“Here,” Gemma hands me a basket of what looks to be different colored soaps.Wow, she wasn’t kidding about the soap thing.“Sorry, it took me a minute to make some new ones.”
“So this is your hobby, huh?” I ask, pulling out of the green bars and taking a big whiff, the scent of spring hitting my nose.
“If I don’t keep my hands busy at all times, my mind wanders so…soap.”
I nod in understanding. “Soap.”
We open the door to the lab and start walking to our stations.
“Make sure to give that to your fak—” My eyes widen as Nico walks by us to get to our station. He doesn’t look our way but he’s definitely within earshot. “Fa-faculty advisor. You know the one. See ya later.” She turns on her heels and wanders off, red faced at her misstep.
I’m almost positive that Nico didn’t hear her or would even know what she was about to say but still…better safe than sorry when it comes to him.
Nico doesn’t say anything when I get to the station—thank god—and I can’t help but notice he’s been more quiet than typical recently. Ever since Arden and I kissed in front of him, Nico has actually been laying off.Maybe this crazy plan is actually working!
It’s a productive anatomy lab with Paige and Carter yapping the entire time about a trip they went on over the weekend. Next to me, Nico is silent besides answering questions about the neurovascular bundle we’re assessing.
“Alright, folks. As per the syllabus, our test is next week so I hope you’ve been preparing,” Charlie says. “Have a good evening.”
We all pack up, Nico leaving without a word, which is fine with me.
Paige and Carter make an excuse instead of studying with me but honestly, it’s fine. I work much better on my own. I could wait for Arden to finish classes so he can drive us home but I don’t know his schedule and I don’t want to text and distract him if he’s in the middle of his statistics exam.
Walking, it is.
It’s a beautiful fall afternoon and I’ve been sitting in a wooden chair or hunched over a dead body for the past six hours. A walk is welcome.
Talking my phone out of my pocket, I start to call Margot and tell her about me and Arden but my finger hovers over the button. She’s probably busy at work. I shouldn’t disturb her.
You’re making excuses. Devil brain, shut up.Just tell her.
There’s something about admitting this situation to Margot that makes it feel way too…real. If I tell her that Arden and I are hooking up, then she’ll use that logical brain of hers to predict what our future might hold. But, personally, I need to keep logistics out of this. It’s the only way that I can protect myself. If I tell Margot, she’ll ask me questions I don’t want to admit the answers to. I need to keep my feelings from going off the rails.
Clicking out of her contact, I decide to call someone else.
“Danimal!” Sydney cheers from the other side of the phone. Already, this is the most spirited I’ve heard her in months and I could cry from happiness at the sound.
“Hey Sweet Sydney! How are you? How’s things? Sorry, it’s been forever since we’ve caught up.”
“Oh, no worries!” A beeping sound rings behind her. “I know you’ve been so busy with med school. How’s that all going?”
I open my mouth to tell her about the ongoing torture that is Molecular Cell Biology one but that beeping happens again. Then again. Consistently.I know that sound.It sounds like a…
“Are you at the hospital?” The heart-rate monitor beeps again in the background of Sydney’s call. She breathes out an awkward laugh.
“Oh, yeah. Just here with my sister. All routine stuff.”
I know Sydney. I’ve known her for years. We’ve lived together. We’ve partied together. We’ve cried together. Sydney is not a liar. But something in me is telling me that she’s not telling us the whole truth about this situation. And I’ve been a really awful friend for not noticing it sooner.
“Sydney. Are you sure there’s not something else going on here? I’m sorry I haven’t reached out sooner. I can come during the weekend and vis—”
Immediately she cuts me off. “No, no. Don’t worry, Dani.” The sound of a door opening. “I gotta go, the doctor just got here. I’ll call you soon, okay? I miss you. Bye.”
She doesn’t even give me a chance to respond before disconnecting the call. There’s definitely something seriously wrong. I need to call Margot.But you’re avoiding her so you don’t have to tell her you're hooking up with her brother.
Fuck. I really am a bad friend. Doublefold.
Chapter Twenty-Seven