Hooking - Kristine Allen Page 0,69

The pounding stopped for a moment. Then the door opened, and I stared through my tears at my brother.

“Jake?”

He pulled me in his arms and held me. “Sorry, I couldn’t find the key you gave me. Then I remembered I put it in my center console.”

“What are you doing here? What’s wrong?” I cried, unable to stop the tears. Sniffles, hiccups, and shudders shook me.

“Uncle Simon called me. Told me I needed to find you. I took a chance you were here when you didn’t answer your phone. Good thing I hadn’t gone far, huh? Who do I need to beat the shit out of?” He smoothed my hair and held me until the sobs finally died down.

“I’m sorry.” I sucked in a shaky breath as I sniffled. “I don’t know why I’m being so emotional and ridiculous.”

“Shh, It’s all right. Don’t sweat the small stuff. We shared a womb, remember? That’s what I’m here for—to share in the big stuff too.” I snuffled as I laughed, and it came out a lot like a snort.

“God, I’m so stupid,” I said.

“You’re not stupid. You graduated with honors, Syd,” he said, trying to make me feel better. It really wasn’t working, because we were talking apples and oranges.

“Not that. I love him, and I didn’t even know him,” I said with a sniffle.

“Shit,” he muttered and held me tighter. I rubbed my nose on his shirt.

“Did you just wipe your snot on me?” he asked in horror. But in his defense, he didn’t push me away. Giggling a little, I nodded.

“You’re so gross, and so lucky I love your snotty ass. Ugh,” he said, and I looked up in time to see his lip curl and nose wrinkle.

Humor bubbled up inside and burst out. “Oh my God,” I said through tears mixed with laughter. “I’m an emotional catastrophe.”

Thanks to my earlier sobbing, I was still taking shuddering breaths. Suddenly, all the emotion and crying that shook me had my stomach revolting, and I scrambled to my feet.

Unfortunately, I didn’t make it to the bathroom before I hurled all over the floor.

“Oh, no.” Jake started to gag. He’d never been able to handle vomit. Before I knew it, he was shoving past me, slipping in my puke, and diving for the toilet. He might’ve made it, but he tracked it to the bathroom.

Feeling better after emptying the contents of my sick stomach, I grabbed a roll of paper towels, some all-purpose cleaner, and some grocery bags.

Nose wrinkled in distaste, I clean up my mess and the mess Jake had tracked into the bathroom. He was leaning over the toilet when I got to him. “Did you get it cleaned up?” he groaned.

“Yes, you big baby,” I said as I sniffled, then giggled. “You really suck at comforting someone who’s sick.”

“Ugh, fuck off. I didn’t come here thinking you were going to,” he gagged, “puke.”

“Well, I didn’t know I’d get my stomach so shook up that it would happen,” I argued in my defense.

He raised his dark head. Baleful blue eyes met mine. “Did you eat?”

“How can you ask me about food while you still have your head hanging over the toilet?”

He shrugged unapologetically. “I’m hungry. Especially now that I just finished purging my stomach of any and all contents it held. I’d stopped at that burger place up the road and had barely finished the last bite of the best greasy burger when Uncle Simon called me.”

“Yeah, why would he call you?” I asked with my arms crossed.

“Really? Hello. Twins,” he said, as if it was all the explanation anyone would need. In a way, he was right.

“Well, I’m not cooking,” I said with a disgusted face. The thought of cooking was making my stomach roil again.

“We’ll order a pizza. Pepperoni and mushrooms.” He named my favorite pizza. Well, it used to be. Except when I visualized it, my stomach heaved again, and I shoved him to the side so I could retch into the toilet.

My actions spawned his again, and he leaned over the tub. “Nooooo!” I tried to get out. Thankfully, nothing came out for him, and he only dry heaved.

“You’re lucky you didn’t just puke in my tub, or you’d have been cleaning it,” I growled.

“Oh please, stop! Don’t talk about it!” He held his stomach as he whined like a bitch.

“No food,” I gasped.

“Agreed,” he repeated.

We both brushed our teeth.

He ended up staying with me until I fell asleep on my couch. I had the best brother ever.

“Buried