One Last Fling - Chapter 15
Lily
Lily made it as far as the door before the lie fell apart. She dropped her bag, barely registering the sound it made against the carpet, and lunged for the bathroom. The retching came fast and violent, her body rejecting the day with ruthless efficiency.
So much for just tired.
She stayed on her knees long after there was nothing left, forehead pressed to the back of her hand, breathing shallow and shaky. Her stomach burned and cramped in protest, and her legs trembled as she got herself upright.
This could not be happening. Not now. Not when there was so much on the line.
She rinsed her mouth, splashed water on her face, stared at her reflection like she might be able to
intimidate herself back into health. “You’re fine,” she told the mirror. For emphasis, she leaned closer. “You. Are. Fine.”
Another wave hit, and she barely made it back to the toilet.
When it passed, she sat back against the tub, pulse thumping in her ears. She thought about calling the team doctor. Thought about the way their faces would change—concern shading into calculation. Everyone would freak out. She couldn’t afford that.
She checked the time in England. It was four thirty in the morning. Nan got up early, but not that early. She was surely asleep, tucked into bed, trusting Lily to be brave on her own. Plus, what good could Nan do from a distance of an entire ocean and most of America? She’d tell her to rest. To hydrate.
Lily forced herself to standing and filled the glass at the sink. One sip and it started again—back to the toilet. She sank to her knees and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, the loneliness sharp enough to ache. A thought popped into her head. Or more specifically, a person. But no. She shouldn’t.
She stared at her phone for a long moment, then gave in. Sorry to bother you. Are you busy?
The reply came immediately. Where are you?
She almost laughed, looking at her text and realizing what Cam likely thought. This is not a booty call.
If you need me, I’m there. Are you in your room?
Yes.
There was a knock less than two minutes later. She opened the door, then raced back to the bathroom, the sickness hitting again. This time, halfway through, hands gathered her hair out of the way, steady and sure, like he’d done this a hundred times before. He placed his hand on her back. He didn’t say a thing.
When it passed, Lily sagged back against the tub, exhausted and embarrassed, but comforted by Cam’s presence.
“Did you catch a bug?” he asked.
“Maybe food poisoning? I’ve been feeling fine.”
“I’ve told you one hundred times. No gas station sushi.”
She laughed quietly and gently smacked his leg with the back of her hand. “I shouldn’t have called you. You need your rest. Tomorrow matters for you, too.”
Cam crouched beside her, eyes serious. “It’s not more important than you.”
Funny how something so sweet could feel like a dagger, right to the heart. “You say that now.”
“I mean it,” he said. “I’ll get you some Gatorade.”
“You don’t have to—”
“I’m going.” He was already on his feet.
He was back in a flash, setting two bottles on the counter, and pressing one into her hands. He sat down beside her on the bathroom floor like this was the most natural place in the world to be.
“I’ll stay,” he said. “All night, if you need me.”
“Don’t. The Gatorade is enough. Plus, I haven’t puked in five whole minutes.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
The room tilted slightly. Still, she felt safe. And as he put his arm around her and let her rest her heavy head on his shoulder, a thought tiptoed into her brain. I’m falling for him. “Cam,” she murmured. The name slipped out without thought, unguarded and soft.
He stilled. And even through the haze, Lily thought that maybe she wasn’t falling. Maybe she was already there.