Page 20 of Playing the Player

“Right.” She chuckles nervously, her cheeks turning a pretty shade of pink. The other side of the door rattles as someone fiddles with the lock. Sasha turns her head up to look at me again, “One more thing,” She starts, biting her lower lip anxiously, “I didn’t tell them you were coming.”

WHAT?

The door swings open before I can process what Sash just said. Olivia stands frozen at the other side, her bright, warm smile falling deeper into a frown the more she takes us in. “Josh!” She calls out, blinking rapidly and shaking her head. Cap comes in front of the door a second later and all four of us are just standing here, staring at each other. “I know I'm sleep deprived, but please tell me it’s not so bad that I'm hallucinating.”

“No, baby, you’re not hallucinating.” He eyes us with suspicion for far too long while Olivia stands there with her jaw on the floor.

“So, are you going to invite us in or do we have to stand like this all night?” I ask, trying to bring some light to this tense situation. Josh gives a nod, taking an unmoving Olivia by the hand and pulling her deeper into their apartment.

I do the same, taking Sasha’s hand in my own and walking her to where Josh and Olivia have sat down on the couch. We take the one opposite and I pull Sasha into my side again.

“What is this?” Olliepop asks, looking very confused.

“We’re together.” Sash says softly, squeezing my knee gently and smiling up at me. It’s a genuine smile too, not just one for show but one that makes my brain short circuit. I have no other thoughts but this woman and her smile and the way her eyes crinkle at the corners. She’s breathtaking.

“No, you’re not.” Olivia shoots back.

“Yes, we are.” Sasha glares at her best friend.

“Emm, no, you’re not.”

“Emm, yes, we are.”

“No, you’re-”

“Okay, stop it. This could go on all night.” Josh chimes in, putting an end to that whiplash inducing conversation. “When did this start?”

“Two weeks ago.” I reply, looking between each of their faces but nothing is giving away how they’re feeling.

“How?”

“I was in Aunt Dee’s cafe when Sasha came in.” I begin, “You know I’ve always had a thing for her, Cap. I just thought to myself, ‘what’s holding me back from asking her out?’ It turns out there was nothing. She’s single and I’m single, so I asked her for dinner.” Olivia’s brows are furrowed and she has a death grip on Josh’s hand, turning his fingers a deathly shade of white. “We went to this Italian place downtown and there was just this immediate connection between us.”

Olivia mutters “gross” under her breath and Josh shoots her a warning look. Sash tenses beside me so I pull her into me to try and ease some of the tension.

“And is this real?” Josh asks then, but before either of us can answer, Olivia speaks.

“Oh, please. This isn't real, Josh, they’re lying.”

“No, we’re not.” Sash finally says from beside me.

“Yes, you are.”

“No, we’re -”

“For fucks sake, you two. Stop it.” Josh grits out. Sasha and Olivia are best friends and yeah, they don’t have massive fallouts but from what I’ve heard, they argue over every tiny, little thing. “Ollie, why do you think they’re lying?”

Olivia eyes me in a way that seems as though I’ve taken her favorite toy and smashed it to pieces in front of her. “Well, Sasha told me not that long ago that she’s not ready to move on from Max. You would have told me about something this big, if it was true. And look at her, she’s not relaxed in Conor’s arms at all.” She takes a breath after her rant, before locking those fiery blue eyes on me. “And you, I told you to go for someone like Sasha. I told you not to go for Sasha. So, are you lying?”

I say nothing in response but I can feel my palms getting sweaty from the intensity in this woman’s stare. She waits for one of us to speak, her leg bouncing wildly against the edge of the couch. “So help me God, if you don’t tell me the truth right now, I will change Isabella’s middle name.”

I gasp, my hand rising to my heart in mock hurt. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me, pretty boy.” Josh chuckles at his girlfriend's words and I have to fight back my own grin. Now is not the time for it. Olivia turns her lethal stare onto Sasha and I can feel her wiggle uncomfortably against me. “Sasha no-middle-name Reilly. You tell me the truth right now.”

Sasha stays silent for a moment before her whole body relaxes, “Uhh, fine. We’re lying.” She moves away from me, settling on the other end of the couch and folding her arms across her chest.

“I knew it!” Olivia shouts, scaring us all, at the same time Josh asks, “Why?”