I'm back again witht the 10th installment of my novel. Hope you all like it and please leave a comment. Short or long, good or bad, doesn't matter I need and love feedback =)
ENJOY!
Love Liz xx
CHAPTER TEN:
TRUCE
Amanda turned the pages of New Moon, but she didn’t really catch the words of the familiar story. The words seemed to slip her mind as soon as she had read them, which was weird because normally she would get trapped in the story and lose all track of time. Right now all she could think about was the fact that David had become such a jerk.
Obviously David was right about the fact that she hadn’t rejected him, but she had tried several times to talk him out of it because of his so-called fiancée. Half-heartedly maybe, but she had tried none-the-less.
Amanda looked up from the book and rested her head on the wall behind her. She gazed out at the heavy rain that fell on the little lake outside, making little rings play on the surface. She tucked the blanket tighter around herself as she sat on the window seat.
She reached for her mobile. David had stopped calling. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was starting to regret not having responded to his texts or answered the phone. Now that he appeared to have stopped she was starting to worry if something had happened to him, or worse, that he’d given up.
Amanda sighed as she realized what she had known for weeks already; she had to let him go. It was too late. And she didn’t want to be someone’s dirty little secret anyway, much like she felt that she was now, since she wasn’t allowed to tell anyone. She wanted to tell Katie and wondered if she should call her back. She had also been calling a few times since Amanda stormed off. Amanda felt bad that she hadn’t even told her where she was going.
Her family’s lake hut had always been a good place to clear her head. The beautiful nature and peaceful surroundings held loads of good memories, most of which included her and David. He had always joined Amanda and her family when they went up here when they were kids. They used to run around the woods and swim in the lake until the sun went down. It had also been where David and Amanda had practiced kissing as eleven-year-olds.
Thunder rolled over the roof and Amanda shuddered, looking up. She saw a lightning flash the gray sky. She didn’t mind the thunder normally, but now she was alone where no-one knew where she was, miles from home.
Another thud of thunder rolled over and the lights in the living room went away for a short second. As she looked back out the window she saw a hooded figure standing outside it, about to knock on the glass. She screamed and got to her feet, holding the blanket around her like it was a protective shield. Then she saw who it was.
“MANDY, WOULD YOU PLEASE LET ME IN?”
Amanda could barely hear David’s words through the storm that raged up outside. She just shook her head.
“Mandy, please! It’s freezing and in case you haven’t noticed it’s raining buckets out here.”
“Then go home again, David!!” Amanda shouted back.
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can!” Amanda threw her blanket aside and came closer to the window now, her face angry. “Just turn around and drive back home!”
Amanda could see him sigh. “Ok,” he said. “I know you are mad at me, but Mandy it’s a four hour drive up here and my car has a flat tire, and you know I dunno how to change it…” He smiled Amanda’s favorite smile and she melted.
Amanda nodded and went over to the door. David followed on the other side. She locked up and opened it. “Come in, I’ll change it in the morning, when the storm eases.” She subbed over to the light blue IKEA couch and sat down putting the blanket over herself again.
David walked in watching her. “Um, I’m just gonna go throw this off, alright.”
Amanda just shrugged, not looking at him. She didn’t want David to know how her anger towards him seemed to fly off rapidly.
“Ok, then.” He headed towards the bathroom. “And thanks by the way,” he stopped and turned, “for letting me in.”
Amanda looked up at him and smiled shyly. “Couldn’t let you risk catching pneumonia.” Her eyes sparkled and David smiled broadly, knowing that it may still be possible to make nice.
Ten minutes later Amanda was in the kitchen making tea when David came out of the bathroom in his boxers and his gray striped zip-hoodie.
“Ah, I hope you don’t mind. There was only a rain coat in my car so I hung my jeans up to dry?”
Amanda shrugged again, but looked up almost smiling again. “No, that’s fine. Tea?”
David smiled back, glad she wasn’t yelling at him like he knew he deserved. “Oh, tea sounds perfect!”
He sat down on the wooden chairs and looked around in the familiar kitchen as Amanda poured them both a cup of tea. It still had the country-ish feel to it, with its cream coloured walls and white and woody cabinets and counters. David looked carefully at Amanda as she down opposite him and looked out the window. She knew he was watching her, waiting for her to open the conversation. But she had no need of rushing in to things, or at least she had no need to let David think so.
Amanda warmed her hands carefully on the hot cup and stared at David who was also watching the storm outside. She could see he was keeping his mind in other places than at the weather. He was staring hollowly at a blank spot for a while and Amanda decided to bring him back.
“David…” she began.
David looked down in this tea, like there was a frog that had just called his name and not Amanda.
“David.”
He quickly looked up and caught her gaze. “Mandy, look.” He looked down again. “I came to tell you how sorry I am. I know I shouldn’t have kissed you, I know I shouldn’t have…” he looked at her and halfway smiled as his cheeks turned slightly red, “um, well, you know.”
