Convincing Amy (Amy, #1)

Chapter 26: Reality

Chapter Twenty-Six 
REALITY

Amy hurt beyond any measure known to her. She'd never felt so weak, so vulnerable, so broken. Her chest was constricting, making it hard for her to breathe. Her legs were numb, her head was heavy and her emotions were running wild. She couldn't move, her heart was weeping and all she wanted to do was take back everything she'd ever done in America at Yale and be back with her family in Melbourne. It would be easier for her that way; she wouldn't have to be fighting the emotional battle now raging inside of her.

"What do think's happened?" Amy heard Pippa whisper to someone in the kitchen.

Amy opened her drousy eyes to find that she was lying in her bed, under the warmth of the covers. The bedroom was dark and silent with no movement but Amy's heaving chest. The door to the kitchen area was slightly ajar, allowing in a strong beam of morning sun across the blue carpet.

Nick replied to Pippa's question, just as quiet as she had been. "I haven't the slightest. Wasn't she meant to be at Matt's last night?"

"I think so," whispered Pippa, sipping a hot beverage. "That's what she told me, anyway. She said she was meeting his family. Maybe Matt knows what's up. I should call him, find out what on earth's going on."

"Check if she's awake first, Pippa," Nick told her.

Pippa heaved a sigh. The couch's springs moved a little and then there were footsteps coming closer and closer to the bedroom door, making shadows in the light beam. Amy lay down further into the mattress to make it look like she'd just woken up. She made it look like she was yawning and rubbing her eyes as Pippa walked into the room slowly.

"Amy?" she said, still whispering.

Amy lifted her head to look at Pippa, playing the lie. "Hmm?" Amy mumbled convincingly.

Pippa rushed over to Amy's side, sitting down on the edge of her mattress. She lay a cool hand across Amy's heated cheek. "What happened? Are you okay? Nick woke up during the night to get a drink and he saw you collapsed on the floor. We thought you were dead, Amy. You weren't responding at all. Nick felt your pulse though, and he moved you in here." She paused. "What happened?"

Amy opened her mouth and closed it again, unsure what to say exactly. Did she tell Pippa what really happened - that would be a long, tiring explanation which involved mentioning TJ - or she could lie, and say she was overwhelmed with meeting the Hamiltons, which wasn't entirely a lie.

"It's nothing. I'm fine," she compromised. She looked away from Pippa's curious gaze and made a move to fall back asleep.

"Amy, you're not fine!" Pippa argued, moving to meet Amy's eyes again. "Something happened to you last night. I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's happened. I'm not going to let you tear yourself up over something."

Amy saw persistance in Pippa's eyes and knew that she wasn't going to get out of this. She was just about to open her mouth to speak when Nick emerged in the doorway. Amy averted her eyes away from Pippa to Nick. Pippa looked in the same direction curiously. She stood up quickly and met him in the doorway.

"Out, Nick. Amy and I are talking. G-"

"Pip, calm down," Nick reasoned. "I'm only bringing Amy some tea."

Pippa took the mug from Nick's hands and slammed the bedroom door closed in his face.

"Love you too," Nick called through the wood, softening Pippa's expression.

Amy wiped away a lone tear so that Pippa couldn't see. She placed the mug of tea on the bedside table and sat on the edge of Amy's mattress, looking at her with intense curiousity. Amy sighed. She'd have much rather explained things to Nick instead of Pippa. Pippa was too much of a gossip to tell deep secrets to, unlike Nick, who would take your secret to the grave with him, no matter how small that secret was.