Page 50 of Now and Again

Riley felt her pulse jump. ‘What do you see?’ Riley said, aflutter. She wasn’t sure why.

‘I’ve noticed a tension between you two,’ Amanda began. ‘I can’t believe it never occurred to me that it was because…’ She laughed at herself but contained it quickly, presumably out of sensitivity. ‘Why would you move out? Did something… Did it go wrong?’

‘There was nothing to go wrong,’ Riley said quickly. ‘I mean, we’re just friends.’

‘God, I’m dense,’ Amanda said. ‘Honestly, I should have seen it. It’s Sharon all over again.’

‘Who the hell is Sharon?’

‘A friend from work. Same thing. Suddenly quit her job out of the clear blue sky, wouldn’t say why. Turned out, she was in love with Steve in accounts. But he was married. She couldn’t shake it, so the only thing to do was leave. Hurt too much to be around him if it couldn’t happen.’

‘I’m not inlovewith anyone, Amanda,’ Riley snapped.

‘She’s sad, you know.’

Riley paused. ‘Is she?’

‘Yes. Even Mia’s noticed.’ She said, “Joo-et isn’t smiling today.”

Riley pinched her nose between her thumb and forefinger. ‘Amanda. I can’t keep doing this.’

‘Doing what?’

‘Going around in circles.’ Riley licked her lips, before adding, ‘Sheshouldn’t either.’

‘I don’t know what that means,’ Amanda said. ‘Oh, wait. Wait!’ Amanda sounded indecently excited. ‘You weren’t just friends back in the day either, were you? That’s right, isn’t it?’

Riley let out a low, slow moan of pure frustration. Of all the times for Amanda to start being observant. ‘No, I guess we weren’t.’

‘All the pieces of the puzzle are fitting together now.’

‘I’m so pleased for you, Veronica Mars.’

Amanda ignored the snippy tone. ‘So, what happened?’

Riley sighed to herself, wondering if there was any dignified, polite way to slide her arse out of this conversation. After a few seconds of consideration, she had jack shit—except for the truth. ‘When we were eighteen, we had one sort of date. That was it. Didn’t work out.’

‘Why not?’

‘I wasn’t her cup of tea.’

‘She ended it?’

‘I just told you, it was one date. There was nothing to end.’

‘So, it was nothing?’ Amanda clarified.

‘That’s right.’

‘Yet, you’re still hurting ten years later? I don’t buy it.’

Riley groaned. ‘Yes, it was quite a big crush, and it seemed like it was going to turn into more. But it didn’t.’

‘I’m not leaving this alone until I get some proper details, Riley. So you might as well spill it, or we’ll be here all night.’

Spilling through the door came the sound of inane TV, a snorting laugh from India tagged on. ‘I’ve got all night, Amanda,’ Riley said.

‘God, you really are your dad’s kid, aren’t you?’

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