“Girls, move it, go, go,” Hattie practically shoves them out and closes the door behind them, exhaling. “Ok, let’s touch up that makeup one last time.”
I pause, turning back towards the mirror to take in my reflection. “More makeup?”
“Just lipstick. Where is it?” she asks.
“Here,” I say, fishing through my purse on the side until my fingers close around it. I pass it to Hattie just as my phone vibrates on the nightstand. I lean over to take a look. It’s a text from Mike. I swallow.
“Sara?” Hattie waves at me. Has she been speaking?
“One sec.” I clear my throat and turn the phone over. I can’t bring myself to look at it. It will be one of two things. Either an excuse about what happened and a reminder of how sorry he is. Or the truth. A truth I don’t need to hear from him because deep down I know. I saw the messages. I know.
Oh God. I know.
“Umm. Hattie?” I say, my voice too pitchy. She’s looking at my expectantly. “I have a code red.”
Hattie’s eyes widen and her mouth falls open. “Are you joking?”
The tears begin to spill and my hands start to shake. “No,” I manage to force out. “I have to go.”
It’s actually a little cruel of me to enact a code red on Hattie, today of all days. It was a code we created at university with our housemates for nights out when the creepy dude got a bit too full on, or if a first date was going south. It’s ado not question, get me out of here, save our soulssituation. She knows the drill. And she knows it’s going to be near on impossible. But if anyone can do it, it’s Hattie.
“Fuuuuck.” She quickly puts the lipstick down and steps towards me, taking my hands in hers. “How bad? What are we talking? Do I need to get my shovel?”
I sniff. “You don’t own a shovel.”
“No. But I have a very cute trowel for my indoor plants.”
I shake my head, tears dripping onto my dress, lips wobbling. Hattie finds me a tissue and dabs gently at my cheeks, but her act of kindness only makes me feel worse. I’m terrible. I can’t believe this is happening. I swore to myself that it wouldn’t come to this. But something in my stomach tells me that leaving, escaping this mess, is the best and only option for my future happiness.
“Ok, so no to digging graves.” She nods, eyeing me carefully. “Whatishappening Sara?”
“I need to just…” I take a deep breath. “I need to get out of here. I don’t want to see anyone.”
“Not even Mike?”
“Especiallynot Mike.”
“Wow. Ok. Yeah.” She looks around searching for inspiration. Then as if she gets the lightbulb moment needed, she turns back to me with a determined smile. “I know what to do. Stay here.”
She leaves me on my own for five minutes. My heart races as I do frantic laps of the room, shaking my hands out like it will rid me of some of my fears. What if she runs into Mike? What if he insists on speaking to me?
I hear footsteps in the hallway and then the door swings open.
Hattie’s forehead shimmers from running around.
“There’s a taxi,” she says, breathing heavy. “At the front of the hotel. I cleared the way, but you’ll have to go alone because I need to stay by the back doors to the bar, so nobody comes this way.”
I practically launch myself at her, holding her close. “Thank you,” I whisper.
“How many times have you gotten me out of a code-red situation?” She laughs, but there’s a nervous tremor there. We both know I’ll owe her an explanation, but right now, she’s not going to question me. “You should go. I don’t know how long I can hold this together. And once you’re out of here, it’s all going to kick off.”
I step back, releasing her. The guilt almost floors me. “Shit. You’re right. I can’t let you deal with that alone… I’ll—”
“Sara,” Hattie says, sternly, placing her hands on my shoulders so I have to no choice but to look her in the eye. “You would do the same for me in a heartbeat. And besides, I have backup. They don’tknowthey’re backup yet, but they’ll help me out.” I know she’s talking about our close friend Sam and his older brother, Freddie, who’s now her boyfriend.
I nod. I do trust them to have her back, and mine.
“Ok,” I say.
