“I can’t. They’ll call Izzy’s mom.” I shake my head. “She’s not happy that my dad isn’t home after thesituationat the gallery. There’s no way Iz will be allowed to stay if she finds out. It’s okay, I’ll stay up and keep an eye on her.”
“I’ll stay here until you’re happy, then. Just in case,” Noah says as Jen reappears with a glass of water and a little green box. “Do you want me to get the others to leave?”
“No need—we’re going to go, if Izzy is okay?” Jen says, putting the items on the cluttered bedside table. “I found a first aid kit under the sink, for your legs. I’ll mop up the water on the floor and then we’ll get out of your hair.”
“Thanks so much, Jen.”
“Of course.” She bustles away and I see Scarlett hovering back at the door, though Jake hasn’t reappeared. Her eyes are still red,and she looks even paler than usual. I wonder if the whole scenario has ruined her buzz.
“Is she sick?” Scarlett asks, stepping into the room but not coming any closer.
“No, just—” I’m cut off by Izzy’s body bucking next to me.
“Bucket,” she rasps, and an almighty retch racks her body. Looks like I spoke too soon.
“Ford, it’s under the window!” I shout as Izzy leans over the pillows. Ford grabs the little wastepaper basket and thrusts it at her, his skin turning a weird ashy color as Izzy empties her stomach into the bin. Well, that’s definitely ruinedhisbuzz.
“Whoa.” Noah pushes himself to standing and Scarlett moves back to the door as the rancid smell of red wine and stomach acid fills the room.
Izzy keeps retching, Ford awkwardly holding the bin as I gently pull her hair back from her face. After what seems like hours, Izzy sits up.
“Water.”
I hold the glass to her lips. She wraps her hands round it and takes a sip, her eyes blurry. She looks like death warmed up, and her lipstick is smeared around her mouth, but I relax a little now that I know she’s vaguely coherent.
“How are you feeling?” I ask, trying to move the glass away, but she keeps a tight grasp on it.
“Rough.”
“You don’t say.” Noah approaches us with a box of tissues from Kim’s dresser. “Ford, I think you can put the bin downnow.”
“Yeah,” Ford says, and I almost laugh. He looks in shock atwhat he’s just witnessed. He carefully places the bin on the floor and makes a beeline for the hallway, gulping in huge breaths as he goes. “Thank god,” I hear him say to Scarlett. “I thought I was going to start as well.”
I hide a smirk and look back at Izzy. She’s leaning precariously against the body pillows and gripping the glass of water like it’s tethering her to reality, but she’s also looking around with blurryeyes.
“You guys go home,” I say. “I think she’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?” Ford asks from the door, but I can hear he doesn’t mean it. He just wants to get out of here, and based on the smell coming from the bin, I don’t blame him. Maybe he’s got that vomit phobia thing.
“Yeah, sorry the night was ruined,” I say, though I’m not sorry at all. I’m not exactly Izzy’s biggest fan right now, but at least I don’t have to endure having people in my dad’s place until the early hours. “And thanks for cleaning up the mess, Jen. That was really nice of you.”
“No worries. I hope she’s okay in the morning.” Jen gives me a sympathetic smile. “We’ve all been there.”
“Jen more than most,” Noah jokes, and she shoves his shoulder, but she’s laughing.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she says airily. “Come on. Jake said he’d meet us outside—and don’t worry, Fliss, I made sure he was smoking away from the house.”
“Thank you,” I say gratefully.
Jen nods and gestures for Scarlett and Ford to follow her. Noah ushers them down the hallway and I hear a mumbledchorus of goodbyes as I hesitate for a second before calling him back. “Noah?”
“One sec,” he replies, then appears in the doorway. “Yeah?”
“Can you do me a favor? I want to move Izzy to my room, but it’s locked. Could you grab the key for me?”
“Sure, where is it?”
“It’s in the cupboard over the kettle, in the blue mug.” He nods but leaves before I can read anything into the expression that flits across his face. Is hegladI’ve agreed to him staying a bit longer? My heart flutters in a much nicer way than it has all evening.