Page 47 of Coast

“Proud of yourself, huh?” I asked, reaching for the rattle and shaking it at her. “I have to admit, you had pretty good timing, Lil’ Bit.”

As I laid Lainey down on the mattress to play with her feet and wiggle around, I realized it was gone.

All that anger, that frustration, and that restlessness I’d been dealing with all week.

It had evaporated.

“Ain’t that some shit,” I said.

“Ooh,” Lainey agreed.

CHAPTER TEN

Zoe

“Ugh,” I groaned, pressing my hands to my head, feeling the heat against my palms.

A fever.

Lainey.

I tried to shoot up, but my body felt like lead with aches and pains stabbing my legs with the slightest movement.

“Listen, you gotta stop hooting at random dudes, Lil’ Bit,” Coast said, making me turn my heavy head to see him moving in the room with Lainey in one arm and a brown bag in his other. He’d changed out of his bloody clothes from the night before and was wearing the outfit I’d borrowed from him and washed with the intention of dropping it off at some point. “Hey, baby,” he said, seeing me. “Shit. I was right, huh?”

“Is she okay?”

“She’s fine. Skipped one dose of meds because she was feeling fine. But we just took another dose. She’s got a stuffy nose now too, but is in good spirits. You look like hell.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Let me check on Mama, okay?” he asked Lainey, placing her down in her playard.

“I’m okay.”

“Not as pale and sweaty as you look, you’re not.”

He wasn’t wrong.

I didn’t remember the last time I felt so crummy. Maybe never.

“Oh, you’re burning up, babe,” he said as his cold hand touched my face. “Let’s get some medicine in you too.”

“I can get it,” I insisted, even as I flopped back onto the mattress, feeling completely wiped from justtryingto get up.

“Body aches?” he asked.

“God, yeah. Everything hurts.”

“Sounds like the flu.”

“Lainey…”

“Doesn’t seem to be in any sort of pain. She’s drinking her formula and acting normal enough. Didn’t get much sleep last night, but she’s looking more drowsy now.”

“You stayed,” I said, watching him as he grabbed pills and a sports drink bottle to bring over to me.

“Had a feeling you were going to need some help. Now take these and chug the drink. Can’t have you getting dehydrated.”

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