Amanda nodded, trying hard not to smile. He was still good old David.
“And,” he continued, looking more serious, “I never should have made it out to be your fault and yelled at you. I guess I just snapped. I know…” he held his hands up defensively, even though Amanda had made no attempt to interrupt him.
He continued. “I know that’s no excuse. But Mandy, you are my best friend, and you probably know me better than myself, and I need you in my life. Can you forgive me?”
Amanda didn’t answer him at first. She looked at him thoroughly; his face was serious, his eyes didn’t have those small wrinkles under them like they usually did, when she knew he was joking or trying to be funny.
“Mandy?” this time it was David that brought Amanda back to reality.
“Yeah, um,” she sat up a little straighter, “You know, I dunno…”
David nodded sadly and pushed his chair away from the table, ready to get up and leave, totally forgetting about his wet jeans and the flat tire on his car.
Amanda reached for his hand and pulled him back. She smiled. “David, I’m joking!”
David’s face lit up as she said the words and his eyes sparkled as Amanda continued. “You know I can’t live without you either, and yes; I am mad at you for yelling at me and blaming me. But the minute I entered this house I knew I’d forgive you. And it does take two to…” she smiled mockingly at him, “you know. It’s my fault as well.”
“No, it’s not!” David argued.
“Yes, it is David.” She smiled again. “We are both to blame.”
David gave Amanda a warm smile and took her hand. “You know this is why I love you!”
Amanda let him hold her hand and blushed slightly, but ignored it.
“Why?” she asked. “Because you can screw me around, but still I forgive you?”
Amanda smiled at him, when she saw he was about to become all apologetic again. “Dave, I’m joking!”
“Oh,” he smiled broadly, as the relief washed over his face. “Good.”
David lifted the cup with his free hand and took a sip as he looked out the window again. Amanda copied him, but not before taking a quick glance at his face and she saw he was smiling too.
They sat like this for a while until David’s phone rang. Amanda had to smile when she heard Spice Girls’ “Wannabe” chiming out of his phone.
“You still haven’t changed your ringtone?” Amanda asked him, looking mockingly at him.
“Don’t you dare make fun of me, Mandy, you love ‘em too!” he grinned as he answered cheerily. “Hello, E!”
Amanda’s heart sank, apparently Evelyn was gonna ruin this moment as well.
“I told you I was going to Amanda’s…!” Amanda heard that he was trying to keep an easy tone, and Amanda smiled reassuringly at him as she drank her tea.
David let go of Amanda’s hand as he lifted his in frustration. “No, she wasn’t home, so I went to see if she was at her parents’ hut.”
Amanda tried not to listen in, so she got up and pretended to rinse some already-clean dishes.
“Evelyn, listen to me!” he sighed heavily. “No, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but she’s my best friend, isn’t she? So I needed to find her!”
Amanda smiled to herself. David did manage to stand up to her.
“I know, but it takes four hours to get home again, and I have a flat tire, so I’m coming home tomorrow.”
There was silence and Amanda turned her head and saw that David was rubbing his eyes, like he was tired of this discussion.
“Because, if you didn’t keep interrupting me, I would tell you! I have a flat tire, and Amanda’s gonna change it, for me, ‘cause I dunno how to do it, do I?”
Amanda giggled a little, he was the only guy she knew who didn’t know his way around a car, or at least admitted it so openly.
“She can’t change it now! It’s a freakin’ storm outside! Yeah, fine. See you when you get home then. Love you, too!” he added sarcastically.
Amanda could hear him throw his phone on the table and when she turned he had buried his face in his hands.
“David? Um…” Amanda walked towards him. “Are you alright?” She bent down beside him and stroked his thigh. “Hey?”
He peeked down at her and gave her a brave smile. “No, I’m fine, Mandy. Honestly!” he added when he saw the raised eyebrows Amanda wore. “She just knows how to push my buttons, that’s it.”
“What was it this time?” she asked him.
He shook his head. “She’s going to Barcelona in the morning and was mad at me for not being home to take her to the airport.”
“But didn’t she just come home?!”
“I KNOW!” David threw his hands up in the air and Amanda got up.
“Ok, ok, calm down.” She took hold of his hands and put them back on the table again. She sat down in the opposite seat of his and this time it was Amanda that took David’s hands.
“I’m sorry, it’s not your fault…”
“Nah, it’s ok, Dave.”
David squeezed her hands and smiled at her. She felt a blush coming on again, but didn’t retract her hands from his. It was too nice a moment to let it be ruined by anything. She breathed in and closed her eyes, soaking in every ounce of the moment.
She opened her eyes at the sound of David giggling. “What?” she asked, pulling her hands back, afraid she had somehow embarrassed herself.
He grinned at her. “You’re always there for me aren’t you?”
Amanda wasn’t sure where he was going with this so she remained quiet.
