Mara Pov
The pain in my stomach was so sharp I couldn't keep my balance. I felt my legs shaking, and before I knew it, I was leaning all my weight on Lorenzo. My breath was coming in short, painful gasps.
"Mara?" Lorenzo's voice was low. He didn't wait for me to answer. He scooped me up and carried me straight to the private room in the back of the airplane cafe.
He set me down on my feet, but I didn't look at him. I rushed straight into the small bathroom and locked the door. I was trembling. I reached back and felt the fabric of my dress. It was wet. My heart dropped to my feet. I looked at myself in the mirror and then narrowed my eyes down. The back of the black silk was ruined.
"Mara? Open the door," Lorenzo said from the other side.
"Go away!" I yelled, but my voice was thick with tears.
Suddenly, the door was forced open. Lorenzo stepped in. He didn't look angry; he looked worried. He walked over and hugged me tight. I was crying so hard I couldn't stop myself. As he pulled me close, his eyes moved to the back of my dress. He saw the wet stain.
He didn't say anything. He just let go of me and walked out of the bathroom without a word. I heard the main door of the room click shut.
"Heartless," I whispered, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. "He saw it and he just left."
I felt so alone. I managed to clean myself up as best as I could and walked back into the small bedroom. I sat on the edge of the bed, my stomach cramping so hard I had to curl into a ball. I pulled out my phone. I tried to order a period package online, but when I got to the checkout, I saw the price. I didn't have enough money in my account.
I felt a fresh wave of panic. I dialed David's number. It rang and rang. I tried again. On the third try, he finally picked up.
"Hello? Mara?" His voice sounded tired.
"David, please," I said, my voice breaking. "I'm in trouble. I'm at the airplane cafe room. I've had a bad leak and I don't have any pads. Can you please order a period package for me online? I don't have enough money on my card."
"Oh, Mara," he said. He sounded polite, but distant. "I'm so sorry, but I'm right in the middle of reading for my history exam. It's really important. Can I do it later? Just give me an hour or two."