HDU by India Lee Read Free Book Online Page B

asked warily.   She had once read that when a person was
suicidal, they started giving away personal belongings.   To her embarrassment, Ian read her mind
immediately.
    “I told you I wouldn’t off myself, you nut,” he
actually laughed.  
    “You said you’d do something drastic if she became a
B-lister and now – “
    “I know,” he cut her off.   “Now I just have to get my shit together even faster than I
thought.   That’s all.”
    “Well, good, you have a plan.   No need to be upset then,” Amanda said,
trying to stay positive.   He
snorted.
    “I wouldn’t call it a plan, just a realization.   Here.”   He pushed his coffee towards her along with the cream that
he hadn’t used.   “Drink some so we
can both wake up and try to be functioning human beings.”
    Amanda shook her head.   “I don’t really drink coffee,” she said.   “And I don’t see myself functioning
anytime soon.   Megan's coming to
town tomorrow.   She’s staying till Tuesday.   I just found out this morning.”
    Ian’s eyes widened, fully green in the sunlight.   “Why?”
    “Because my life is awesome,” Amanda answered
bitterly.   “There goes my plan of
avoiding her until I’m successful.”  
    To her disappointment, Ian heaved a sigh and buried
his head in his arms.   She had
hoped that he would say something inspiring, but apparently they were both out
of hopeful words.   The feeling made
her eyes well up with tears again.   She put the sunglasses back on her face.    
    “You can still avoid her.   Stay with me at my hotel.   I’ll book you your own room.”
    Amanda shook her head.   “I can’t.   We’re
having a party for her at my house and everyone’s so excited to see her.   She makes them happy just by being her
perfect self.”   Amanda reached for
the coffee, taking a sip of it black.   For some reason, it tasted like nothing.   “I make everyone happy by being a mess.   It’s sad.”   Tears rolled down her cheeks again.   Amanda let a woeful hiccup escape her
lips even though she felt guilty for making Ian panic.   He was apparently one of those boys that
didn’t know what to do when a girl started crying.
    “Look… stop.   Here.”   He took off his grey
hoodie and handed it to her, leaving himself in a red plaid button-down.   “Put the hood over your head.   It’ll cover your face better.”
    Amanda laughed through her tears.   “It’s okay, I’ve just about embarrassed
myself to the fullest in this town.   Might as well go all the way.”
    “I don’t want you to,” Ian said, draping the garment
around her shoulders.   “There has
to be something we can do.”
    “About what?”
    “Being useless, because we’re not .   I just need to
think of what we can do and who can help us.”   Ian wrung his hands, his brow furrowed as he racked his
brain.   “My uncle is a stunt
coordinator for all the big action movies in Hollywood, but I’m not sure what
favor I could ask from him.   And I
guess he’s not really my uncle.”   Off Amanda’s confusion, he explained, “We’re family friends.   But I don’t think my parents talk to him
anymore.   Well, I wouldn’t
know.   They don’t talk to me much
either.”
    Amanda blinked, processing the information.   It was essentially all useless for
their purposes.  
    “Well… there might be something,” she felt herself
saying.   She had been dying to tell
him, but it seemed far too dangerous.
    “What?” Ian immediately asked, his eyes utterly
desperate.
    God, am I
really about to tell him this? Amanda chewed on her lips as she felt the
story about Liam Brody threatening to spill.   She tried to reason with herself.   Ian’s not in the right
mindset to handle this news.   He’ll
want to do something crazy.   Don’t
tell him, Amanda.   Just don’t.
    She told him.   Rapidly and as quietly as possible, she relayed every detail of her
exchange with Liam Brody.   It was
like a weight