Chapter 23

Charisse looked up at him, and before she could say a word, she gagged with a dry retch. Elliot's face darkened instantly. She had barely eaten anything all day, too worried about her dad's condition to have an appetite, so there was nothing in her stomach to throw up—just wave after wave of dry heaving. The flush of bile left her throat and chest burning bitter. Elliot had one arm around her waist, the other gripping her chin to make her meet his gaze. "So let me get this straight—someone else can sleep with you and you're fine, but looking at me makes you wanna puke?" Charisse clamped her lips shut, afraid if she spoke she'd just gag again. Elliot's expression grew colder. He shoved her away and stormed off. Charisse leaned back against the wall, waited for the pins and needles in her legs to fade, then dragged herself out slowly. Her head throbbed like hell, and her vision kept swinging from black to white—every step felt like a struggle. Outside the villa, she spotted Elliot's tall