85

Kip

I vomit twice more in the night, but luckily Damon’s there to help me stumble to the bathroom, and to encourage me to drink more water. So when I eventually wake up for real, I feel a tad fragile, but not half as bad as I might have done if he hadn’t been there.

I check the time—07:14. The sun is up, flooding the room with pale yellow light. The sky is such a light blue that it’s almost white.

The bed next to me is empty, and I can’t hear Damon upstairs.

Still no message or calls from Alice, but there are a few others waiting for me. The first is from Damon.Hey bro, I left around two a.m. once you stopped throwing up. Take the Panadol and drink the orange juice, then go apologize to Saxon and Catie and I’m sure you’ll feel better. D

The second is from my father.I’d like to see you here at eleven a.m., kiddo. Make sure you’re not over the limit. Dad x

He hasn’t called me kiddo for years. It’s obviously a reflection of my behavior last night.

The third and fourth are from Saxon. The