So awkward! Again!, This was the second time!, The first embarrassment was when I accidentally walked in on Ernest fresh out of the shower, and now, he'd caught me gossiping about him. Seriously, was this guy doing it on purpose? I'd knocked for what felt like an eternity before he finally opened the door., In that moment, my only escape from the mortification was to pretend I was hammered, maybe even blackout drunk. That way, I wouldn't be the one dying of embarrassment-it'd be everyone else's problem.

"Cool it, someone's here. Look, isn't that Ernest right there?

" I said, feigning oblivion as I pointed straight at him., Fanny's lips twitched in a failed attempt to hide her secondhand embarrassment as she glanced at Ernest.

"She's had a bit too much to drink.

",

"I'm not drunk,

" I slurred, playing along perfectly with Fanny's narrative. Because let's be honest, no one who's actually plastered ever admits to it. Fanny pinched me on the side, whispering,

"Oh, right, you only had a glass of wine. How could you possibly be wasted?

", I was speechless., In the trenches, it's every woman for herself, but betrayal from my ride-or-die bestie, Fanny? She threw me under the bus right in front of me., I couldn't even bring myself to look at Ernest. But there he was, looking right at me.

"Did you need something?

",

"No, nothing,

" I mumbled, already turning to push Fanny towards my apartment's door.,

"I need to talk to you,

" Ernest called from behind us., I felt like banging my head against Fanny in frustration.

"I'm dizzy. Whatever it is can wait till tomorrow.

", Without giving him a chance to respond, I bolted into my apartment.,

"Look at you, all chicken,

" Fanny teased, shutting the door as we stepped inside., I glared at her, my face a mix of anger and mortification. Fanny, unapologetically laughing, said,

"If you've got the hots for him, you've gotta have the guts to act on it. You almost let the cat out of the bag. Imagine, just one more push, and you two could be sharing more than just neighborly greetings. Who cares about Mr. Wagner or any of that corporate nonsense?

", Facing Fanny's relentless teasing, I shoved her towards the door,

"Get out. We're done... for real this time.

",

"When you finally get Ernest in bed, you owe me big time,

" Fanny declared, genuinely trying to play matchmaker., After Fanny left, my cheeks were still on fire. I stayed up, obsessively listening for any sound from the apartment across, terrified Ernest might decide to confront me about our awkward encounter. I'd actually come back wanting to talk to him earlier, to discuss the group that had cornered him and to inquire about his father's car accident findings., But now..., How could I even face him?, Eventually, I collapsed on the couch, falling asleep amidst waves of embarrassment, anxiety, and unease., That night, I slept on the couch, waking up at the crack of dawn to the sound of Ernest's door. I wasn't sure if he was leaving or going for his morning run., Peeking through the window, I watched as Ernest, backpack in tow, mounted his bike and rode off. I realized then that he biked this distance every day, a detail I'd never paid attention to before., But with him gone, I breathed a sigh of relief, spared from the potential awkwardness of a run-in after yesterday's fiasco., By noon, as I was wrapping up at work, contemplating digging into our boss' background, Fanny's call came through., Remembering how she'd set me up the day before, I gritted my teeth and answered,

"Doctor Wilson...

", Before I could finish, Fanny cut me off,

"Felicia, Haley came in for an abortion. What's the deal?

", My mind raced, instantly sobering up at the mention of the conversation I'd had with Haley in the café.

"Did she go through with it?

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