Rule No. 1: No Romance (GirlxGirl WlW)

Chapter 26

Louise's POV

Esther has been weirdly avoidant lately, and I'm sure it's because she has caught a whiff of the latest rumors. My eyes fall again on my phone, seeing she hasn't answered any of my messages — she usually never does anyway but this time around it feels intentional.

"You're always late, Louise, you're going to get me in trouble too," Bella says as I approach her near the entrance of the office building.

"You don't need to wait for me," I sigh. "Good morning."

"I want to," she smiles gently at me. "But you really have to start waking up earlier, you know, and take your head out of your phone while you walk, you're going to end up falling one day."

"Oh, I have," I mutter under my breath.

"How did I miss that?" she chuckles. "But seriously, what's wrong?"

"Sleepy," I say simply as she raises her eyebrows.

"You didn't want to go out yesterday so you could get your sleep up to date," she pouts, eyeing me with concerned eyes.

"Just didn't sleep well," I lie, trying to brush off Bella's concern as we step into the elevator. I look at my phone again pressing the button multiple times so the elevator doors would close, finally lifting my eyes as it did just to be met with the hottest yet scariest almond eyes I've ever seen. How did I not notice Esther standing there as I came in is beyond me, her eyes never leave mine, looking down at me with a glare that makes me feel like a child. She's wearing heels as usual but today it feels like she's so much taller, making her towering figure even more intimidating, and I don't think I've ever felt so small.

I try to shrink into the corner as the elevator goes up. No words are said beyond Bella's good morning which isn't answered. The elevator doors open after what felt like an eternity, and before I know it, she's gone.

Oh, I messed up.

"What was that about?" Bella asks, looking between me and Esther who was well ahead of us. "So much tension... don't tell me you two have the hots for each other," she smirks followed by a gasp. "Wait, am I in the way? Or are you using me to get her jealous?"

I raise an eyebrow, yes, yes, and no, so close yet so far away. "I think she just hates my guts."

"In a 'I want to step on you and then cuddle' kind of hate, she's totally jealous."

"Yeah, I don't think so."

"Are you into her?" her eyes sparkle.

"Can you be more discrete?" I whisper to her, seeing she was jumping around me as we came into the joined working area, catching Joane's attention. Her eyes have been on us like a hawk, snitching bit—

"Totally valid if you are, I myself have a lesbian crush on her," she says, barely containing her excitement into a whisper. "Office romances are so hot."

"I thought you were straight?"

"She's hot."

"How come you don't have a lesbian crush on me? I'm hot," I squint my eyes at her.

"I mean, you're cute, yes but—"

"Shut up, I don't want to hear it," I give her my back, sitting down at my desk.

"Do you have a lesbian crush on me?"

I look back at her, up and down. "Ew."

She holds her hand on her chest as if she has just taken a blow. "A straight girl's worst nightmare —  coming to the realization a lesbian isn't completely obsessed with them."