not want her to see me like this, I didn’t want her to witness what I was about to do.
I hugged the toilet in a hurry, the damp jeans hard and scratchy on my skin. Horrendous sounds escaped my mouth as acid charged up my throat. My lunch spewed into the toilet in a multicolored fountain, and a few drops splashed onto my face.
So gross. I hope I didn’t get any on Lee. But I felt so relieved. The urge to vomit went away and I finally felt like I was on the road to recovery.
Nope. False alarm.
I clutched the toilet again, but this time, Lee held my hair away from my face. Such a sweet gesture, but I was mortified.
Why did I have to get airsick? Lee didn’t need this right now. He shouldn’t be the one taking care of me. This was so unprofessional.
“I’m sorry. Call my sister.” My voice echoed inside the toilet, my body trembling.
I heard running water from the sink and then it shut off.
“Are you done, or do you think—”
I plopped on the cold marble floor and rested my head on my bent arm on the toilet. “I’m done,” I murmured, energy drained from me.
Something warm and soft brushed the side of my cheek. Lee dabbed a warm cloth on my face. Then he hefted me up and guided me to the bed.
“Your sister doesn’t need to be here. You have me. You might want to take off those damp clothes. They’re somewhat dried but you might not want to sleep in them. I would take them off for you, but I don’t think you want that. Here’s a clean T-shirt. I’ll turn around.”
I pulled my shirt over my head, but my jeans peeled reluctantly from my skin. I slipped on the T-shirt he’d left on the mattress and hugged a pillow, nestling my head with a sigh. Something soft and warm covered me. I needed to shower, especially after falling into the water, but it was the least of my concerns. How could I face Lee in the morning?
Abby was right. If Lee, my boss, whom I barely knew, took the time to take care of me better than my ex-boyfriend, someone who had supposedly loved me, I shouldn’t have any problem finding someone better. Right?
During the boat trip, Jayden had been busy drinking with his friends instead of taking care of me when I’d gotten sick. In fact, he’d mostly left me alone.
“Thank you ... Lee,” I said, drifting in and out of sleep. “You’re a good ... and ...”
My words came out incoherent and jumbled. Hopefully he understood.
In my dreams, Lee and I were a couple. After the helicopter ride, the three of us had dinner in his gorgeous backyard. He grilled steak and chicken while Bridget and I made salad and some side dishes in our fabulous kitchen.
We talked and laughed during dinner, and afterward we swam in the giant pool. Then after we put Bridget to bed, Lee and I drank wine and made love in our bedroom.
When I opened my eyes, the white walls and the dark, closed shutters slowly became familiar. I was in the room next to Bridget’s. Everything that happened the previous day came crashing through my mind. The helicopter ride, the waterfall picnic, the conversation with Lee, Bridget almost drowning, my nightmare of being airsick, and then the too-good-to-be-true dream.
I got out of bed and checked my cell on the bedside table. Ten in the morning.
Holy cow. I had slept more than twelve hours.
My hair reeked of old water, but worse, I had no pants. I wore only a T-shirt. Lee’s shirt?
I began texting Abby, but I called her instead, seeing that I had several missed calls. Lee must have turned off my phone.
“Are you okay?” Abby asked.
I plopped on the bed and ran my fingers through my tangled hair. “It’s a long story.”
“I know. Lee called me.”
I heard Tyler in the background. “He did?” I recalled asking him to call Abby. Then why was I still here?
“Yes. He told me how you got airsick and that you wouldn’t be home. I offered to come pick you up, but he said he had it all under control and that you just needed to sleep. He was very sweet about it. See, this is what a real man—a man with a good heart—does. Do you remember when you got sick on the boat with Jayden?”
I sighed sharply. “Yes, I do. You don’t need to bring