Page 112 of Brittle Heart

I try to take it, but the smell of the orange juice makes me feel nauseous, and I have to cover my mouth with my hand.

“Over there.” Joshua points to an en suite bathroom. I quickly get up and rush over, throwing up in the toilet. He follows me and gathers my hair, holding it back as he starts rubbing my back. “Let it out. It makes the hangover shorter.”

Once I feel like I’m done, I flush before I sit back down next to the toilet. While I do feel a bit better, my mouth tastes of bile, and to top it off, Joshua witnessed it all. But instead of being disgusted, he’s wetting a washcloth and kneeling in front of me. Then he simply washes my face.

“Feeling a bit better?” he asks, concern evident.

“No.” I wince in response.

“Need to throw up again?”

“No, I just need to turn back time so you would not see me throwing up,” I say, covering my face with my hands.

“In good times and bad times, sickness and health,” he says with a touch of humor.

“We’re not married.” I huff, lowering my hands to my lap.

“Want to be?” He grins.

I look up at him, taken aback, but he just helps me up, guiding me over to the bed. After I crawl under the covers, he hands me the pill and the orange juice again. I take them, and after a moment of silence, I feel slightly better, good enough to remember that I messed up.

“I am so sorry,” I say, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. “I overreacted. I have issues that you’re not responsible for, but you were the one who had to deal with them.”

“No, don’t apologize. It was my fault. I should have asked you. Honestly, it was just selfish. I bought you the phone and told myself it was for your sake because you needed a new one. But truthfully, I couldn’t stand texting you and not getting a response,” he admits, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I see how Xander and Clay text each other all day. And I’m constantly thinking about you. I’d talk to you twenty-four seven if I could,” he says, reaching out to brush hair out of my face. “But the next best thing would be texting each other from time to time during the day. I wanted that so badly that I overstepped your feelings on the matter. That was shitty of me, and I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I want to text you all day too,” I say, reaching for his hand. “Thank you for the phone. I promise to blow yours up with texts.”

He chuckles and leans down to kiss me, but I pull away, saying, “Ew… no, I just threw up.”

“True,” he says, giving me a gentle kiss on my temple. “You can take a shower if you feel like it. I got you a new toothbrush and toothpaste, and there are some of my clothes in the bathroom. Chiara called earlier, so I answered your phone to let her know you are here.”

I sit up straight. “Fuck, what time is it?”

“It’s eleven. Sophia knows you’re not coming in today, and I guess your bar shift only starts in the evening. You should feel better by then,” he reassures me.

“But Chiara—”

“When I asked her if she needed anything, she told me she is ‘not a fucking baby.’ ” He chuckles.

Well, that sounds like her.

“So, just rest, sleep some more. Xander, Sophia, and I have to work. I need to go in early today because of a meeting. But Clay is just as out of it as you are, so someone is here when you need it. But text or call me anytime,” he says, leaning in again to kiss my forehead. “I wish I could stay here too, but one of us needs to get in for that meeting. I’m happy we’re good again. I couldn’t stand you being mad at me.” He smiles, and a flutter builds in my belly.

“I’m happy too.” I smile back before he closes the door, an unfamiliar emotion rolling over me.

Happiness.

When I glance at the nightstand, my phone sits right next to the package with the new one.

* * *

Clay

My head feels like it’s splitting apart as I make my way downstairs to the kitchen to get a glass of water. I wasn’t even drunk last night, just a bit tipsy, unlike Carolina, who I practically had to carry out of the bar and into the car. I couldn’t let her go home in that state. Who knows what trouble she could have gotten into. So, Josh and I decided to take her to our guest room for the night. But this headache is killing me. It’s as though the vodka we had was cheap or something.

I thought Carolina would have left by now, so I’m surprised to find her standing in front of the open refrigerator when I enter the kitchen. She’s wearing some of Josh’s sleep pants, which are rolled up, looking cute as hell. But as my eyes travel up her short legs, I notice how her round, fine ass stretches the fabric to its limit. She reaches on her toes to grab something from the top shelf, and when she comes back down on her heels, her delicious butt bounces.Fuck.

I walk up quietly behind her and reach out to grab the package of eggs she was trying to reach. “You wanted this?” I ask, making her jump in surprise.

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