Spring [Completed]

TWO

┌─────── ∘∘∘❁∘∘∘ ───────┐

HER

└─────── ∘∘∘❁∘∘∘ ───────┘

de•ni•al
noun
1. the refusal of something requested or desired.

∘∘∘❁∘∘∘

I cancelled my office hours and sent an emergency code red to my girls to meet me after class. This was an emergency.

Checking the time on my phone, I frown and lean back in my plush office chair. Where are they? Just as I'm about to pick up the phone and call, Amber and Nadia come bustling into my office.

"So, do code reds not mean shit anymore? What took you guys so long?" I ask as Amber plops down into one of my chairs.

Nadia smooths down her straight brown hair before flashing me an apologetic gaze. "We're sorry, Mani. We got your text—"

"And we were on our way," Amber cuts in.

"But," Nadia glares briefly at her before turning back to me. "We um, we got side tracked."

"We were hungry okay?" Amber explains. "So we took a quick lunch detour and ran—"

"Drove."

"...drove over here as fast as we could." Amber smiles, a spitting image of her cousin. Once again I find myself loathing the fact that my husband's father had to be an identical twin.

I raise a brow, unamused.

"We brought you some food, too," Nadia adds, placing a plastic bag on my desk.

I glance at the both of them with suspicion before opening the bag and pulling out it's contents. After setting the salad onto my desk, I glance at them and roll my eyes. "You are forgiven."

Nadia lets out a breath of relief before plopping down in the chair beside Amber, who rolls her eyes, unphased. "Of course we are, now what's got you so worked up?"

"Yeah." Nadia laughs. "The last time you called a code red, you thought you were pregnant again."

"Oh, that was priceless," Amber laughs, shaking her head. "Wait...you're not—"

"No, I'm not pregnant," I say, pouring the dressing on my salad. "God no."

"Good." Amber says, taking a sip of her coffee. "The world doesn't need any more of your little weird ass kids running around."

"Girl, shut it," I throw a paperclip at her head and she dodges it, smoothing down her unruly auburn curls.

"So, what's up?" Nadia asks again, growing impatient. She's never been one to favor surprises.

"Two words." I take a sip of my drink to build anticipation. "Ethan. Price."

Amber raises a skeptical brow. "What about him?"

I can't help the smile that pulls at my lips. "I saw him."

Nadia squeals. "Oh my gosh, is this why you hung up on me this morning?"

I nod and Amber frowns. "Seriously, Imani."

I wince, ready to hear all the judgement that would inevitably come from her mouth. Afterall, she was Josh's cousin.

"I can't believe that you ran into the Ethan Price and didn't think to call me." She scoffs, appalled. "Unbelievable."

I laugh nervously, surprised at her reaction. "I wanted to tell you both in person."