Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates novel Chapter 91

Chapter 91: 91-A Pregnancy Test

Helanie:

"You will feel better if you rest," Lucy said as she helped me change and even washed my uniform for me.

"I hope the bath is helping. I just don’t understand—why didn’t you just sit in your undies? Are you really that shy?" she asked, worried about why I had worn a dress to sit in the bathtub in front of her.

"It’s alright. You don’t have to answer me," she smiled gently when she noticed I was struggling to come up with a reply.

"Have you spoken to Gavin? Wasn’t it him calling you earlier?" I asked, having noticed her phone ringing multiple times, though she kept avoiding it.

"I don’t know what to say to him right now," she admitted softly, holding a sponge in her hand as she cleaned my arms with it. She had insisted on giving me a bath, and there was no way she was taking no for an answer.

"Lucy! How will you two resolve the issue if you don’t even talk about it with him?" I said, genuinely unable to understand the argument between them.

She seemed reluctant to believe the pain in her chest could stem from anything else.

"Did you not see him take care of her hair this morning? Helanie, if your mate knows you’re insecure about someone or something, and they keep doing it, what would you think of it?" she asked.

She wasn’t wrong. I would flip out too, but at least I’d have a talk with my mate—or even an argument.

But silence? Silence could be deadly for relationships.

"I know you don’t believe me, and I don’t expect you to. I know what I felt—I just don’t understand why he can’t stay away from her! Like, why does he have to do her hair in the middle of the hallway, knowing I’d be coming downstairs at any moment? He’s not even trying to help me with my doubts," she groaned, tears filling her eyes.

After we were done, she left the bathroom so I could change. Later, she tucked me nicely into bed, but her body twitched slightly when Gavin stormed in with soup and fries.

"She needs to eat; she’s too weak," Gavin said softly.

"Come on, Helanie. It’s not like you’re pregnant and can’t hold down food," Lucy insisted, holding up a spoon for me.

That’s when my heart dropped in my chest. I tried not to show any reaction, but her words struck a chord. They pulled me back in time—to that night—and then to my current condition.

I had missed my periods ever since that night, but I was so consumed by revenge and determination to get into the academy that I hadn’t even thought about it. Or maybe I just didn’t care... until now.

"There you go," Lucy smiled as I took the bite, just to calm her down. But inside me, a storm was brewing.

What if it was true?

I shook my head, and when I noticed them narrowing their eyes at me in confusion, I realized I must have looked like I was having a conversation with myself.

"By the way, thank you for standing up for me," Gavin said, referencing the earlier incident. His words temporarily gave me something else to focus on—a brief distraction from the horrifying thought swirling in my mind.

"I messed up anyway," I muttered steadily, glancing at Lucy, who kept her head down, her eyes fixed on the ground.

"They knew you were affected by the comments, Lucy," Gavin said as he turned toward her. She quickly averted her gaze, turning her face to the side to avoid looking at him.

"Lucy! Penn told me that the top seniors have a list of all the students, and next to your name, they wrote insecure! They’ve even picked on your argument with me over Jenny the other day—"

It all made sense now, why they were constantly trying to hurt Lucy by comparing her to Jenny and calling Jenny prettier than her.

"Oh, Penn told you that? Or was it Jenny herself? She must have fed you this nonsense!" Lucy’s voice rose, her tone defensive.

"Come on, Lucy. What’s your problem? You’re sharing a room with Lamar. Did you see me questioning you?" Gavin countered, his voice rising for the first time.

"That’s because I’m not sticking by his hip! I don’t even speak to him!" she snapped back, her voice matching his volume.

The two stood up, fists clenched, glaring at each other.

"You know what—let her rest, shall we?" Gavin finally said, grabbing Lucy’s arm to lead her out. It seemed they wanted to continue their argument elsewhere, away from me.

I thought about telling them they weren’t bothering me, but then it occurred to me that maybe they just didn’t feel comfortable fighting in front of me. So, I let them go. Lucy grabbed her coat before walking out with Gavin, leaving me alone—with nothing but the terrifying thoughts haunting my mind.