Page 122 of You Kissed Me First

Could I tell her? Right now with all of our friends with us?

I pull back, smiling at her.

Before I can spit it out, I chicken out.

Reaching out, I rub a little sauce off the corner of her mouth.

“I realized you are such a mess. I can’t take you anywhere, can I?”

She blushes, hiding her face but laughing. “Asshole.”

“Your asshole.”

She focuses back on the guide after that, but I don’t.

All I can do is focus on her.

22

DAY TWELVE: FREEPORT, BAHAMAS

“Areyou sure you don’t want to go with them?” Dominic asks for the sixth time.

“No. I already said no. Stop asking,” I snap.

I don’t mean to. My stomach is just killing me. It almost feels like cramps, but that can’t be right. I’m not supposed to start until next week. I’m usually so routine that you could set a watch to it.

This has to be from whatever I ate yesterday.

“What do you need from me?” Dominic asks.

“Honestly? I need peace and quiet. I feel like shit.”

“I’m so sorry. What do you think did it? Dinner?” he asks.

I know he’s trying to be helpful, but it’s grating on my nerves. I want to smack him.

Taking a deep breath, I try to remain calm. “No. All I had was that sandwich from the deli like I had before. If that was it, it would have made me sick the other day when I ate it. I think it was all that food we ate for lunch. Something must have been wrong with it. I told you we would get food poisoning.”

He runs his hand through my hair, which feels kind of nice. I lean into it.

“You don’t have a fever. I can go see if they have any Pepto if you want.”

I shake my head. “I’m okay. Really. You should go on shore with the others. I’m going to sleep most of the day.”

He considers my request a moment but then shakes his head.

“I’d rather be here with you.”

I’m about to insist when his face lights up.

“I have something that might make you feel better.”

I’m skeptical as he moves toward his bag, but I force myself to sit up.

When he comes back, he has something wrapped in a crinkled-up brown paper bag.

“I was saving this to give to you after the trip, but if it makes you smile, I want you to have it now. If it makes you mad, then I’m going to feel like shit, so maybe don’t be mad?”

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