like the letter C, and the pool, patio and garden is in the middle. It’s larger than the side homes, and while it has seven bedrooms, each smaller house has only five.

In the house I’m staying in, Troy and Ashton have converted two of those rooms into office space, and I’m staying in the last free room. Basically, I haven’t seen or heard anything about an extra room for a nursery from Mrs. Lewis or anyone else.

“I have an enclosed office space in my bedroom. Right now, it’s being used as extra closet space. I want to clear it out and furnish it as a nursery.” Ashton must have read my expression because he answered my unasked question exactly, but I still have my worries.

“But that’s too far from my room.” I plan to nurse the baby, simply because it’s cheaper, but there are health benefits, and I can’t imagine having to get up and walk to Ashton’s room for night feedings.

“Well… I was kind of hoping that you would move into my room with me.” I like sleeping next to Ashton, and maybe he does see what we’re doing as more than s*x, but I’m still nervous.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.” I take a second to consider, but I think I’d like to be able to work on a nursery, and I wouldn’t mind the other things that I’m sure will continue to happen.

“Then… Okay.” Ashton kisses my forehead, then kicks the blankets off our bodies, reminding me that I’m completely nude.

“Get up, shower, and let’s eat.” Ashton slaps by exposed butt, biting his lip as he stares at it.

He didn’t hurt me, but my lips curve down as a horrible sense of nausea makes my mouth go sour.

“Cori Hun, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt or scare you. I like how your body moves and…” I feel bad that I can’t explain to Ashton what’s happening, but by the time I’m doubled over the toilet, he gets the picture. “F*ck… I thought you were past that stage already?” That was surprising, but I can’t ask him how he knows what stage I’m at right now. “I read about this…”

Ashton enters the bathroom, turns on the shower, and helps me stand to brush my teeth before I step into the stream of water.

“Cori, we really need to see the doctor. We don’t know anything about the baby.” I was somewhere around nine or ten weeks when I found out that I was pregnant, and I’ve been with the Lewis family for the last three weeks, although it feels like longer has passed.

Basically, I’m nearing the end of my first trimester, so I shouldn’t be having morning sickness, and I’m not far enough along to be having late onset morning sickness, so this has to be something else.

“Was I too rough last night?”

“I don’t think it’s that.” I hadn’t actually noticed that Ashton was in the shower with me until he spoke, but him being behind me makes me feel a lot better. “I’m feeling a little light-headed.”

“Let’s get you out of here.” Ashton quickly helps me soap my body before duplicating the action on himself.

The full process took what felt like only five minutes, and although it's weird, I have never felt more cared for than at that moment. He not only made sure that I was wrapped in a towel, but he also helped me dry myself before sitting me on the bed.

“Do you want to put on the pajamas you wore last night?” I nod, not really feeling well enough to look for clothes. Ashton starts gathering my things off the ground, making me feel like I can get used to this kind of treatment.

I stare at the man’s body, feeling like I really lucked out. Even if he and I only date for a little while, I don’t think it gets much better than the model of a man who’s patiently drying my legs as he kneels in front of me.

“Are you taking your vitamins?”

“I am,” I reply. “But I don’t think I’m-”

“Cori! Mom Cook- Oh, my god! Eww!!!” Julia slams the door shut, and while I want to be embarrassed, her expression was too funny to ignore.

“Well… That’s what she gets for not knocking. Hope she doesn’t become disappointed with my brother.”

“Ashton!”

“What? Do you think he looks better than me?” I shake my head because I’ve never looked at Troy as anything other than an extension of Julia. If I think about it, he is handsome, but he’s no Ashton.

‘Cori, you are so f*cking lucky that you’re not feeling well.” I know what Ashton means, and I wouldn’t be opposed to it.

“Maybe we can do it really quickly?”

“Sh*t,” the man hisses, glaring up at me before pushing me flat. “Why would you say that?” I can see Ashton’s erection pushing against the towel he has wrapped around his middle, but he doesn’t do anything.

“Don’t you want to?” I ask, mustering all the courage within me to pull the towel off his waist.

