“I’ll be out in just a minute,” I lied. “I’m fine, I promise.” Another wave of vomit splashed into the toilet.
“You’re not fine,” Oliver said as he cracked open the door.
He’s right,I am so not fine.
I felt like the little girl from Willy Wonka who turns into a blueberry: big and puffy and like my body could explode at any moment.
“Birdie. Oh my God. You are covered in hives. Look at your neck.”
“Shit.” I wretched another time into the toilet. “Do you think you could have someone bring me my bag? It’s in the kitchen…” I grabbed a wad of toilet paper and wiped the corners of my mouth. “I keep a few doses of antihistamine in there.”
Oliver gasped. “Birdie, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know you were allergic to bananas.”
I let out a small laugh. “Yeah, I think I accidentally ate some.”
“Fuck. I’ll be right back with your bag.” I heard him tell someone in the hallway to stand watch and make sure I didn’t pass out.
Wonderful, someone else listening to me evacuate my stomach.
A moment came where I felt like I could move without passing out. I needed to rinse my mouth out, but immediately regretted it the moment I started to stand. The room began spinning and I knew I was going down. But instead of hitting the floor or the vanity, two large, muscular arms wrapped around me and guided me to sit against the cool tile wall.
“I got you, sweetheart,” Knox said as he gently set me down. “Can we get these meds in you?”
I leaned against the wall and nodded. But before either ofus could make another move, my stomach rolled again. I was barely able to lift the toilet seat up enough to get the contents into the bowl, splattering a good portion of it onto my shirt.
“Shit,” I heard Knox say.
“Fuck,” I croaked.
“You’re okay,” Knox soothed, helping me sit me up against the wall again. “We need to get this antihistamine in you, but you’ve got to be able to keep it down. If not, we’ll need to call emergency services.”
I shook my head as my stomach finally calmed. “I can take it now; I think that was it.”
Knox placed two pills in my shaky hand before cracking open a bottle of water. I placed the fast-acting tablets on my tongue, allowing them to dissolve before taking the water from Knox and washing them down. I sighed, knowing I was about to have some relief from my symptoms.
I couldn’t believe that I had accidentally ingested bananas, and at a palace function no less. It had been years since I’d had an accident. Not only was I embarrassed beyond belief, but I felt so stupid. I thought I had been thorough when reading through the recipe cards, but I must have been so wrapped up in the contest and talking to the girls and the queen that I missed something. I felt like such an idiot.
This is absolutely mortifying.Not only had I puked in front of Knox, but I had gotten it all over myself. I hated getting sick in front of people; I didn’t even like throwing up in front of my own mom when I was a kid. I preferred being sick in private like a goddamn normal person. But then to have it happen in front of the guy that I finger-banged myself to?Put me in the grave right now.
“How are you feeling?” Knox asked. I could see the worry in his crystal blue eyes.
“You mean other than throwing up on myself, in front ofyou, and being covered in hives? I’ve had better days,” I half smiled.
“Glad you still have your sass about you,” he said, sounding relieved.
“I hate having to miss out on the rest of the evening, but those meds make me super drowsy. I should probably go back to Lexington Manor with Vince.”
There was a knock on the bathroom door. Knox stood to open it.
“Hey,” he said to Oliver.
“Hey. How’s our girl?” Oliver asked.
“She’s going to need to sleep off the meds she just took. Can you grab Vince? I’ll call for the car and he can get her home.”
Oliver looked between Knox and me and ran a hand over his jaw.
“With so much press here today, I don’t think we can get her out the front without being seen. I really don’t want this becoming a story. You know how the press would spin this, and I don’t want Birdie’s name to be dragged through the tabloids. Can you take her out the back to your place instead?”
