Grace eyed her. “You don’t look so good.”
“No, I’m just a little warm,” Alix said, her body shivering with a sudden chill. No, she would not be the woman who had had extremely unpleasant bathroom time at her friend’s mother’s house on Thanksgiving Day surrounded by approximately one thousand strangers. She sipped water, shifting in her seat again.
“Alix, we’re going,” Grace said, taking her hand.
Alix nodded in defeat.
They slipped out like teenagers sneaking away, laughter and music muffled as the Uber pulled from the curb. The good thing about being one of a thousand guests at Thanksgiving meant that no one would immediately notice their absence. Alix slumped against the door, one arm wrapped around her middle. “Did your mom just play the meanest prank on me?”
Grace chuckled, reaching across to take her hand. “She fed you. That’s not a prank.”
“My stomach disagrees.” Alix groaned dramatically. “This is how I die. Tell Phyllis I loved her. Tell Sylvia not to let the haunted doll near my body.”
Grace laughed, squeezing her fingers. “You’re ridiculous. You’ll be fine.” She pulled her phone out, typing with one hand, an impressive feat that had intriguing implications, but Alix was too far gone into Tummy Ache Survival.
Alix looked up, catching the glowing light from a streetlamp on Grace’s face. She looked calmer now, her edges smoothed out, her smile tugged loose by the brownie still working through her system.
Alix’s chest ached. God, she wished she could stay here forever — in the silly, tender pocket where Grace’s thumb stroked her knuckles, where every line of worry had disappeared from her brow.
“I ordered you Imodium and Gas X to be delivered to Tia Sylvia’s,” Grace said, which was not quite the romantic phrase Alix had been wanting to hear, and yet it did have a certain air of tenderI’ll take care of youbeneath it.
“Thank you,” Alix whispered.
She wanted to say more, wanted to spill everything she’d been holding back since the pool. But she bit down on it, letting the silence swell instead. Grace didn’t let go of her hand.
By the time they reached Sylvia’s, Alix’s stomach was in open rebellion, but Grace guided her inside, then loudly proclaimed she was going to take Baby outside for a walk, giving Alix the privacy to run to Sylvia’s bathroom.
When Alix emerged, Grace settled her onto the pullout couch and pressed a small bottle of Gatorade into her hand. Baby even seemed to sense the gravity of the situation, leaning his head against Alix’s leg.
“Do you feel better?” Grace asked
Alix nodded, cheeks warm in embarrassment.
“You wouldn’t be the first to fall prey to rich food. I’ve done it so many times,” Grace said lightly, and Alix contemplated crawling under the couch to die right then and there.
“I’m so sorry,” Alix murmured, embarrassed by how weak she sounded.
“I’mso sorry,” Grace said simply.
Grace comfortingly brushed her hand through Alix’s hair, and Alix let her eyes fall closed. “Will you just sit with me for a while?” Alix asked, the question feeling more likea confession than she’d intended.
Grace’s fingers grazed her temple as she said, hushed, “You can relax. I’m not going anywhere.”
Chapter Thirteen
GRACE
Bag packed,Grace double-checked that the encapsulated, definitely possessed doll hadn’t transported itself into her things. If only getting back to her condo and away from the creepy thing didn’t also mean saying goodbye to Alix. Somehow, three days had evaporated in a blur, and just like that, Alix had a Saturday morning flight to catch despite Grace feeling like she’d only just picked her up.
Grace blamed the heavy, reluctant feeling in her body on having danced too much. She ignored the empirical evidence that kickboxing had never depleted her from the inside out.
The moment she walked into the living room with a view of the kitchen, Grace stopped short. She’d expected to find Alix asleep on the sofa bed where she’d spent all of Friday recovering while they watched cable TV. ACSImarathon and lots of fluids had resulted in one of the best days Grace could remember. It had nothing to do with Alix’s amusement when Grace ranted about the things the show got wrong, or her interest when she recounted some of the cases she’d had. No, it was just nice to put off work, even if she’d pay for it over the weekend.
Alix was not sprawled out with sheets tangled around her ankles like Grace expected. She was up and standing in the kitchen in black boxer briefs and a loose T-shirt. The last thing Grace wanted to do was gawk, but Alix’s legs were so unexpectedly toned and the boxers hugged her very cute?—
Nope.
Grace swallowed to return the moisture to her mouth where it freaking belonged. It was when she snapped out of her lustful gaze that she noticed what Alix was doing. Cafetera in hand, she was watching a video on how to make Cuban espresso.
