Dear Ex Wife, Please take me back novel Chapter 160

ALEX

Her eyes snap to me, and I swear my soul leaves my body for a second.

“I mean, I'm…just asking! For context! Pain-level identification!” I rush to explain.

She glares.

I press my lips into a thin line.

Without saying another word.

At the red light, I quickly pull up my phone and search for the nearest convenience store. Thankfully, there’s one less than five minutes away.

I park the car a little too hard in my rush.

Athena doesn’t move. She’s hunched over in pain, with sweat still clinging to her temples like she just ran a marathon.

I glance at her, completely useless, then I turn to her and whisper, “Baby, stay here….I..ahh….I’ll get what you need.”

She doesn’t fight me on this or the pet name I just called her.

That’s how I know it’s bad.

I grab my wallet and rush out. But as I step out of the car and head toward the store, a terrifying thought strikes me,

What do I even get?

I freeze on the sidewalk like an idiot, then pull out my phone again and start typing:

[ What do women need when they’re in pain from the thing… the monthly thing… bleeding but not dying?]

But autocorrect turns it into [What do women need when they're in pain from the thing monthly bleating not dying]

What?

I growl under my breath and try again, slower this time:

[What do you buy for period cramps?]

A whole list pops up, pads, tampons, chocolate, painkillers, heating pads, herbal tea, dark chocolate again, midol,

I’m a grown man who has done so much, and yet this this is the most stressful mission of my life.

I'm terrified of disappointing Athena or worse, making her angrier.

I push open the glass door to the store, and it chimes.

I'm fucking nervous right now. I saw that pads have different types. What if I get the ones she hates and it makes her even more mad.

I sigh as I step inside the store.

The cashier is a girl. Maybe nineteen. Possibly fifteen.

She looks up from her phone.

“Hi! Welcome!”

Oh God!

“Hey,” I say, my voice cracking like I’m fifteen again.

I stand awkwardly in the middle of the entrance, not moving.

She blinks. “Do you… need help with something?”

Yes. So much help. But I can’t say it. I physically cannot make my mouth say the word.

I feel like I'm carrying a deep secret. Is it even allowed to talk about it?

Fuck! I'm so clueless.

I should have paid more attention to Sloane growing up.

“I…uh… so…” I scratch the back of my neck. “Let’s say… theoretically, someone is experiencing... intense abdominal… rage.”

She blinks again. “What?”

I clear my throat. “You know. Like... woman pain. In the lower region.” I demonstrate, “and has a very angry uterus situation.”

Now she’s looking at me like I’m about to propose an alien autopsy.

“Ohhh,” she says slowly.

“You mean period cramps?”

I wince.

“Oh my God! Are you…” She gasps as she reads the name on the card. “No one will ever believe I met you.” She says and I laugh.

That is true.

I walk back out five minutes later, my arms full of emergency chocolate, a heating patch, painkillers, and what I think are the right feminine products she boxed for me.

Athena lifts her head slowly when I get back into the car. She eyes the loot in my lap.

Her lip twitches. “You went to war?”

“Nope. Just had a chat With someone you'll love.”

She laughs.

“You and chatting can't be in the same sentence.”

I said that too!

“Do you need to change or…”

She shakes her head, “No, I just get cramps ahead of time." She sits up and takes the pain killers before grabbing a bar of chocolate.

I bite the inside of cheek as I wait for her to tell me how it tastes.

Did I mention how nervous I am?

A moan leaves her mouth after she takes another bite,

"Hmmmm...These are so good, how'd you know which ones to pick?” She faces me as a proud smile stretches my lips.

I never knew doing stuff for someone love felt this fucking good!

"I bet you did a whole lot of period shopping for Leah huh?" Her tone is bitter making me groan internally.

"Athena, I did this for the first time. Baby, we both know that. You're the only woman I've ever felt this crazy about.

I mean, I'm not complaining, I love taking care of you. So please don't misunderstand me, besides, there is a girl in there who helped me."

Her lips press together.

"We are going to be late. Aren't you driving?"