Page 248 of Hide and Keep

His eyelids practically vibrate over his eyes as his body spasms.

Oh my Goddess.

“Kiss me.”

“Poison.”

“I know. I know.” That’s why he needs this activated charcoal in him. We’re probably past the point of absorption if it’s hit his stomach already, but it should help with elimination. “But you said if I begged and I’m begging. Kiss me, Crue.”

There’s no one else I’d rather poison me.

I pour a bunch of the black water in my own mouth, then fit my lips to his. It takes a few seconds for his lips to move even the slightest bit, but as soon as they do, I pry them open with mine before gently streaming the water into his mouth, pausing just long enough for him to swallow.

“Good boy,” I croon before waterfalling more in my mouth and repeating the process until I’ve gotten a quarter of the bottle in him.

Letting him rest for a moment, I look over at the toilet where he’s going to be headed next. It’s dirty and stinks and makes me want to die because I’ve never cleaned anything in my life and vomit has to be the worst-smelling thing on the planet, especially someone else’s, but there’s no one else here and so I have to clean it for him. Ugh. I have to.

Do I have to?

Crue would do it for me.

Get over yourself, Ever.

“Okay.” I steel my spine.

After I get Crue situated on his side, I hurry up and wipe the toilet down, my nose plugged the whole time, my eyes only at, like, half-mast. Talk about splash zone. The toilet’s smaller than some of our bowls.

I hear heaving before a splash and let my eyelids flutter to a close. He’s still lying on the floor. He couldn’t even sit up to make it to the toilet.

When I gather enough courage to peek over at Crue, there’s a chunky black puddle by his face.

Now I want to die.

“O-F-F-E-N-S-E.”

I crack my eyes at Ever’s voice, wondering how the fuck I ended up at a football game and why—

I’m in the bathroom?

I’ve never seen it from this angle but it looks like my bathroom.

Am I on the fucking floor?

“Throw that ball.”

And Ever’s behind me?

“Uh…”

Ever’s…chant? Is she chanting a cheer right now? Whatever she’s saying ends as she starts shushing me, an elongated garbage can shoved in my face.

“Shh. Shh. It’s okay. You’re okay.”

She pets my head.

What the fuck?

I push the garbage away and try to sit up, my back cold the moment I do. I half-turn to see Ever sitting with her legs spread in a wide V, one on each side of me, with her back pressed to the wall.

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