Sadie wrinkled her nose. “He sounds awful.”
“Oh, he’s just the beginning. I have a dozen very similar stories I could share, but I’ll save you. I’ve decided dating’s not for me.”
Sadie gave her friend a knowing smile as she squeezed fresh lemon into the glasses. Elle was young, single, and had curves any man would die for. Not to mention an awesome personality. There was no way the woman would be single for long.
When the drinks were ready, she slid a glass across the island, then lifted her own. “Well, I’ll be your date anytime you want, and if you yawn, I’ll yawn with you.”
“Now that’s the support I need.”
They clinked their glasses and Sadie sipped her apple sour, almost groaning at how good her favorite cocktail tasted. And boy, was it overdue.
Sadie groanedas her stomach rolled. She shifted from her back to her side, grabbing her belly. Even though her eyes were closed, she knew the room was still dark. God, what was the time? Elle had only left at eleven, but for Sadie, that was a late night.
She squeezed her eyes closed, trying to fall back to sleep. Her stomach rolled a second time, and a familiar sick feeling crawled up her throat.
She was going to throw up.
Quickly, she threw the sheets off her body and turned on the bedside lamp, flinching at the sudden brightness. On her first step toward the bathroom, the path in front of her blurred, and she stumbled. She grabbed onto the bed to stop from hitting the floor.
On the third roll of her belly, she ran as quickly as her shaky legs would allow, barely making it to the bathroom before dropping in front of the toilet and throwing up everything she’d eaten and drunk that night.
Argh, shehatedbeing sick. If she could choose between the flu and throwing her guts up, she’d choose the flu every time.
She wasn’t sure how long she knelt in front of the toilet, eyes closed, hand on her stomach, but every time she opened her eyes, the room spun.
Jesus, what was wrong with her? She felt like she’d been hit by a bus. She couldn’t be hungover. What had she had…two cocktails? Could it be food poisoning from the cheeses? Maybe she’d text Elle and find out if she was sick too.
She remained on the floor in front of the toilet for a while, and every time she thought she was okay to get up, she started heaving again, only there was nothing left in her stomach.
Her head started to ache and her stomach hurt, but she had to try to get back to bed. She couldn’t spend the rest of the night here—she didn’t even know what time it was.
With shaky arms, she pushed herself up from the cold tiled floor, only to stumble into the wall and have to catch herself.
Easy, Sadie, you can do this.
Her steps were slow as she made her way to the kitchen. What should have taken her a few seconds felt like half a lifetime. When she finally got there, she rummaged around the cabinets until she found the large bowl she was looking for. She also grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. Whether she’d drink the water or not, she wasn’t sure. The idea of consuming anything right now made her want to throw up all over again.
Carefully, she made her way back to the bedroom and all but fell onto the mattress. She’d barely lain down, when her stomach rolled for what had to be the twentieth time and she dry heavedinto the bowl. At this point, it hurt more than anything else because she had nothing left inside her.
When she was finally done, she closed her eyes, knowing full well she’d get little to no sleep for the rest of the night.
CHAPTER 19
“What are you going to do with Sadie this afternoon?”
Avery’s eyes lit up as they left the car and walked toward her school, her little hand tightening in Eastern’s. “Everything!”
“Everything?”
“Yep! We’ll bake and do braids in our hair and talk about boys…”
Eastern frowned. “Whoa? Back up, kid. Boys? What boys?”
Avery rolled her eyes like she was sixteen. “Dad, I can’t talk to you about that stuff.”
“Yes, you can. And you will. I want to know about any and every boy in your life. I’ll give great advice.”Like stay the hell away from boys until you’re thirty.
“The last time I talked to you about a boy, it was when Leon Donnelly invited me to his house to play. You called Leon’s mother, told her the playdate would be atourhouse withyoursupervision, and there would not, under any circumstances, be any touching.”
