Chapter 18
Chapter
Eighteen
“Hope.” Rex’s call was sharp and to the point, but it wasn’t filled with anger.
When Hope managed to skid to a stop, he waved her toward him. They stood near the elevator, and he had his phone out in front of him.
“What’s up?”
“You need to hear this.” He popped an AirPod into her ear and hit play on his phone.
Hope furrowed her brow as Josef’s voice filled her head. “She can’t keep up with the job.”
“She can’t?” That was Leanne. “She seems to be doing fine with healing from what I can see.”
“She’s not.” Josef laughed a little. “We’re going to need you to stay on through the rest of the season filming, and then next season, when we get renewed, you can take over her role officially.”
Shivers ran down Hope’s spine. She looked directly into Rex’s eyes, her lips parted in absolute shock.
“We can’t afford to have more drama like we’ve had this season with her not being healthy enough to work.
You’re young, and you can certainly step into her position.
” Josef again with that condescending tone that Hope despised.
“You’re perfect for the job. You have the energy, the skills, and you know how to turn around hotels.
Your CV tells me everything I need to know.
And you and Hope have amazing chemistry. ”
“No, we don’t,” Hope muttered under her breath.
“You’ll be perfect. You are perfect. I already know that.” Josef chuckled again. “Just stick with it while we have this awkward transition time, all right?”
“Okay,” Leanne answered. “Thank you.”
Hope ripped the AirPod from her ear and clenched it in her first. “You’re fucking kidding me.”
Rex shook his head, a frown forming on his lips. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on between you and Ange, but you need to tell her what’s going on.”
“She already knows.” Hope sighed heavily. “Josef’s had it out for her from the beginning, but this season it’s picked up way worse than it was before. And Leanne…”
“Leanne what?” Rex asked, a deep line forming in the center of his brow.
“Leanne and Ange have history, Rex. Josef knows that, and he brought her in here to stir the pot. He wants Ange gone, and he’s willing to do anything he can to make that happen.” Hope bit her lip. “Like not dealing with the gossip about her being arrested for drunk driving.”
“I wondered why no one had put out a statement yet.” Rex took the AirPod from her. “I already sent this over to Logan.”
“You did?” Hope asked, genuinely surprised by that. Rex hadn’t seemed particularly keen on keeping Angelica around if he had a choice in the matter, but he also hadn’t been trying to force her out either.
“Yeah. There’s something about Leanne that I just don’t like.”
“You’re not the only one.” Hope blew out a breath, her lips buzzing from the move. “Thanks for letting me know.”
“Tell Ange that most of the crew have her back on this one. They don’t like how Josef has been treating her since the accident.” Rex cupped Hope’s arm and squeezed lightly. “And you can tell her that includes me.”
“I will.” Hope walked away awkwardly. She’d never expected her ex-husband and her ex-girlfriend to get along so well, but since all the relationships had ended that’s where they’d landed.
She brushed her fingers through her short hair and walked toward the staging area.
She was hoping to find Angelica there anyway.
She’d wanted to check in before they officially wrapped everything up tomorrow and had the party with the staff and crew.
She knocked on the doorway as she stepped inside.
Angelica had her fingers deep in her hair as she scratched hard at her scalp.
Hope paused. Angelica stopped. They stared at each other before Angelica sighed and scratched her head again before groaning.
“What’s wrong?” Hope asked, plopping down next to Angelica.
“Nothing’s wrong,” Angelica mumbled. “What did you need?”
“How often are people asking you that question?” Hope crossed her arms and sent Angelica a square look. She wasn’t going to let Angelica get out of this one.
Angelica sent her a scathing look in response, which only made Hope laugh even more.
“Be honest, Ange.”
“It’s hard to move,” Angelica started. “And it’s hard to stand for long periods of time.”
Hope narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out exactly where Angelica was going with this.
“I haven’t able to take a proper shower since before the accident, and while Ansel is brilliant, he doesn’t compare.” Angelica’s cheeks were bright red.
Hope’s heart sank. She immediately softened and leaned forward, pressing her hand to Angelica’s knee just at the edge of her skirt.
“So my head itches like I have a bad case of lice, and my body feels caked with makeup and grime, and I just want to curl up in bed and fall asleep but also soak under the hot spray of a shower for hours, and I don’t have the energy to figure out what I need to do.”
