Seraphiive/FragmentOfBOOKCORPUS · Datasets at Hugging Face

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`` what ? ''
he liked seeing her like this , all sleep-tousled and rosy .
`` you should n't do that . ''
but she did n't seem unhappy that he had .
`` i think i should . ''
he did it again .
`` come here .
might as well make the best of that half-hour . ''
he leaned forward and grabbed a throw blanket off the back of one of the easy chairs , tugged her back against his chest and covered both of them .
`` go to sleep . ''
`` are you sure ? ''
`` i 'm sure , '' he said .
but neither of them slept .
when mia came over mid-morning for another business plan session , she dropped her purse on the kitchen counter , peered at fila 's face and said , `` what happened to you ? ''
`` i did n't sleep well . ''
fila busied herself putting on a kettle for tea .
`` nightmares again ? ''
`` no . ''
fila shrugged and hoped mia would n't push for details .
now that she looked at her , mia did n't look so hot herself .
`` are you okay ? ''
`` not really . ''
to fila 's surprise the young woman began to cry .
comforting other people was n't fila 's strong point-unless they were babies .
there had been little tenderness between her and the other women of her village .
most of them could n't afford to take the risk of being seen to favor her .
she was too different-to apt to make the kind of mistake that brought about the wrath of the taliban men who called the shots .
so she never knew quite what to do when a situation like this presented itself , and now she hovered over mia for a few moments before tentatively placing a hand on her arm .
`` what 's the matter ? ''
`` everything !
luke .
he 's such an idiot ! ''
fila had noticed a tension between luke and mia for weeks .
like fila , mia had moved onto the double-bar-k just before the beginning of december and though she 'd first lived with ned , that had n't worked out and she 'd eventually switched places with fila to move in with luke .
fila had expected a romance to blossom between the two almost instantly , judging by the way luke 's gaze never swerved from mia whenever they were together .
but that had n't happened , and she was n't sure what the nature of the relationship between the two was .
sometimes they chatted and laughed and shot glances at each other so loaded with intent and desire fila felt uncomfortable in their presence .
other times they moved stiffly around each other as if they had never even met .
fila could n't fathom what was going on .
`` what did he do ? ''
`` nothing !
he 's done nothing and it 's almost too late ! ''
`` too late for what ? ''
mia sobbed louder .
`` i 've made such a stupid mistake .
such a stupid , stupid mistake .
i do n't know what to do !
i 'm going to lose him ! ''
`` lose luke ? ''
how could she lose a man who followed her around like a puppy on a string most of the time ?
`` you 're wrong .
luke worships you . ''
mia dropped her hands and stared at fila .
`` now , maybe .
he wo n't next month . ''
fila chuckled despite her concern .
`` what do you plan to do next month ?
set his cabin on fire ? ''
`` it 's not what i plan to do .
it 's what i 've already done . ''
mia wiped her eyes .
fila did n't like the hopelessness in her tone .
`` can you keep a secret ? ''
fila nodded .
she was good at that .
`` i 'm pregnant .
and i 've never been with luke . ''
understanding flooded fila , along with a wash of fear that had her gripping the table for support .
an unwed mother .
what would happen ?
what would they do to her ?
would they- no .
she was n't in afghanistan .
`` fila ? ''
the concern was all too evident in mia 's voice .
fila struggled to get a hold of herself , taking calming breaths , holding the table tight until her knuckles went white .
`` sorry , '' she gasped out .
`` it 'll pass . ''
mia bit her lip , studying her .
`` what would they have done to me where you were ?
would they have killed me ? ''
fila shut her eyes .
possibly .
a tear slid down mia 's face .
`` sometimes i think everyone would be better off if i was dead . ''
fila was on her knees in an instant , her arms around mia-all her own fears forgotten .
`` no !
never say that .
you are a mother now .
soon you will hold your baby in your arms . ''
`` i know , '' mia wailed .
`` and i ca n't wait .
i want to see my baby so badly , but do n't you see-the minute luke finds out about it , he 's going to hate me . ''
fila pulled back .
thought that through .
luke was proud-the proudest of the mathesons , and that was saying a lot .
you could tease jake and rob .
even ned had a sense of humor , buried as it was under his gruff exterior .
luke saw things in black and white , right or wrong .
he reminded her of the taliban men that way .

