I drag her to the edge of the patio, but she freezes, looking back at the group of kids seated there, and gasps.
Turning to where she’s looking, I wrap my arm tighter around her. Dawson’s got a girl on his lap and he’s kissing her. As we watch, she twists and straddles him, ignoring the hoots and whistles of their friends.
Gripping Emily hard, I physically drag her away from the group, texting Sophie and Ariel as we go.
“This is your fault,” Emily says. “Dawson’s never going to speak to me again.”
“Dawson is a creep. And nowhere near good enough for you.”
“I knew you’d hate him.” Her words are soft around the edges. “You don’t want me to have any happy.”
“I want to keep you safe, Em.”
“You’re ruining my life.”
I sigh and try to figure out where the hell I parked.
“I don’t feel good,” Emily says, right before she bends at the waist and vomits all over the ground, my pants, and my favorite tennis shoes.
I hold her hair and rub her back until she’s done, the acidic scent making my own stomach roil. This has been a rough night for my digestive tract.
With one final cough, she stands and leans into me, all her anger gone.
“I want to go home,” she says, rubbing her mouth. She sounds close to tears.
Somehow, after wandering in the dark for about half an hour, we find Ariel and Sophie.
Ariel, who has an uncanny ability to navigate a field in the dark, leads us back to the car.
We ride home with all the windows down, Sophie complaining about the smell and Emily crying, while I shiver and wish on every star in the sky for that woman at the party not to call CPS or even gossip about what happened tonight.
Chapter Six
Levi
Isee Gentry before she sees me in the crowded airport. Like she’s a shop vacuum and I’m sawdust, I’m drawn to her no matter how many people are between us. And when she’s not in my vicinity, she’s almost always in my thoughts.
I wonder, if she had any idea of the hold she has on me, would it change her opinion of me?
She looks exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes, her dark blond hair pulled up in a ponytail that’s not at all the tidy bun she usually manages.
Worse than that, though, she looks defeated. Her shoulders are drooping, and she can’t even manage a smile for the baby waving at her over his mother’s shoulder.
I don’t know what happened, but I’d give anything to fix it.
Except, I’m the person who screws up everything according to her. I’m the last one she’d ever want to help her.
And keeping my distance is the smartest way to make sure we don’t cause any drama at Brodie’s wedding. Even if keeping my distance is the very last thing in the world I want to do.
She doesn’t notice me when she gets in line to board the plane. All her attention is focused on her sisters. Emily looks pale and miserable, and Sophie has earbuds in and is doing her best to ignore Gentry.
Instead of going to first class, where my seat is, I follow them into coach. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I know I need to at least find out what’s going on.
I’ll keep my distance once I know Gentry’s okay.
“No way,” Sophie says, her voice rising above the murmurs of the other passengers. Emily’s curled up in a window seat glaring at Sophie as Gentry stows a bag in the overhead compartment. “I’m not sitting next to her. I don’t want her puking all over me too.”
Gentry goes pale as she shuts the door to the compartment and looks around at all the people staring at them. “It’s not the stomach bug,” she says. “She just had… um, she ate something that didn’t agree with her. There’s nothing to worry about.”
