The Concept is Simple (Sequel to You're Crazy)

Chapter 19

"Ev, there's a car stopping outside. I think it's Nathan!" Sasha called through to me. I was stood in the bathroom, wrapped only in a towel. I'd just finished my hair and was putting on my make up over the sink. In shock, I drew a thick black line of eyeliner down my cheek. 

"He's early! Tell him to go away I'm not ready!" I squeaked, rubbing furiously at my cheek. 

"I can't talk to him!" Sasha called frantically. I rolled my eyes.

"Sasha, you're a doctor! You should be able to make smalltalk, surely." 

"I don't mean that! I mean - I'm a mess! My makeup is all down my face and my eyes are all puffy." Her voice broke at the end and I felt my stomach twinge with guilt at leaving her tonight when she needed me. 

I sighed and tiptoed up the hall in my towel pausing at the entrance to the lounge where Sasha was sitting wearing a massive hoodie and her knees bunched up to her chest. "Sasha, I can stay - " 

"Hell no. Just go and get the door will you?" She smiled and wiped her eyes on the back of her hand. 

"Maybe I should tell him another night." I mused.

"Definitely not!" Sasha said.

"I agree with Sasha!" Nathan called through the front door. I jumped in fright but Sasha just laughed mouthing 'go'.

I hurried to the door, opened it ever so slightly and took off at top speed down the corridor. 

"Hey, Ev - woah, are you really trying to avoid me this much?" Nathan laughed from behind me. I didn't turn around, just flung myself into the bathroom. 

"Sorry Nath, give me two seconds!" 

I locked myself in the bathroom and speedily changed into the outfit I' salvaged from the carboard boxes I've been using as a wardrobe. I shimmied the white lace dress over my head, shoved my feet into a pair of plain black heels and patched up my make up. On approaching the lounge, I heard laughter - Sasha was giggling and I stood in the doorway as Nathan did an impression of me running to hide, wearing only a towel. I could tell that was going to hang around me for a while. 

I coughed making Nath whip around looking worried. I couldn't be bothered, not when Sasha was laughing after being miserable all day. Sasha left before us, squeazing my hand and nodding at Nathan on her way. 

I felt Nathan watching me. "She okay?" He asked me tentatively. 

I sighed "Yeah." I know it was cruel, but it was hard to sympathise with Sasha when I was this happy myself. "Well, no not really. She and Charlie broke up. Apparently the strain's too much or something. I didn't really get a proper reason out of her. She only stopped crying in the last hour." 

Nathan cringed. He was well informed in the ins and outs of Sasha and Charlie's on again, off again relationship from listening to me prattle on about it. I swear, he treated me far too well I was going to get selfish soon. "But hey, chin up! I'm taking you out remember? And you look really pretty, Ev." He added bashfully. His eyes flickered down to my outfit as he tried to conceal what he was doing. 

"Thanks." How was he still making me blush, after all this time? "Can you tell me where we're going?" 

Nathan considered this. "Nah...not yet." He winked sneakily at me and led me outside to his car. He didn't say anything while he drove, just sang softly to the music on the radio. I enjoyed watching his look of concentration as he drove. He'd only recently got his licence and I liked being better than him at something for once. But I couldn't help but notice his hair all flicked up fancily and the way his phone, lying in the compartment between us, kept lighting up as he received text messages from all the boys.