Page 47 of The Black Trilogy

“I suppose he had it coming.”

Phew.

After the main course, I helped Luke to stack the plates in the dishwasher. He’d gone a bit quiet. Was he more upset than I thought about the kneeing-in-the-nuts episode?

I turned to face him, and under the brighter lights in the kitchen, he didn’t look so good.

“Are you okay?” I asked. “You’ve gone kinda grey.”

“I think I’m just tired. I had to work late every evening this week so I could take the weekend off.”

Really? I wasn’t totally convinced. Mental note: don’t admit to walloping any more idiots.

While Luke slouched over the breakfast bar, I made myself useful by caramelising the tops of the crème brûlées. Wow, it sure smelled better than taking a blowtorch to human skin.

“Here you go.” I pushed a tiny dish over to Luke then dug into mine.

He picked at the top, staring at the table. Should I offer to leave?

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes. No. I don’t…”

He shoved his stool back and ran from the room. Okay, kind of drastic considering my question. Or was it…? A door slammed somewhere along the hallway, and I bit back a groan. Had Luke gone to worship the porcelain god?

I very much suspected he had.

So much for a relaxing evening.

CHAPTER 16

I WAITED A few minutes, and when Luke didn’t reappear, I went to find him.

I’d hoped I was wrong about him being ill, but when I heard the gagging noises coming from the downstairs loo, that hope faded. When I pushed the door open, he was kneeling over the toilet, and judging by the mess on the floor, he hadn’t made it in time.

He groaned when he looked up and saw me. “Please go out. I’m fine.”

No, he wasn’t “fine.” Embarrassed, yes, but definitely not fine.

“I’ve seen worse.” Although not by much. He’d gone from nought to Norovirus in sixty seconds. “Somebody has to look after you.”

“Yes, but not you. I don’t want you here while I’m like this.”

Under his grey pallor, a red tinge spread across his cheeks.

“Well, do you want me to call someone else? Your mother? Or your sister?”

“No! My mother would totally overreact. I’d end up at the hospital, probably in intensive care. And Tia would just call my mother. She doesn’t deal with things like this.”

“You’re stuck with me, then. Suck it up.”

He didn’t argue further, which showed how rough he must have been feeling. That and the fact he puked again. I dampened a wad of tissue and handed it to him, then averted my gaze while he wiped his mouth.

“Think you can stand?” I asked.

Did that groan mean yes? I had to assume so.

With my arm around his waist, I guided him past the mess and towards the stairs that wound up both sides of the entrance hall.

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