Page 100 of Until I Find You

“Don’t call me a good girl while I’m puking,” I say, tears bristling at my eyes.

“Sorry, sorry.”

He doesn’t deserve my shortness, but I have nothing else to give right now.

I reach up and flush the toilet. Don’t want to get an eyeful of whatever came out of me.

The bathroom door swishes open, and Abigail’s voice comes. “Everything okay?”

God, no. It’s not okay. And I don’t need more witnesses.

“Could you bring us some water? And some napkins?” Jack calls out.

“On it.”

He’s a good man. Such a good man.

We sit there in silence for a while, me waiting for more to come up, him stroking my back.

Abigail returns with the water and the napkins, then heads back out at Jack’s request.

“Want some water, baby girl?”

I nod. My head feels like a bowling ball.

Jack turns my face toward his and then dabs my mouth off with a napkin before cracking open a bottle of water for me and bringing it to my lips.

The water soothes the burning in my throat, the waviness of my stomach.

My shoulders fall, and I can breathe again. “I don’t know what happened.”

“You weren’t feeling well this morning.”

“Yes, but…” I mentioned it in passing. I swallowed down some Advil. Said I was fine.

“We could have postponed,” he says. “In fact, I can ask everyone to leave if you’re not feeling well.”

I shake my head. “No, that’s crazy. They’re already here.”

“But if you’re not feeling well–”

“Much better now that I’ve…” I settle my hand against my stomach. And something clicks in the back of my mind.

Jack puts the back of his hand to my forehead. “You’re warm. You could be coming down with something.”

I could be coming down with something all right.

“I want to take you home. We’ve gotten most of the samples done.”

“Jack…”

“I’m not trying to take away your agency, but I’m not going to let you push through something, especially not if it’s contagious,”Jack says, then adds with a humored smile, “That would be bad for business.”

I shake my head. “I don’t think what I have is contagious.”

He frowns. “What do you mean?”

Jack’s not getting it. In fact, I don’t think I am either.

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