`` what ? ''

he liked seeing her like this , all sleep-tousled and rosy .

`` you should n't do that . ''

but she did n't seem unhappy that he had .

`` i think i should . ''

he did it again .

`` come here .

might as well make the best of that half-hour . ''

he leaned forward and grabbed a throw blanket off the back of one of the easy chairs , tugged her back against his chest and covered both of them .

`` go to sleep . ''

`` are you sure ? ''

`` i 'm sure , '' he said .

but neither of them slept .

when mia came over mid-morning for another business plan session , she dropped her purse on the kitchen counter , peered at fila 's face and said , `` what happened to you ? ''

`` i did n't sleep well . ''

fila busied herself putting on a kettle for tea .

`` nightmares again ? ''

`` no . ''

fila shrugged and hoped mia would n't push for details .

now that she looked at her , mia did n't look so hot herself .

`` are you okay ? ''

`` not really . ''

to fila 's surprise the young woman began to cry .

comforting other people was n't fila 's strong point-unless they were babies .

there had been little tenderness between her and the other women of her village .

most of them could n't afford to take the risk of being seen to favor her .

she was too different-to apt to make the kind of mistake that brought about the wrath of the taliban men who called the shots .

so she never knew quite what to do when a situation like this presented itself , and now she hovered over mia for a few moments before tentatively placing a hand on her arm .

`` what 's the matter ? ''

`` everything !

luke .

he 's such an idiot ! ''

fila had noticed a tension between luke and mia for weeks .

like fila , mia had moved onto the double-bar-k just before the beginning of december and though she 'd first lived with ned , that had n't worked out and she 'd eventually switched places with fila to move in with luke .

fila had expected a romance to blossom between the two almost instantly , judging by the way luke 's gaze never swerved from mia whenever they were together .

but that had n't happened , and she was n't sure what the nature of the relationship between the two was .

sometimes they chatted and laughed and shot glances at each other so loaded with intent and desire fila felt uncomfortable in their presence .

other times they moved stiffly around each other as if they had never even met .

fila could n't fathom what was going on .

`` what did he do ? ''

`` nothing !

he 's done nothing and it 's almost too late ! ''

`` too late for what ? ''

mia sobbed louder .

`` i 've made such a stupid mistake .

such a stupid , stupid mistake .

i do n't know what to do !

i 'm going to lose him ! ''

`` lose luke ? ''

how could she lose a man who followed her around like a puppy on a string most of the time ?

`` you 're wrong .

luke worships you . ''

mia dropped her hands and stared at fila .

`` now , maybe .

he wo n't next month . ''

fila chuckled despite her concern .

`` what do you plan to do next month ?

set his cabin on fire ? ''

`` it 's not what i plan to do .

it 's what i 've already done . ''

mia wiped her eyes .

fila did n't like the hopelessness in her tone .

`` can you keep a secret ? ''

fila nodded .

she was good at that .

`` i 'm pregnant .

and i 've never been with luke . ''

understanding flooded fila , along with a wash of fear that had her gripping the table for support .

an unwed mother .

what would happen ?

what would they do to her ?

would they- no .

she was n't in afghanistan .

`` fila ? ''

the concern was all too evident in mia 's voice .

fila struggled to get a hold of herself , taking calming breaths , holding the table tight until her knuckles went white .

`` sorry , '' she gasped out .

`` it 'll pass . ''

mia bit her lip , studying her .

`` what would they have done to me where you were ?

would they have killed me ? ''

fila shut her eyes .

possibly .

a tear slid down mia 's face .

`` sometimes i think everyone would be better off if i was dead . ''

fila was on her knees in an instant , her arms around mia-all her own fears forgotten .

`` no !

never say that .

you are a mother now .

soon you will hold your baby in your arms . ''

`` i know , '' mia wailed .

`` and i ca n't wait .

i want to see my baby so badly , but do n't you see-the minute luke finds out about it , he 's going to hate me . ''

fila pulled back .

thought that through .

luke was proud-the proudest of the mathesons , and that was saying a lot .

you could tease jake and rob .

even ned had a sense of humor , buried as it was under his gruff exterior .

luke saw things in black and white , right or wrong .

he reminded her of the taliban men that way .