25. Annalise
Chapter twenty-five
Annalise
“What a waste of perfectly good dresses!" Emily sighs, giving our reflections a head-to-toe examination.
"What are you talking about? You both look incredible," Sasha says, too focused on her makeup to notice Em and me bumping each other conspiratorially.
"Riighhhttt. Maybe we should just skip the Gala?" I tease, watching the horror overtake Sasha's face in the mirror as she drops her Perfectly Pink lipstick onto her makeshift vanity.
"You cannot skip! Do you know what the school would do to you? I can't even imagine what your punishment would be!
"They’d roll you back to Delta class at the very least. Expulsion? Maybe," she rambles, not letting me get a word in. "On second thought, you might not care about either of those, given the hotties following you both around like lost puppies…
"Oh! I know! Lee—think about how Matt would feel!
He'd lose his mind if he were forced to graduate and move away without you...or imagine the psychotic lengths your twisted twin would go to in order to rescue you if you were sent back to prison! None of that’s worth it simply because you changed your mind about dresses! "
"Sasha! Breathe!" I say.
Her eyes snap to me, frantic and far too serious. Instantly, Emily and I break into full fits of laughter, tears running down our faces so hard that our makeup would be ruined if we hadn’t decided to do our hair first, while Sasha obsessed over hers.
"What is so damned funny?"
"Your face—" Em starts, but she's caught up in another bout of laughter, and this time, it takes me a minute to realize why.
"Excuse you?" Sasha gapes, hands on her hips, giving us a scolding look that any mom would be proud of.
"Oh my gods, Sasha-look at your face!" I blurt out before doubling over, hands on my stomach like that'll keep the laughing cramps from hitting so hard.
Her annoyance washes almost instantly when she notices that below her beautifully done eyeshadow, thick fake eyelashes, and Perfectly Pinched blush, there’s a solid streak of Pouty Pink lipstick trailing from her unfinished bottom lip to where it finally fell from her chin.
"I'm going to kill you!" Sasha half-laughs-half-screams, her eyes flashing with something dangerous. Before Emily and I know what's happening—she's running at us—the aforementioned lipstick extended like a sword she's ready to impale us with.
"Run!!!" I shout, but Emily's already two steps ahead of me, bolting for the door.
Sasha laughs like a madwoman before I hear her rummaging through her basket of homebrewed tinctures.
Not wanting her to catch us both with whatever concoction she's arming herself with, I turn right into the hallway as Emily turns left.
A few people in the halls give us questioning looks, while others scan the area for danger—not that I can blame them. We're supposed to be getting ready for the Track Gala, but instead, we're in our dresses, sprinting barefoot down the hall trying to escape whatever revenge Sasha has planned.
I'm almost to the end of the hall before I realize my mistake...there are no exits by the laundry room, and very few places to hide.
Think, Annalise. Just think.
Sasha bellows like Tarzan, sending my feet in motion before I can overthink what I'm about to do.
I've barely pounded on the door twice before it's swinging open, and I'm falling into him.
"Scout, what's wrong?" he asks, concerned and far too loud considering he's unknowingly harboring a fugitive, and Sasha wouldn't think twice before subjecting him to her evil plans.
Quickly, I spin us, using his body like a blockade as I push the door shut and cover his mouth with my hand.
"Shhh! Sasha will find me," I whisper-laugh into his ear as I stand on my tiptoes, trying to peek over his shaking shoulders—thanks to his silent laughter—through the peephole.
Strong, warm hands wrap around my waist and pull me tighter against him, shooting a shiver up my spine. I’m about to say…something…when he gently lifts me, giving me a clear view into the hall.
Seconds stretch slowly, but when I reach thirty without any signs of my huntress, I decide she must have gone after Emily.
"Coast is clear," I laugh, patting his chest. "You can put me down now, big guy."
"Give me a second," he huffs out, like he’s winded—probably from whatever intense workout keeps him in that kind of shape.
"Aww, poor baby. Did you get a muscle cramp?" I tease, already starting to slide down.
"Annalise, wait—" he protests, but it's too late.
I drag down the front of him—and then freeze.
Oh.
There’s no missing it—the unmistakable, very firm press of him through his basketball shorts, shifting from my thigh to my stomach as I finish sliding to the ground.
For a split second, my body tenses on instinct. But I force myself to stay present—I’m no one’s victim, and Theo isn’t like them.
A fact that is more than confirmed when a low groan breaks from his lips, immediately followed by his face blanching, and his hands—which had been trying to keep me from falling while also putting some distance between us—shoot up to cover his face.
“I—”
Maybe it’s the high I’m still on from getting away from Sasha, or the relief his reaction gives me, but the most unladylike cackle bursts out of me, and before I can get ahold of myself, I’m curled over, fighting to get a full breath in.
“Damn Scout, way to crush a guy's ego,” he says, fingers parting only enough to give him a good look at my extreme reaction.
“I’m sorry! I just wasn’t expecting to get held at freaking gunpoint while you were helping me escape my would-be executioner!” I gasp out, but it’s enough to break through Theo’s embarrassment.
“Executioner, huh? Dare I ask what you did to incur her wrath?” He asks, a sly smile spreading across his face as he shakes his head at the tears still rolling down mine while I try to pull myself together.
“Me?” I spurt in faux innocence. “How could you think I—”
Sasha’s high-pitched threats and Emily’s laughter outside the door cut me off as Theo raises a single, pointed “You were saying?” eyebrow in my direction.
“I swear to the Gods, Theodore Stevens, if you don’t open this door and hand over my best friend right now, I will come in there!”
Quickly, he spins, looking through the peephole at what I can only imagine is a much rougher-looking Sasha and Emily.
It only takes a second before he is facing me once more, laughing and pulling me toward his bed. “Stay quiet and get under there. I’ll get rid of her.”
“Thanks, but I really do need to get ready,” I chuckle, slipping past him and pulling the door open to face my friends.
It’s almost closed behind me before I pop it back open. “Hey, Theo?”
His eyes meet mine, but he stays quiet, waiting…
“Be ready in an hour, or we leave without you…and it’s not a date,” I add quickly before fully stepping out into the hall.