“Ange,” Hope said a bit more forcefully than she normally would, but she needed to put an end to Angelica’s rant. “Since I know you’d never in a million years ask this but also since I’m probably the only one here that you’d ever allow… would you like me to help you?”
“I…” Angelica’s jaw dropped. “No.”
“Ange…” Hope tightened her grip on Angelica’s knee. “I promise you that I don’t mean anything by it, but I will help you.”
“No,” Angelica answered, but she was already reaching up to scratch her head again. “No, I couldn’t—”
“You could. And frankly, I’m the one offering.
You’re not asking.” Hope dropped her gaze down to Angelica’s mouth.
It was going to be pure torture for both of them, but she’d be damned if she was going to let Angelica suffer.
She’d been there before, and she knew how good it could feel just to be clean. “Please, let me help you with this.”
Angelica breathed in slowly, silence filling the space between them. Hope trusted it this time, unlike so many other times. She let it just be, maintaining the physical connection between them and keeping their gazes locked.
“Hope… I couldn’t ask you to do this.”
“You don’t have to,” Hope whispered back, leaning in closer. “It’ll be my pleasure.”
Angelica’s lips quirked up into that smile that Hope longed to see more of.
She held Hope’s gaze, time ceasing to exist as they simply looked deeply into each other’s eyes and souls.
Angelica’s lips parted, her gaze dropping down to Hope’s mouth before suddenly flicking back up as if she’d been caught red-handed.
“It’d be entirely inappropriate,” Angelica murmured.
“I’m fairly certain we crossed that line in New Orleans. And there’s no taking it back.” Hope brushed her thumb against Angelica’s skin, the softness and warmth mesmerizing.
Angelica hummed and nodded. “Yes, I suppose you’re right.”
“Then… will you let me help you?”
“Just this once?”
“Of course. Don’t want anyone thinking the great Ice Fairy couldn’t do something on her own.” Hope smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. She breathed deeply and stood up, holding out her hand for Angelica to take it. “Come on. Let’s get you upstairs.”
Angelica stood up and leaned into Hope slightly as she reached for her knee scooter. “Definitely not how I thought you’d say that to me again.”
They both froze. This flirting was getting a little too intense.
And it was as though they’d both had that realization at exactly the same time.
Hope nodded and said nothing as she stepped away slightly and started for the door.
This was going to be a long night, and the next twenty minutes were going to try what little patience she had. That was for damn sure.
When they reached Angelica’s room, Hope’s stomach swirled with nervous energy.
She shut and locked the door behind her and pressed her back into it as Angelica stopped.
They were probably both struggling with this.
Hope needed to be the bigger person right now.
She touched Angelica’s arm lightly to get her attention, staring down into those baby blues and nearly losing her will to speak.
“Just…do you want a shirt or something?”
“Sports bra?” Angelica asked.
“What drawer?”
“Top left.”
Hope bypassed Angelica and made her way into the room. Everything smelled like Angelica. She was surrounded by her in here. Her fingers trembled as she reached for the drawer and pulled out the royal-blue sports bra and the tank top that she found just in case Angelica wanted that as well.
She handed them over and bit her lip.
“Is that for you?” Angelica asked, pointing at the tank top.
“Oh, yeah, if you don’t mind.” Hope hadn’t even thought about that small problem. If she was going to help Angelica wash her hair, then she was going to get wet herself. “Just, uh… let me know when you’re ready.”
Angelica wheeled herself into the bathroom while Hope went and sat on the edge of the mattress. What the fuck had she been thinking? This was a horrible idea. They needed separation, not getting naked together in a way that was only going to tempt, not tame.
“Hope?”
“Coming.” Hope winced at her phrasing, but she quickly stripped out of her pants and shirt and bra, slid the tank top over her head, and tugged it down so that it met the edges of her underwear. God, this was such a bad idea.
When she stepped into the bathroom, she found Angelica in an equal state of undress, but she was struggling to get the bag and tape around her leg.
“Here, let me.” Hope bent down and taped the bag against Angelica’s skin to protect the cast.
“Next week I can take it off to shower.” Angelica sounded excited by that prospect. Hope would be too, all things considered. “I was tempted to do that tonight.”
“Need to listen to the doctors.”
“Unfortunately. Help me up, will you?”