Page 132 of The Bet
“Last night.”
“And you’re not going in today?”
“I’m shattered.”
“I’ll go in the afternoon.” She couldn’t go back into lessons and catch up if she was dead tired.
“Good idea. I’ll see you at the cafeteria? We can catch up then.”
“I need to go into the library and catch up on all my work, first.”
Cara sat down on her bed, causing Izzy to budge up. “Shouldn’t you get going?” Otherwise her friend was going to be late for her lessons.
“I’ve got a few moments.”
“And?”
“I bet lover boy must have missed you.”
“Don’t call him that,” said Izzy, snuggling under the duvet.
“What else can I call him?” Cara asked, raising an eyebrow. “How come things changed so fast between you?”
“Can we not talk about this right now?”
“Can we talk about it later tonight?”
Izzy gave her a look that indicated otherwise.
“How’s your dad?” She’d told Cara that her father had been ill. It was always better to gloss over the facts. The truth was always so much darker, so much more depressing.
“He’s feeling better, thanks.”
“We’ll talk tonight.”
But tonight she needed to cram for the test. Tests, tests, always more tests. No wonder that when she had finally slowed down enough—even though she’d gone through an emotionally draining time with her father—her body seemed to want to do nothing. She lay in bed, feeling sorry for herself, indulging herself for a change.
“We’ll talk tonight,” said Cara, getting up and leaving.
When she heard the front door close, she texted Xavier:
I’m back.
He texted back almost instantly:
Want to get together this evening?
She had the stats test tomorrow, and while she was contemplating what to reply back, another message from him appeared:
I’ve got some more work for you, if you’re interested
She was interested, and replied:
I can come over on my way back from college
You know where to find me
He texted back. And then she remembered she hadn’t even asked him about his car.
