Out of Grief Read Online Free

sun touches, your muscles are starting to relax…”
     
    The sound of her voice was soothing, and her hand was creating warmth, beginning to relax the spasms. Her other hand was gently massaging my lower back and the combination of the two was a magic balm.
     
    “The beach is quiet, no annoying tourists, no loud boom boxes or screaming children, just the quiet sound of the waves. It’s a warm sunny day, but there’s a breeze blowing, so the temperature is perfect. We have rubbed enough sunscreen on each other not to burn, and we’re both relaxing in our beach chairs. I am doing the Sunday Times crossword, and you have your favorite book open, and you’re lost in the pages.”
     
    “Sounds nice,” I murmured.
     
    “You’re so relaxed that you begin to get drowsy. The words on the page begin to blur as your eyes begin to close, and all you can feel is the warmth of the sun all around you. You’re safe, because I’m right beside you. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
     
    My eyes did feel heavy, and the pain was beginning to be a distant memory as I let myself relax into her touch. I heard her begin to lightly hum a simple tune. Her voice was soft, like an angel, and I let my eyes close.
     
    When I woke, she was still there, holding me. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought she was studying me. But I did know better. I did know that as wonderful as that had been, it was offered out of friendship—nothing more.
     
    For the next three days, she would repeat the massage, changing up the story that went with it slightly until I could rest. And it made me think about my past relationships, and how they paled in comparison. No one had ever stayed with me through an illness, let alone tried to help me ride out the pain of my cramps. But Quinn acted as if it was nothing to help me; in fact, she insisted on it.

Chapter Eight
    Quinn was curled up on her sofa sipping a hot tea and reading my latest manuscript while I cooked dinner. My cell phone rang, and I saw that it was Kat calling.
     
    “Hey, Kat, wuz up?”
     
    “You planning on coming back to the city anytime soon?”
     
    I looked at Quinn, engrossed in the pages I had written. “I’m not sure. Why?”
     
    “Just boring without you. I miss my wing man.”
     
    “I’m sure you’re doing just fine on your own.” I turned the flame down, and stepped outside where the reception was better. “Seriously, what’s up?”
     
    “I’m worried about you, Nik.”
     
    “Why?”
     
    “Because you’re playing house with her, and you’re going to get your heart shattered.”
     
    “We’re not playing house.”
     
    “You’re cooking for her. You’re sleeping in the same bed, right? But you’re not having sex. Face it, girl, you’re like an old married couple.”
     
    “I’m going to stop telling you things, if you’re going to throw them back in my face.”
     
    “You know I’m not some bullshit friend that’s not going to call it like I see it. Now get out, before she hurts you. She has got to be capable of standing on her own two feet by now. Come back to the city where you belong.”
     
    “I’ll give it some thought.”
     
    “I have a charity thing coming up at the end of the month, and I’m putting you down as my plus-one. So you better get your ass back here.”
     
    “Why don’t you invite one of your strumpets?”
     
    “Hey, at least when I sleep with a woman, we actually have sex.”
     
    “I’m hanging up now.” I clicked the phone off. It wasn’t like Kat didn’t have a point. But I wasn’t ready to leave, and I wasn’t going to be guilt-tripped into doing so.

Chapter Nine
    About a week later, Quinn began to get queasy. I knew it wasn’t the food. And since it usually happened in the morning, and she hadn’t had her period since I’d been there, I had an inkling she might be pregnant. A home pregnancy test confirmed my diagnosis.
     
    “I don’t understand how this could have happened.” She