Page 45 of The Last Thing
Then footsteps thunder down the hall of her apartment.
I’m moving before I realize what I’m doing. I grab her spare key off the side of my fridge and the video monitor for Soph’s room and bolt out the door.
Fumbling with the key in her lock pisses me off so much I almost kick the damn thing open, but finally the handle turns, and I run inside.
I find Hallie on the bathroom floor, crying as she throws up.
She jumps when she hears my footsteps.
“It’s just me.”
Before she can hit me with a sassy remark, she dives forward and throws up again.
I drop to my knees beside her. “Breathe, Hellion.” I run my fingers through her hair and pull it away from her face.
She sits back on her heels and flushes the toilet.
“How did you get in here?”
“We exchanged keys the other day, remember? I heard you groan and run down your hallway, and I… I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
Her eyes meet mine. “I’m okay. You don’t need to stay.”
“I’m not leaving you here like this.”
“I’ll be fine.” She pushes herself up to standing, but her legs wobble.
“Convincing.” Standing up, I wrap my arm around her back and guide her out of the bathroom. “What can I get you? You should eat something.”
She shakes her head. “I’ll be okay. I have water.”
“Water isn’t enough when you just threw everything up.”
We get to her bedroom and she sits down on the edge of her bed and takes a drink from her water bottle.
I squat down in front of her. “Let me make you something.”
She shakes her head again. “Everything turns my stomach except?—”
“Except what?”
“Vanilla milkshakes and french fries. I ran out of vanilla ice cream earlier. I was going to go to the store in the morning?—”
“I’ll go get you what you need.”
“Now?” She whips her head to look at the clock. “It’s almost midnight.”
“I don’t care. Please. Let me do this for you.” I stand up and take a risk, brushing my knuckles over her cheek. “Let me take care of you.”
Her bottom lip wobbles, but she stiffens it quickly. “Okay.”
I hand her the monitor. “Can you listen for Sophia?”
Her eyes widen. “Of course. But what should I tell her if she wakes up?”
“Tell her you’re sick and I went to get you food to help you feel better.”
She blinks at me, then nods.
