Page 47 of Declan

Well, that was the most honest answer she’d given me since she’d been injured.

“As soon as we’re on the plane, Kyle will sew that up.”

Silence fell. Autumn reached over, fumbled with the wire to my mic, and a second later, she fell back into her seat.

“I need you to pull over for a minute.”

“We’re almost—”

“Now, Declan. I need you to pull over.”

“Okay. Why’d you turn off my mic?”

“I don’t want them to know.”

“I can’t just pull over without telling them. What’s wrong?”

“Please,” she whispered and I didn’t miss the crack in her voice. “I just need you to pull over.”

I turned my mic back on and told the guys to continue on, I needed to pull over. After some back and forth I lied and told them I had to take a piss. Something none of them believed but it stopped the argument.

No sooner had I stopped the car, then Autumn was out of it.

By the time I made it to her she was bent forward, her hands braced on her knees and she was throwing up. Her ponytail had fallen over her shoulder and I quickly pulled it back.

“Go away,” she gasped and dry heaved. “Just give me a minute.”

“Not a fucking chance.”

Autumn continued to empty her stomach on the side of the road. When she was finally done, she straightened and swayed.

“Ready?”

She nodded and allowed me to help her back to the car. Once she was seated, I opened the car door and dug through my bag until I found a bottle of water.

“Here.”

She took the water, filled her mouth, swished it around, and in the most unladylike manner, spat the contents out onto the ground.

Her eyes slowly lifted to mine and I flinched at what I saw.

“Please don’t tell them.”

“I don’t understand what you don’t want them to know. That you threw up?”

Though I’d promise her anything if it meant she stopped looking at me with open pain.

“Yes,” she hissed.

“You got nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“Really? So you puke every time you put down one of those…”

I didn’t hear the rest. Static and rage buzzed in my ears.

Puke every time.

Puke. Every. Time.