Change of Heart - By S.E. Edwards Page 0,51

long you’ve known him?”

“Less than a week,” I say without thinking. Immediately, I regret my words.

“A week?” Amanda says with exaggerated nonchalance. “Wow. Richard must really like you to bring you to see his ex so soon.”

“I don’t know about that…”

“I was the first to bed him, you know,” Amanda continues casually over me. “He’ll never look at another woman the way he does at me. I broke his heart, though, poor boy. I don’t think he’s ever recovered.” She yawns and stretches her arms wide over her head. “When he told me he needed a place to stay, I knew what it would do to him to be around me. I almost refused, for his sake, but he sounded so desperate…” she clicks her jaw shut. “Well. Never mind all that. I’m going to bed. I suggest you do the same.” She gives me a predatory smile. “Sweet dreams.”

***

I stay in the room and sip at my cold chamomile for a few minutes after Amanda leaves. What she had told me doesn’t jive with what Rich had said. Obviously, one of them was lying. And although Rich had lied to me before, my bet is that this time, it was Amanda.

Is she really so insecure as to be threatened by me? She put on a brave front, but the minute our conversation turned to Rich, she became petty and spiteful.

I sigh and stand up, turning off the light. I thought Amanda’s efforts to reconcile things between us had been genuine, but now, I’m not so sure.

Chapter Ten

The next day, I wake up just before noon. A dull rain beats against the bedroom window. The sky is overcast, making for a dreary morning.

I leave the bedroom and walk to the kitchen. I can smell hash browns and eggs in the air. But what I really want, and what drives me out of my room without so much as a glance in the mirror, is the promise of freshly-brewed, strong black coffee.

I find Amanda by the sink, doing the dishes. Mel is lying at her feet. The dog sees me, gets up, and trots over to get a pat on the head.

“We missed you at breakfast,” Amanda comments cheerily. “Richard didn’t want to wake you, so we left some food on the table.” She looks over her shoulder at me. “You can use the microwave to warm it up if you want.”

“Thanks,” I say, picking up the plate. “Where’s Rich?”

“He said he had to run some errands in town.” Amanda shrugs. “He’ll be back soon.”

I wonder what his “errands” really entail. The microwave beeps and I take my food out. Mel trots up to me at the table, and I sneak her a little bit of sausage when Amanda’s not looking. She gobbles it happily.

“Oh, Richard told me how you two met, by the way,” Amanda mentions over the sound of running water.

I look at her and perk an eyebrow. “Did he?”

“Yeah. He told me the whole thing. You were with friends at some club. Barley’s or something.”

“Barren,” I correct.

Amanda snaps her fingers. “That’s it! Barren. He said you just broke up with your boyfriend and were looking for a rebound.” She gives me an even look. “I don’t blame you. Richard said he seduced you quite easily.”

“Oh.”

Amanda laughs. “That was the big secret, wasn’t it? I can’t believe you didn’t just tell me.” She wipes her hands on a towel and sits down across from me. “Richard said when your boyfriend found out you left with him, he became so enraged he went to your apartment and destroyed all your stuff. You were afraid to stay there the next day in case he came back, so Rich offered to take care of you. You wanted to get away, so he brought you here.” Amanda tilts her head to the side. “That about right?”

I nod. “Something along those lines.” So Rich had told Amanda about where we’d met. But he’d also made up everything else to hide the truth of what happened after. It meant he didn’t want to involve Amanda in his secrets.

“You should have just told me,” Amanda says, touching my arm. “There’s no shame in hiding from a vengeful ex. Especially when he sounds as out of control as Richard made him seem.”

“I don’t have the best luck picking boyfriends,” I admit, playing along.

“And you’re not the first to fall for Richard’s charms.” She offers a significant look. “I should know.”

“So then, you guys were together for a