Page 98 of Going the Distance
“No.”
“You’re not his girlfriend.”
“No. Trust me, he’s not my type.”
I stared again.
Oh my God.
What the fuck had I done?
“I’m really sorry if I’ve made things weird now,” Amanda said nervously. “I thought you knew. I thought maybe you just didn’t want to talk to him because you were angry with him, or just really upset, or…”
I shook my head.
She reached over to squeeze my hand. “I feel awful. I’m so sorry, Elle.”
“No, don’t, it’s…it’s not your fault. He should’ve told me. Okay, I mean…he…he did. He told me there was nothing going on with you two, but I didn’t believe him. That was when we broke up. He hasn’t spoken to me since.”
“He’s sort of clueless when it comes to girls,” Amanda said. “He acts like a womanizer and he’s justnot.He’s like a lost puppy. He acts like a badass out on the football field and then he watered my fern for me when I went on a trip to DC for the weekend.”
I laughed, and it seemed to take some of the weight off my chest.
Amanda smiled, too. “So, will you talk to him?”
“I…”
I faltered. Okay, so they weren’t together, but that didn’t change the fact that he hadn’t tried to talk to me since the breakup, and he hadn’t really talked to me yesterday. He hadn’t bothered to warn me he’d be bringing Amanda home for the holidays, whether they were together or not. If anything, he’d done it knowing I believed they were a thing.
Plus…if it wasn’t Amanda he’d been hiding from me, what was it?
“I don’t know. It’s complicated.”
She nodded with a sympathetic smile. “That’s okay. I understand. He probably won’t, but can I let him know you’ll talk to him when you’re ready to?”
“Thanks. I guess.”
“I’m really, really sorry,” she said again.
“What for?”
“Well, I know that I was one of the problems between you guys. He told me about the photo. And I’m sorry I didn’t say yesterday that we weren’t together. I honestly thought you knew. It might’ve made you feel less…well, it might’ve made you feelbetteryesterday. I bet it was pretty rubbish thinking he’d brought his new girlfriend home so soon after you guys split.”
“ ‘Rubbish’ doesn’t even begin to cover it.”
Amanda laughed. “Yes. Well, I’ll get out of your hair. Thanks for the water.”
“No problem.”
I walked her to the door, and as she was stepping outside, I said, “Amanda?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks. For telling me. And explaining.”
“Of course. I’ll see you around!” she added in the bubbly, cheerful tone she’d used all yesterday, and she gave me an equally bright grin before walking down the street.
I still felt stunned when I went back into the living room. My dad pounced immediately, muting the movie. Brad shouted “Hey!” but my dad didn’t react.
