Page 99 of The Night Shift
A blush warms my cheeks.
“Whatnow?” she snaps.
I shake my head. “Nothing.”
“Spit it out before I make you.”
“I’ve just never heard you address me as your friend before. It feels nice. You should say it more often.”
Holly just stares at me. “You’re the one who should be scared right now.”
“Of you? Always.”
“Go fuck yourself —”
A sudden knock at the door interrupts our conversation.
Holly frowns and looks at me as if this, too, is somehow my fault.
I raise my hands in surrender:I have nothing to do with that, I promise.
Another knock. Her focus shifts to the door, she hesitates for a moment, her hand hovering over the knob, before finally twisting it open. Holly’s posture stiffens. “Cami? What are you doing here?”
The blonde woman stands in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest, her expression tight, and her eyes scanning Holly with a mix of concern and barely concealed irritation. “What amIdoing here? Why haven’t you been answering my calls?”
Holly blinks, visibly thrown off, her usually sharp tongue seemingly abandoning her. “I-I’ve been busy,” she stammers, her gaze darting between Camille’s face and mine.
“Evidently,” Camille replies, her gaze shifting to me.
I step forward and extend my hand, offering a greeting. “Theo Carter. Pleased to meet you.”
She ignores my outstretched hand and shifts her focus back to Holly. “We need to talk.”
“Cami, what are you doing here?” Holly repeats, her voice caught between surprise and confusion. “How did you even know where to find me? Did you talk to someone?—”
“Relax, jeez. I just asked some nurse where to find you.”
“A nurse? You know no one’s supposed to?—”
“Know about us, yes. I’m aware. But this is important. I really need to talk to you.” Camille’s icy focus shifts back to me, lingering for a second before moving back to Holly. “Alone.”
Holly shakes her head, dragging her hands through her hair, her fingers catching in the strands as if the fact that she got interrogated by the police is only just now hitting her. “I…I can’t right now,” she mutters, her voice low and for some reason apologetic. “I still have tons of work to finish before April’s bachelorette. But later. We can talk tonight. My place?”
Camille’s brows furrow. A flicker of hesitation crosses her face. But then, as quickly as it appeared, it’s gone. She schools her features into something calm, almost too calm, and nods. “Fine.”
“Am I invited to this little soirée too, or is it strictly just girls?” I ask. I’m obviously being sarcastic.
As if I need an invitation to show up at Holly’s door.
Both women turn their glares on me simultaneously. Holly’s eyes are fiery, the usual. But Camille’s are sharp and cutting, like the edge of a knife. She doesn’t bother hiding her distaste for me. And I don’t particularly appreciate it given that I’ve done absolutely nothing to her. She leans in toward Holly, muttering something under her breath that I can’t catch. Whatever it is, it’s meant for Holly alone. Then she pulls her into a brief hug, quick and efficient, before stepping back.
“I’ll see you later,” Camille says, throwing me one last frosty glance before leaving the room.
The door clicks shut behind her, and the silence that follows is thick enough to choke on.
“Well, that was weird.”
“Theo, just stop.”
