Page 131 of One Good Crash
As if reading something in my expression, she said, "Go ahead. Get it over with."
"Get what over with?"
"The yelling. Or whatever you're gonna do."
"Well…" I sighed. "If you're talking about the thing with my mom's message, I guess Iama little curious."
She made a scoffing sound. "You are not."
"What?"
"Youknowwhy I did it, so you can't be curious. If anything, you're just ticked off." She paused. "On second thought, you're not even that."
I gave her a look. "Oh, really?"
"Really," she said. "You just feel like you should be."
"Yeah, because you lied to me."
"I did not," she replied. "Nameonething I said that wasn't true."
I tried to recall exactly what she'd relayed after talking to my mom. Only two details came to mind. Dominic was in the hospital, and my mom wanted me to call her. Technically, both of these things were true, but that was hardly the point.
"Okay," I said, "so maybe you didn't lie-lie, but there was still a ton you left out."
She looked entirely unrepentant. "Yeah. No kidding."
I tried again. "I'm just saying, it didn't really help, not in the long run, anyway."
"Why?" Allie laughed. "Because your mom caused a big ol' scene?"
"Yes, actually."
"Trust me, she would've done that anyway."
"Oh come on," I said. "You don't know that."
"Wanna bet?" Allie said. "The only difference was, she caused itafterthe date instead of before." She smiled. "So you're welcome."
Against all logic, I wanted to smile back.AndI wanted to argue. In the end, I settled on muttering, "Oh, shut up."
But Allie wasn't done. "Wanna know the only thing I regret?"
I was almost afraid to ask. "What?"
"That I didn't realize that she'd just show up like that." Allie gave me an evil grin. "Because if I had, I would've slashed her tires."
Surely, she was joking.
But the joke was on her. I gave her a smug smile. "She doesn'thavetires. She took a cab, remember?"
"Fine, whatever. I would've slashed the cab's tires."
Whether it was a joke or not, I was determined to make my point. "Look, I know youthinkyou were doing me a favor—"
"Iwasdoing you a favor."
"Yeah, I know you think that. But all I'm saying is, I can handle it on my own."