“And you always manage to cheer me up, no matter what! It’s funny that…”
“Yeah, but not ha-ha funny…”
He giggled again. “I know. I think I just realized how lucky I really am to have you in my life.”
Amanda melted and couldn’t help smiling. “Awh, David.”
“Yeah, I’m so emotional these days, I think I’m ready for my boobs soon.”
Amanda laughed. “There’s nothing wrong in being a bit emotional, you have your reasons.”
David’s smile turned into a confused look. “I do?”
Amanda shrugged. “Well, you’re having doubts about Evelyn and the marriage and you two don’t have a healthy way of sorting out fights, with her leaving the country every two seconds.”
David nodded. “She’s probably just leaving because she’s mad at me,” Amanda could see his chest rise as he breathed in, “you know, I don’t know how we’re gonna survive together for the rest of our lives if she’s gonna run off every time she gets mad at me!”
Amanda killed the little flame of hope that had risen in an instant. “Or by the sound of it; every time you screw up…” Amanda gave a little smile to show that she was still his best friend and was on his side.
David looked at her, and when he saw her smile his face cracked too. “I screw up? I don’t know what you are talking about…” he looked around the kitchen and started to whistle, making it clear that he did know what she was talking about.
“David, what did you do this time?!” Amanda sighed as she said it, making it sound hopeless.
David blushed slightly and stared at the, now empty, tea cup. “Oh nothing.” He waved it away.
“Ok, but I am here if you want to rant it off, it does help to talk about it.”
David sighed as he took in what Amanda had just said. “Yeah, but still… I should be able to handle things rationally, don’t I?”
Amanda shrugged again.
David stretched. “But until she gets back, I’m not gonna let her get to me, and then we’re gonna talk about it. I think we need to clear up all misunderstandings on both parts.”
“Wow, David.” Amanda breathed out. “Whenever did you become smart?”
David smiled cheekily at her. “Oh, haha!”
Suddenly Spice Girls started singing “Spice World”. Amanda’s cheeks turned bright red as she reached for her phone.
David pointed a finger accusingly at her. “You have Spice Girls as well! And you were accusing me?” he sounded offended.
Amanda held up his hand to make him shut up, but she smiled at him. “It’s Katie..!?” She said before she answered it. “Hello, girlfriend!”
“Finally you answer, Mandy. Have you any idea how worried I’ve been. I haven’t slept…”
Amanda cut her off. “I’m alright! Calm down, I’m at my hut.”
Katie seemed to calm herself. “Good. Oh, did David find you? He went looking for you.”
Amanda rolled her eyes to David to show him that Katie was rambling on as usual. “Yes, he’s here.”
Amanda heard Katie breathe out. “Good, good. So, are you coming home soon?”
“Yes, Katie we’ll be back tomorrow, if the weather clears up. I have to change the tire on his car, and I won’t do that in this bloody storm.”
“No, I get that. I was just worried…” Katie started.
“I’m all right, Katie. But thanks for caring though.” She smiled broadly.
“Tell her I said hi.” David whispered.
“And David says “Hi!”.” Amanda added.
Katie laughed. “Of course he did! Tell him “Hi!” back.”
Amanda whispered to David. “She says “Hi” back.”
David lit up and Amanda giggled a bit to herself.
“So, when are you coming home then?” Katie asked impatiently. Amanda thought she could almost hear Katie’s foot tapping on the floor.
“I told you; tomorrow.”
“Yes, but when tomorrow?”
Amanda shrugged and looked at David. “I don’t know, when we get up and get the car going…”
“OK.” Katie answered in a bright tone. “But would you hurry up, I have some very exciting news I’m dying to tell you!!”
Amanda could almost hear her smile. “What news?”
“Nope, I can’t tell you on the phone. I need you all together.”
Amanda got a curious look from David and shrugged to show him she didn’t know.
“Ah, OK, we’ll hurry then…”
Katie sighed happily on the other line. “Good, good. Well, I gotta go. Lucas is waiting.”
Amanda smiled again. “Alright, have fun! Love you.”
“Love you, too. Bye.”
Amanda put the phone on the table.
“So, what did she want?” David looked curiously at her.
Amanda shook her head as she looked at him. “God knows. All she kept talking about was that she had a surprise for us when we get back.” She slapped her hands over her mouth as she realized something.
“What?!” David asked.
Amanda was so excited she almost jumped up and down on the chair. “I bet they’re engaged!!”
David didn’t look as excited as her, so she calmed down fast. “Don’t you?”
David looked as if he wasn’t convinced. “Nah, I think Lucas is too much of a chicken for that…”
“No – no,” Amanda interrupted him, “they’ve been together for a while now haven’t they? Yes, yes…” she was nodding to herself while she rubbed her hands together, “perfect timing.”
David shook his head and smiled at her.
“What?” Amanda asked, when she came back from her own world.
“What is it with you girls and weddings?”
Amanda smiled. “I honestly don’t know what you mean…”
