Page 184 of While You Were Trending

“Goddammit,” I hiss, and then I puke my guts out again.

Declan’s holding my hair while I hunch over, the sight of the contents of my stomach on the ground making me gag more.

“Sorry,” I pant. “Sorry, sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Declan murmurs. “It’s okay.”

It’s not okay.

It’s not fucking okay.

This is exactly what I get for thinking I could have a public date with Declan. That if this goes well, I’d ask him to stay.

He pulls me away from the pile of puke, upwind from the smell, but then I see the fucking catlicking it, and I hurl all over again.

“Stop, dumbass,” Declan orders.

“I’m not trying to—to puke,” I wail.

“Not you. You’re okay, Ginny. You’re okay. The cat’s a dumbass. Not you.”

He pulls me farther from the mess, still holding my hair, and the urge to gag lessens as I make myself look away.

Away from my shoes—the wedges he said he hates so much—and away from the cat and away from the aftereffects of my sympathetic puker personality quirk.

My eyes water and heat builds in my sinuses.

“There you go,” Declan murmurs. “You’re okay.”

He’s rubbing my back, holding my hair, standing close enough that even though he’s not pressed against me, the solid mass of his body is a shield between me and life’s problems.

How does he do this?

How does he make me feel so safe and protected?

“I wanted to go see Zander,” I sniffle.

“Still can. We have time.”

“But I—I’m amesssss,” I sob.

“Aw, Ginny.” He pulls a handkerchief out of his back pocket and wipes my face, and then he’s hugging me hard against him, stroking my back and murmuring that it’s okay.

That I’m okay.

That we have time.

“The cat—” I sob. “We can’t lose Lavender’s cat.”

“That cat is incapable of moving more than ten feet in an hour. We won’t lose her.”

“My mascara’s running.”

“Zander will fix it. We’ll order dinner backstage if you’re up for it.”

“I can’t let him see me like this.”

“He’d be offended if you didn’t let him help.” Declan kisses the top of my head. “It’s okay to be scared, but you’ll regret it if you let the fear rule your life.”