“Ry? Are you home?” Suddenly, a wave of emotion hit me just hearing her voice.
“No. I’m at Preston’s.”
“Oh.” What was I thinking? Of course she was. She’d finally found a guy who could keep up with her wild and wonderful brain.
“Is everything okay?”
Banging metal on her end hit me like an ice pick to the skull. So much for that settled feeling. “No. Yes.” I blew out a breath. “Yes and no. Oh, goddess. One second.” I dropped the phone and raced to the bathroom again.
It was only dry heaves at this point, and yet my body didn’t seem to get the freaking memo.
“Lu?”
I waved at my brother with my head in the bowl. “I’m fine.”
He paced back down the hall, the click of his dress shoes fading as he neared the living room. I ran cold water over my wrists and went for another round with my toothbrush. At this rate, I was going to brush the enamel right off my teeth.
I dragged myself back into the living room and dropped onto the couch, then picked up my phone again. “Ugh. I swear, I don’t have anything in my body to throw up, and yet it still keeps coming.”
“Oh, hell. Are you okay? Do you have the flu?” The questions kept tumbling out of Ryan’s mouth. “I can come over and bring broth or stop at Georgia’s shop for supplies.”
I gave a half laugh. “No, I have something a little more permanent.” All the frustration I’d been tamping down seemed to bubble up now that I was actually talking to Ryan.
“I don’t know what that means.”
I wiped my clammy forehead with the back of my hand. “Of the demon spawn variety. Freaking teacher. Imma kill him. He’s never known the hex I’m going to put on him. His ancestors for a thousand years will hate him.”
Xavier whirled around, his eyes wide.
“I don’t know what that means.” Ryan’s voice was panicked.
The moisture started again in my mouth. “Ugh. One more second.” I put my head between my knees. I could hear her doing something on the other end of the line, but all I could concentrate on was keeping my stomach from spewing the whole lot of nothing left in there.
I grabbed another one of the rollerballs I had stashed all over my apartment and dragged in the clean scent of lemon oil with the tang of ginger. That combination seemed to settle me the best.
And I needed to get settled fast. The urge to get out of here was almost as overwhelming as my queasy stomach.
“Ry?”
“Here.” She sounded out of breath. Then I heard Preston in the background. All of a sudden, she was clearer. “What can I do?”
“I need somewhere to crash for a bit.”
“She can stay here.” Preston’s voice was now also more distinct. They must have their heads together.
My eyes stung. They were already such a unit.
Then the line went silent. They were probably arguing like the married couple they already were.
The ambient noise came back. “Lu? You can stay here with us.” Ryan’s voice was thick.
Which, in turn, put a lump in my throat. I was pretty sure it wasn’t the kind that would come hurling out.
Maybe.
“Preston offered up one of his guest rooms. He’s got a ton of them.”
I sniffed. “With its own bathroom, maybe? I don’t mean to be greedy, but the porcelain throne is my new best friend.”