Page 30 of Sincerely, Your Enemy

And now he’s hallucinating.

“She’s so fucking rude, bro. Stop staring at me!” he yells.

“It’s fine, Oli. You’re hallucinating.”

He starts punching the air. “I’m telling you that bitch wants to fight me.”

To say I’m driving with a lead foot would be an understatement. I’ve never been so worried about him in my life. And I’m not the only one.

His best friend’s mother looked like she was going to sob when I got to her house. The poor woman felt horribly guilty. She sent the boys out into the backyard, thinking she’d get started on dinner while they hung out. She took her eyes off them for five minutes, tops, and the next thing she knew, Oliver was crying out in pain and vomiting into a bush.

“You better pray they can fix it,” I scold him, my heart climbing up my throat.

“I think I’m going to puke,” he whimpers.

“Use your bag,” I remind him. I gave him an old shopping bag I had lying around in my car.

I hope he does throw up. He only threw up once. It would probably be better if he got everything out of his system.

We’re rushing into the emergency room just five minutes later. We’ve barely reached the front desk when Oli starts vomiting again.

The woman at the reception bounds out of her seat and rounds the counter. “What’s wrong with him?”

I explain it all to her, the words blurring together as I hold my brother up, keeping him from collapsing. They immediately direct us to a nearby room to check his vitals.

I dropped him off at Steven’s house specifically so that I would know he was safe while I was out with Aaron.

I can’t take my eyes off him for a second, can I?

“You hadto leave because your brother ate what?” TJ’s laughter drowns out his question, the sound making my teeth clench.

That’s what I get for confiding in him.

To be fair, he asked me how the date went, and I thought he might have some helpful insight as to why I haven’t heard a peep from Aaron all week.

I obviously forgot who I was dealing with.

“Poisonous mushrooms. He’s fine now,thanks for asking.”

TJ bites down on his bottom lip, trying—and failing—to contain his laughter. “I’m sorry, I guess I thought you’d be the one fucking it up. Not your brother.”

Did I fuck things up?

I’m not sure.

It’s not like I was having the time of my life with Aaron. I actually felt a little bored listening to him drone on and on, but I told myself that’s a pretty normal phenomenon for a first date.

First dates are for scratching the surface, telling the other a few fun facts about yourself. It takes much longer for a real connection to take root. And when it comes down to it, that’s what I crave most of all.

A connection.

The kind Dia and Aveena have with their men.

How much can I really tell about the possibility of forming a connection from one date?

I was willing to give it another shot, which is why I texted Aaron two days after they pumped my brother full of meds and I was allowed to take him home.

Lacey

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