Never Knew I Needed (Chaelisa)

Chapter 21

I know that really, there's no reason to be jealous, and that I don't really have a right to be jealous even if there was one.

But I still can't fight the way my stomach turns when a nurse starts blatantly hitting on me in front of the entire group, or more specifically, in front of Rosé.

I don't really know what happens; one second I'm standing by the vending machine, debating whether to get a chocolate bar or a bag of chips—seriously, I swear the hospital only holds unhealthy crap so years later I can come back here with a heart attack, and really? Can't they serve something that isn't processed?—when I feel someone sidle up next to me and then there's an attractive nurse, leaning on the side, grinning at me in pale pink scrubs.

I blink at her for a few seconds, trying to figure out who the hell she is when it comes back and I vaguely remember her being the nurse who picked up my phone a few hours back. Though it seems she seems to remember me if the smirk on her face is anything to go by.

"Um, hi..." I begin, not really getting why she's staring at me or why she's here. Doesn't she have someones bedpan to clean out or something?

"Hi," she chirps back, folding her arms across her chest and tilting her head against the vending machine. "Is your cell okay?"

I push my brows together, keeping my face directed to the machine whilst my eyes flicker between the snacks and the nurse. "Oh, yeah," I breathe out, nodding. "It's fine." I suddenly remember how rude I was and twist my neck, glancing at her fully. "Sorry about how rude I was, by the way. I didn't say thank you, so... yeah, thank you."

The nurse beams at me. "That's okay," she replies, lowering her tone and scooting a little closer. "I'm Nurse Irene."

My eyes flit down to her badge, confirming that is her name and when I compare her picture to her in real life, I realize she's much more attractive than the photo. "I'm Lisa," I offer with a smile, not entirely sure why I'm giving her my name.

"Lisa," she repeats, almost like she's testing the name out on her tongue and after saying it again, she begins bobbing her head and bites down on her bottom lip, her eyes roaming over my face a little too slowly. "Suits you."

I hold back the remark about how pretty much everyone suits their name, and just nod, punching in the number of the packet of chips I want. I kind of want to go back to my seat. I feel like a piece of meat with her eyes trailing over me like this. Plus, I have a weird itch in the back of my mind and it feels strangely like a pair of bright brown eyes burning a hole into me, so I spare a quick glance over my shoulder to find Rosé staring at me, but as soon as I look at her, she clenches her jaw and diverts her gaze away, back to Tzuyu who I'm assuming she's talking to.

"Is your friend in C47?"

My eyes find the nurse again. "Excuse me?"

"The person you're here for, silly," she elaborates with a playful grin.

My eyes just dart around with uncertainty. "Uh, yeah," I finally get out after a long second, bending down to grab my packet of chips before I lean against the vending machine like she is, crossing one ankle over the other. "I guess so, I mean, she's the Korean-Canadian one who looks like she's with her brother when actually that's her boyfriend and the father of her child."

Irene lets out a bark of laughter, too loud for it to be genuine and it's only when she reaches forward, boldly stroking my forearm and the back of my hand, and I glance down to her fingers lingering on my skin, that I realize that she's hitting on me.

"You're so funny," she whispers and shifts forward, still holding on to me and stepping into my personal space. "And you've got a gorgeous smile," she adds, coyly, fluttering her lashes at me quite obviously.