“I promise I’ll be proper again,” he continues.

“Okay,” I handle.

“Good lady,” he says once more, and I lean ahead so he can rise up.

Whereas he’s gone, I throw up once more. Twice. By some means, I handle to face on shaky legs in entrance of the lavatory mirror. Should brush tooth. Reaching for my toothbrush, I shut my eyes in opposition to the rising nausea. This was most likely not considered one of my higher concepts.

Opening my eyes once more, I take an excellent have a look at myself. Holy cow. I forgot that I stripped all the way down to my spaghetti strap shirt and placed on my cozy pajama shorts. My hair’s a rat’s nest, my make-up lengthy gone—literal tear tracks mapping their means down my cheeks—and I look pale and worn out, like I think about a brand new mother would possibly, however with out the glow of motherhood to again her up.

Blake seems behind me. “What are you doing?”

“I look horrible.” That’s not what I meant to say, however my mind is so muddled, and my abdomen hurts, and I simply hate feeling weak like this.

I begin to cry once more.

“Aw, Sunshine. It’s gonna be okay. I’ve received you.” Earlier than I do know what’s occurring, Blake scoops me up and holds me in opposition to his chest as we go away the lavatory and make our technique to the sofa, the place I can see he’s made slightly nest for me of blankets and pillows. There’s an previous emesis basin sitting on the espresso desk, together with some water, some grape Gatorade, and the ugly pink of a Pepto-Bismol bottle.

With sluggish actions, he lowers me onto the sofa and leans down beside me. Pulling a blanket over me—I’m immediately shaking—he smooths again my hair and appears me within the eyes. “And also you don’t look horrible. Even sick, you’re the most breathtaking lady I’ve ever seen.” Blake pauses, tilts his head. “And when you’re all higher, we’re going to have a speak about what meaning, okay?”

I shiver and tuck my chin below a quilt my Aunt Bea made. “Okay.” Bossy Blake is again, and I couldn’t adore it extra, even when he makes me take the medication—and I vomit it up—and drink fluids till I can maintain them down.

All by way of the night time, he takes care of me till my abdomen lastly settles and I can sleep.

I get up as soon as in the midst of the night time, squinting by way of the darkish to seek out him sitting on the other finish of the sofa, my ft on his lap, his fingers resting on my toes, the place I vaguely bear in mind him giving me a therapeutic massage in some unspecified time in the future. His head is leaned again in opposition to the sofa cushions, and slightly snore rumbles at the back of his throat.

He stored his promise. He didn’t go away.

And silly although it is likely to be, my coronary heart dares to maintain on hoping. To maintain holding onto his phrases: “When you find yourself all higher, we’re going to have a speak about what meaning.”

twenty-three

BLAKE

Tonight, it’s go huge or go dwelling—as a result of I’m telling Lucy how I really feel.

If I can handle to get her alone, that’s.

However for the time being, it appears like the entire city is right here on the seaside exterior of The Purple Seashell, the place Chloe is throwing the competition planning committee (and their households and probably all their pals too) a “soiree” to say thanks for all of our arduous work. That appears like too fancy a phrase for the cookout and volleyball recreation happening proper now, however I suppose once you’re from a European nation, all the pieces’s fancy.

You’d assume that my emotions for my sister’s finest good friend would have been abundantly clear two nights in the past once I got here dwelling and had the privilege of being the one to actually take care of Lucy, however I haven’t stated the phrases but. Principally as a result of I needed her to be totally recovered from her meals poisoning, which—given the best way she’s chowing down on a burger with Marilee at a desk not too removed from the place I’m in line to seize a drink—she fortunately is.

But additionally, the final twenty-four hours, I’ve hardly been dwelling once more. Along with working the meals truck like regular (although I shut down early tonight, clearly), Dale and I’ve been texting and calling backwards and forwards concerning the upcoming TV spot on Tuesday.

Nonetheless, now that Lucy is healthier and right here, I’m not dropping my nerve. And I’m not losing one other minute.

Actually.

Abandoning the road, I beeline for her desk, and when she glances up, her eyes widen. “Flake. Hello.” Is it my creativeness, or does she run her tongue over the tooth beneath her higher lip?

“Hey, girls.” I communicate to each of them, however my eyes are just for Lucy. I’m positive my sister will forgive me as soon as she realizes I urgently want to speak to Lucy.

However then Jordan comes working up with a volleyball, punching my arm. “Dude, there you’re. We want your assist.” He gestures again to the sand volleyball pit, the place Elisse, Kelsey, and a handful of different girls are dealing with off in opposition to Frederick, Landon, and, I assume, Jordan. “The women are slaughtering us.”

I look again at Lucy, who’s received an amused look on her face. However once I open my mouth to protest, she takes a swig of her Weight loss plan Coke and nudges my sister. “Ought to we go be a part of within the enjoyable, Mare?”

Marilee shakes her head, her bun bobbing. “Oh no, I’ll simply watch.”

“Aw, come on, Lee.” Jordan winks at her. “You’ll assist even out the perimeters.”

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