Page 24 of Baking and Angels

“Oh, it’s okay. Please come in,” Helena said, gesturing welcome, but Éliott shookhis head.

“I had about as much as he did, and I am afraid I will disgrace myself if I stay here any longer. I am just down the hall, and so I will pass him to you and then take my leave to visit my own porcelain god.” Éliott laughed and wavered onhis feet.

Had Éliott only gotten them this far on sheer will alone?

Before Rafferty could remember enough words to even form the question, he found himself more or less tossed into Helena’s arms.

Despite having said good-bye already, she was still speaking to her friend on the phone, the gadget pinned to her ear with her shoulder, while she also tried to juggle his disorderly limbs. “No, Charlie. Don’t come,” Helena insisted as Éliott slapped Rafferty’s back, then saluted sloppily and jetted down the hallway, pulling his card key from his pocket.

Not wanting to be a burden to Helena, Rafferty pushed himself away, stumbling his way toward the bed.

Letting him go, Helena went to shut the door, still talking to Charlie, a friend who was having trouble with his husband. That was all Rafferty remembered about him. The husband had harassed Helena a few times, though, and that Raffertydidcare about, and he had a brief thought of leaving right that moment to go take care of that problem. If only he could remember where thedoor was.

Or how tostand up.

He did attempt to turn around to go, but Helena still had her hands on him and his flailing nearly knockedher over.

Throughout all of the jostling, Helena’s voice kept speaking to her friend. “Not until I know what’s going to happen next. Ideally, not until I’m back in my house. No, you don’t have to stay with us. We’re safe. At this point, you’d have to stay here at the hotel with me anyway, and I’m not paying for this room, so…”

She paused in her speaking while Rafferty flopped face forward and just lay there, grateful for something steady to focus on. The sheets smelled like detergent, which he found oddly comforting. But only for a few seconds, because he found that position difficult to breathe in, so he turned his head to lookat Helena.

Still on the phone. “Get some sleep. I’ll keep you updated. I promise,” Helena swore, glancing at the clock by the bed. Rafferty followed her gaze, which turned out to be more difficult than it should have been. He also wasn’t entirely sure, but he thought it said it was2:00 a.m.

A beep signaled that Helena had finished her call. She dropped the phone onto the table and moved to helpRafferty.

“Raffie?” Helena asked softly, brushing back his dark hair from his face so she could see him. “Honey, do you need tothrow up?”

“No,” Rafferty said with a stubborn whine.

“Okay, then can you slip off your shoes?” she asked, kneeling to help with that. He toed them off himself, but she cleared them to the side. “Are you sure you don’t need tothrow up?”

He didn’t deny it this time. Instead, his shoulders jumped as he gagged atthe idea.

“Yup, you’re going to erupt,” Helena said, seizing him under one shoulder, leveraging him up bodily to stumble-walk him into the bathroom quickly before it wastoo late.

Helena tried to help with stabilizing, but he bowled her out of the way once he got going. She had to let go before she got sideswiped off at the bathroom threshold. A second later, Rafferty’s entire back seized, and the contents of his stomach went into the toilet.

Mostly.

It felt so good.

Or rather, it felt like sucha relief.

He did it a second time, and that hurt, his whole stomach aching as it used too much muscle to accomplish the job.

The next oasis of relief came when he rested his cheek against the cool surface of the toilet seat.

“Is that it?” Helena rubbed gentle circles againsthis back.

Why isn’t she disgusted with me?he thought.

“Are you done?”she asked.

Rafferty didn’t reply, just stuck out his fist and gave a sloppythumbs up.

“No more coming up?” she continued, needing reassurance even as she hit the handle and flushed his disgrace away.

Rafferty still wavered in his squat but shook his head back and forth. Helena brought him a cup ofsomething.

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