Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles Read Free Book Online Page A

get into Dad’s car.
    “Apologizing to Luis,” I lie. Obviously I didn’t do that much damage to his lower region if he was fooling around an hour later.
    Dad pulls out of the parking lot, down the winding driveway, past the house where the wedding was held, and then onto the small road leading away from a neighboring hotel the guests are probably staying at tonight. Ben, sitting beside me, is busy playing with some app on his phone.
    Looking out the window, I see a naked Luis holding his wallet over his crotch while trying to sneak into the hotel. He freezes when we pass, probably hoping to avoid being noticed.
    But I notice him.
    And he notices me.
    With a genuine smile that hasn’t crossed my face in forever, I roll down my window and give him a small private wave.
    Instead of being embarrassed, he drops the wallet and salutes me with one hand and waves back to me with the other.
    Which means he’s fully exposed.
    Don’t look at anything but his face, Nikki. Whatever you do, don’t give him the satisfaction of scanning down.
    In the end, Luis Fuentes gets the best of me. I couldn’t help but look. His body is leaner and more ripped than Marco’s, and seeing him in all his glory definitely showcases their differences.
    “I’m glad you apologized to Luis,” Mom chimes in quietly when we’re almost home.
    “Yep,” I tell her.
    Any tiny ounce of glee I might have fades as my stomach clenches again. And again. I feel like I’m going to throw up. A dizziness washes over me, and I close my eyes until Dad pulls into our driveway.
    Mom turns around and frowns when we’re home. “Don’t embarrass us like that again. You’re not trash, so don’t act like it.”
    I grab the handle and ease myself out of the car. A sharp pain in my side makes me wince. “I know,” I manage to say through clenched teeth.
    “You know how to act like a lady,” Mom says.
    I just need to throw up, then I’ll be fine. Ben has already booked it into the house. I can’t talk because I’m afraid I’ll lose the entire contents of my stomach right here.
    Mom sighs in frustration. “Look at me when I’m talking to you, young lady.”
    “Sorry, Mom,” I force myself to say. “I’m just … not feeling good.”
    I walk upstairs, but I stop when my stomach clenches and I keel over in pain. I suck in a breath, not being able to stand it. It feels like something is cutting me open from the inside.
    “You okay?” Mom asks as she comes up behind me. “What’s wrong, Nikki?”
    “I don’t know.” I look at her and know I can’t lie any longer. Especially when I feel a trickle of wetness running down my inner thigh. My heart is racing and I’m feeling faint. Another shot of pain runs right through me.
    My knees buckle, and I curl up in the fetal position at the top of the stars because it hurts so bad.
    “Raul!” my mom screams.
    My dad is kneeling at my side in an instant. “Nikki, where’s the pain?” he asks just like a doctor would, but with a hint of panic behind his words. He’s a surgeon, but I bet he’s not prepared for this.
    I can’t delay the truth any longer.
    I don’t look into either of their faces as I cry in a soft whisper, “I’m pregnant … and I think something’s really wrong.”
    Now I can see blood trickling down my leg.
    Mom gasps, then holds on to the railing for support.
    My dad stares at me with eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He’s completely stunned for a second, as if time has stopped, but quickly snaps out of it as reality sets in. “All right. Let’s get you to the hospital,” he says, not in a panic but like a doctor with a purpose. He picks me up and carries me down the stairs while Mom calls our neighbor and asks her to come over to stay with Ben.
    My parents help me get in the front seat while the pain increases with every second that passes. In the car on the way to the hospital, I glance at my dad. I’ve never seen him look this worried or sad. When I started hanging out with