A Sticky Situation (Awkward Love 7)

I glance at Sasha. The full-length slacks and shirt I’m wearing mean I’m showing less skin than a mummy. I can’t comprehend how I could possibly cover up more.

“Milk,” Sasha corrects.

“No. I’m allergic,” Clarice snaps. “You should know that, shouldn’t you? What the hell kind of place are you running here?”

I sneak another look at Sasha, who’s struggling not to laugh and I lose control. Laughing, I excuse myself and leave the room. Just as I’m about to go back in, Sash walks out.

“She’s all settled,” she assures me. “Come on.”

“Come on where?” I ask, laughing.

Sasha doesn’t reply, instead she takes me by the arm and charges down the hallway, the look in her eyes telling me exactly what she has in mind and that I don’t want any part of it.

“Sash, no. Let the guy settle in,” I groan.

I try to pry my arm free from her grasp, but she’s stronger than her tiny figure gives her credit for. She frowns at me and then abruptly let’s go, her lips curving downward into a pout.

“Come on, Hannah, I just want to see him,” she whines. “He won’t even know we’re there. I promise.”

When I don’t respond, she stamps her feet like a five-year-old about to throw a tantrum.

“Stop being such a pussy. He’s not going to catch us, but so what if he does? We’re two nurses, on our way to a detox session,” she says with a shrug. “What’s wrong with that?”

“Because that approach worked so well for you last time,” I say with a smug grin. “Speaking of, are you trying to get your ass fired?”

Just last month, Sasha was caught hiding in the bushes outside a very well-known basketball player’s room. She argued that she tripped and fell. They gave her the benefit of the doubt when her hot shot attorney father stepped up and threatened to sue them for wrongful termination, but they made it very clear that nothing like it ever happen again. It’s good to see she learned her lesson.

“They’re going to fire me for standing in the hallway?” she sneers. “I’d like to see them try.”

“We both know you’re not going to just stand in the hallway,” I say, mimicking her tone. “You can’t help yourself.”

“Then you’re obligated to come with me to stop me from doing something stupid.”

I sigh, because she’s got me there. I grumble a response, but let her drag me over to his room, stopping short when we see that it’s empty. I peer in through the slightly cracked open door and then shrug at Sasha.

“He’s not here. Oh well,” I say, more than a little bit relieved.

“Not so fast,” she says, a smile slowly spreading across her lips. “If he’s not here, that’s even better.”

“What? No, Sasha,” I hiss, but she’s already squeezing through the cracked open door, into his room.

Fuck. What do I do now?

My head tells me to run, but I can’t do that to Sasha. Not when I know if she gets caught, she’ll be out of here. Which means I need to go in there make understand how stupid this is.

I glance around, my anxiety kicking up a hundred notches as I inch closer to the door. People walk past, but nobody notices me. That doesn’t relieve much of my tension, because while I am worried about getting caught, I’m a lot more worried about being caught by Brix. I’m nowhere near ready to face him yet or explain to Sasha how I know him.

I suck in a breath and push open the door. Sasha looks up in alarm, her face relaxing when she sees it’s only me.

“Jesus Christ, you scared the daylights out of me,” she gasps.

“Good, then maybe now you’ll realize how stupid this is. Let’s go.”

She shakes her head and waves a notebook in the air.

“Not till you come over and see this.”

“Sasha,” I hiss, edging deeper into the room. “I really don’t think—”

I stop talking and stare right at Sasha when the unmistakable voice of Brix filters through the room. He’s right outside, talking to someone, which means at any moment, he could be inside.

Shit.

My eyes dart around the room, as I try and figure out a plan. I spot the wardrobe, but so does Sasha and she reaches it first. I silently curse her as I nosedive to the floor and squish myself into the very cramped space beneath the bed. Too bad if I need to breathe.

“Okay, this is ridiculous,” I hiss at Sasha, hoping Brix doesn’t hear me. “I say we leave through the window.”

“Are you crazy?” she whispers. “He’s right outside the door. What if he catches us?”

“What if he catches us in here?” I argue.

I wait, for what feels like hours for her to reply. It’s probably only been a few minutes, but I’m worried enough that I maneuver my body back over to the edge of the bed so I can check on her. I stick my head out, gasping as I frantically heave in some deep breaths. I squint in the direction of the wardrobe, trying to make out Sasha’s shape, but all I see are clothes.