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He’s also an exasperating handful. And there’s no telling how many hours of this we have left.
“Before we get started, we should check your sugar.” Trina holds out her hand toward Rex. “I need to know what you’re at before you eat.”
Thank goodness she understands all this stuff, because I’m clueless.
He scowls but lets her lead him back to the living room where his dinosaur backpack sits on the floor.
Trina points toward it. “Liam, grab the blue case. It should be in there somewhere. I remember seeing it at the wedding. Pam always puts it in the front zipper pocket.”
Rex climbs into Trina’s lap and tucks his hands against his stomach. “I want him to do it.” He points at me.
I point at me, thumb digging into my chest. “Oh, buddy. You’d better let Aunt Trina. She knows how.” I raise an eyebrow, silently asking if I’m telling the truth.
She gives a tiny nod.
Rex kicks his feet, banging his heels into her shins. “No. Aunt Trina holds me and you stick.”
My stomach flips like I’ve ridden a roller coaster a dozen times too many. I don’t do blood. Not even a drop. I nearly passed out in the middle of a game once when two players collided and one busted his nose.
Yeah, blood and I don’t get along.
Trina rubs a hand over her mouth, no doubt hiding a snicker. She doesn’t know about my phobia, but if history is any indication, I just went as pale as Casper the Friendly Ghost.
I unzip the blue container. I understand what the individual pieces are as I’ve had my finger pricked before. My history with blood tests doesn’t make this any easier.
Trina puts the strip in the machine and checks it, then nods at me.
I hold out my hand. It trembles, the fingers quivering hard enough that Rex side-eyes me. He puts his hand on mine, palm up.
I clean the fingertip with alcohol and wait for it to dry and squeeze the lancet tight between my thumb and forefinger.
I can do this. I have to. Trina’s watching me. And Rex. All of the people at the network and the hundreds of thousands who will watch the episode when it’s aired.
My throat turns dry and there’s a sudden roaring in my ears. I know this sound. My vision blurs at the edges and there’s a rushing in my head.
Man down. I try to rock back on my heels, but I go too far. My backside smacks the hard floor.
“Wow. He hit hard.” Rex leans forward, his eyes wide.
I drop the lancet and use the tail of my shirt to wipe the sweat from my face. “I can’t.” My hands shake so bad I can barely function.
Trina appears in front of me, her face taking up my entire vision. “Let’s go, hot shot.” She pulls on my hands and together we manage to move me to the couch.
She lifts my feet onto the arm, then puts pillows under my ankles to raise my feet higher.
Blood rushes to my head and the roaring subsides.
Rex pats my head. “It’s okay.” He repeats it over and over again. No doubt it’s what his mom tells him sometimes.
Or he’s worried and doesn’t know what else to do. Sweet kid.
Seconds pass, then both Rex and Trina appear on either side of me. Cold and wet slaps my forehead. Trina laughs. “Carefully, Rex.”
“Okay.” He lifts the cloth, stares at it with a puzzled expression, then swoops it over my eyes. Cold water trickles down my neck, and I bolt upright.
The room spins and I groan.
Trina puts a hand on my chest and pushes me back. I collapse like a sack of bricks.