“Cori, please stop. I promise you that if you’re feeling better after dinner tonight, I will give you exactly what you want, but not right now, not when I don’t know why you were sick this morning.” I frown, sad because I feel like I’m being rejected. “Please don’t make that face. I can’t c*m in five minutes, and…” Ashton kisses me, staring into my eyes as though he’s thinking about it. “I’m pretty sure my mother is waiting.”

I understand, and I definitely don’t want to be caught by the woman, so I allow Ashton to pull me up and help me into my clothes.

I really want the man to feel as wanted as I do, but I guess I can show him my affection in another way. It doesn’t have to be s*x.

Ashton’s POV

Cori is killing me, and as badly as I wanted to give her what she was asking for, I respect her, her body, her emotions, her health, and more importantly, our baby.

Whatever mood swing she’s having right now doesn’t strike me as normal, and after learning about her past, I read about women like her. Sometimes, they don’t know how to properly show affection, so they turn to s*x for comfort. I don’t want my relationship with Cori to turn into that, and I hope that she’s able to pick up on the fact that s*x is a bonus between us, not all there is.

Eventually, I’m strong enough to decline the woman’s advances, and we make our way to the dining area by the kitchen. Cori wasn’t paying attention, so she jumps when my parents start exaggeratedly clapping, likely already filled in about what Julia walked in on.

That made me angry, especially since I don’t think Cori is ready to be open about us just yet. A lot has happened in the time she’s been here, and I’m not certain she fully forgives me for how I treated her.

“Okay, okay, let’s move on. Cori is feeling lightheaded.” That gets everyone's attention in a much better way.

Even my father is pushing food at her, angry with me because I ‘foolishly’ kept her awake knowing that she ate only a salad for dinner. I know what my father means, and he may have a point, so I will now be monitoring the woman’s meals so this won’t happen again.

“When I carried Ashton, I was once so hungry that I couldn’t eat. The feeling of being hungry literally made me sick, and the only thing I could keep down was chicken broth. Maybe I could make you some?”

Cori agrees with my mother, somewhat silent at the table because I’m sure she’s a little embarrassed about the situation.

“Are you still not feeling well, or are you unsure how to act in front of my parents?” I’m whispering directly into the woman’s ear, not wanting to make her feel put on the spot.

“I kind of feel stupid,” she whispers back.

“About me?”

“Well… just a few days ago, I wanted to punch you every time I saw you.” I chuckle, knowing that Cori is one hundred percent telling me the truth.

“And what do you want to do now?” I watch the corners of Cori’s lips curl before I feel her fingers interlink with mine, giving it a tight squeeze that makes my heart flutter.

I can’t help but to lean in for a quick kiss, feeling giddy because I feel like Cori just told me that she wants to be with me, and I want to be with her too. I really wish that we got off to a better start because, for one, we wouldn’t be expecting a baby right now, and I want to think that we would be out enjoying the budding of our relationship over drinks and dinner dates.

“Aw, I love this…” My mother says, snapping my eyes away from Cori’s face. The grayish hue around her amber eyes is really attractive to me, and, not for the first time, I wonder how I got so lucky.

Pulling my face away from Cori’s, I ignore the silence and nonchalantly tell my family that she and I are going shopping for the nursery, but I’m immediately told that I was ‘passing my place.’

“Ashton, you can take her to look at furniture, but you are not allowed to buy anything.”

“Why?”

“Because she doesn’t have a registry.” Cori flinches, almost as if the words hurt, and I can tell by her body language that she doesn’t like the turn of the conversation.

“Jules, I don't need a registry. My closest friend is a woman whose baby I delivered while she was at work. A baby shower isn’t necessary.”

“So what if you don’t have friends? You have me, my husband, Julia, Troy, and Ashton’s friends. We can have something small and intimate, but I really think it's an important memory for you.”

Cori submits to the suggestion, slightly smiling as Julia and my mother go back and forth about themes, and color schemes, completely leaving her out of the conversation.

“Do you like that idea?”

“I’m fine with anything safe.” I love that Cori is easy to please, but at the same time, I want her to have an input.

This is our first baby, and if it's within my power, I will give her whatever she wants.