“Do you think you can get something cool for her neck?”
“Oh, of course.”
She hurried out. I wondered how much my stomach could possibly have left in it. Liam rubbed my back. When I lifted my head again, he whispered, “Is there anything else that will help?”
I shook my head.
“I think it just needs to run its course. I’m so sorry. You can go back to the dance if you want.”
He actually looked at me like I was crazy.
“Bella, I don’t care about the dance. I care about you. I’m so sorry I left you. I’m an idiot. Making you dance when I knew you said you needed water.”
Miss Evans returned with a napkin filled with ice and, sadly, my brother. Giovanni took one look at me and shook his head.
“You should have stuck with Dad’s pizza.”
Miss Evan’s excused herself, advising the boys to fetch her if I needed anything else. As soon as she left, I glared at my brother.
“You’re a jerk.”
My brother looked to Liam, and before they could speak, my head was back in the garbage can. This time Liam gathered my hair and pressed the ice napkin against my back. He also managed to greet my brother.
“You know, Giovanni, I haven’t mentioned this before, and I’m not supposed to tell you, but you’re her favorite. I wouldn’t take the jerk comment too seriously.”
Since the upper part of my body was bent over, I kicked Liam in the shin. He just laughed. I stood back up in time to catch my brother glancing at us curiously. I didn’t have time for this.
“I could use some water.”
I said it to my brother, but when he didn’t budge, Liam said he’d be right back and rushed out of the room. My stomach seemed to be settling a little, so I knew I had a few minutes before I’d need the garbage can again. Giovanni started to open the teacher’s desk drawers and spoke.
“I didn’t realize things were getting so serious between you two. I feel like I need to go all big brother on him right now, but the guy was holding your hair while you puked and wasn’t even slightly disgusted. That’s some hard-core feelings, right there.”
I was not about to try to explain my relationship with Liam with my brother. Closing my eyes to try to fight another wave of nausea, I sighed.
“He’s a good guy, Gio.”
“I trust you, Izzy. You know you’re my favorite. I just don’t want to see you get hurt again. You know we’re all going to kill him if he turns out to be another Marco.”
I looked at him, shocked.
“Gio! No. He’s nothing like Marco. Seriously. Even if our relationship falls apart, Liam is going to always be in my life. I like him. I want you to too.”
Giovanni sighed.
“Sis, I do like him. I just love you more.”
It melted my heart how protective he was. It was also terrifying. I needed to step things up with Liam. Once this project was over, we agreed our charade would have to end, but it would break my family’s heart. I couldn’t do that again. Liam and I needed to find our spark no matter what that cost.
I was pulled from my thoughts when my brother handed me a rubber band. Reluctantly I pulled back my hair. Was it wrong that I would have rather Liam be holding it? Liam appeared with a bottle of water; I quickly took a sip. I gave my brother a look, and he sighed.
“Are you okay if I head back? Miss Evans grabbed me while I was putting my jacket down. Maria is probably wondering where I am.”
I nodded, and Liam assured my brother he would take care of me. Which he did. When I finally felt better, Liam even tied up the garbage bag and asked Miss Evans where he could dispose of it. The worst of it was, I hadn’t even gotten to dance with him. It’s all I had been looking forward to this week. But there was no way I was going back in there.
Liam seemed to be walking me aimlessly through the hallways and then stopped in front of a locker. He spun his combination into the lock and popped it open. A minute later, he handed me a tube of toothpaste and a brush. Unused. I blinked up at him.
“You keep toothpaste in your locker?”
