He cuts the engine and we sit there in awkward silence for a moment. The world feels like it’s spinning. I definitely shouldn’t have had that last shot of tequila. Or that first shot of tequila. Or any of the beer, come to think of it.

“So why didn’t you tell me you have a girlfriend?” I finally blurt out.

Nick looks startled. “Kallie?” he asks. “She’s not my girlfriend.”

“Whatever.” I snort. “Todd said you’ve been dating for six months. And Kallie herself told me she’s your girlfriend. Don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not,” Nick says, shaking his head.

“I hate liars,” I mumble. I cross my arms over my chest angrily. Or at least I try to. But somehow, my limbs are a little off, and I wind up whacking myself in the chest with my left hand instead. Nick looks like he’s about to say something; then he just sighs.

“Look, Amanda,” he says. “You’re drunk. Let’s say we talk about this tomorrow.”

“Don’t bother,” I say. I struggle out of the car, stumbling a bit as I go but trying my best to maintain my balance. I slam the door behind me. “Everyone always betrays me anyhow,” I say through the open window. Nick’s eyebrows rise in apparent surprise. “I should have figured this would happen.”

I march over to my door and fumble with the key for a moment before the door opens. Despite everything, I’m still hoping that Nick will come after me, tell me I’m wrong and try to explain.

But instead, he just flashes his headlights at me once and drives away.

Chapter 15

It’s like a first kiss every time
A first touch every time
With you . . . . ooh, ooh, ooh.
With you.

—“LIKE A FIRST KISS,” STAR BECK
ALBUM: SECRETS OF A STAR

Chapter 15

I hate beer. And tequila.

I come to this conclusion the next morning. Or maybe one of the three times during the night that I have to drag myself out of bed to throw up.

But I’m pretty sure the hatred is fully in place when I finally wake up to the alarm clock at nine-thirty a.m. and realize that my head is throbbing so painfully I can’t even see the alarm clock to shut it off.

“I. Am. Never. Drinking. Again,” I moan into my pillow. All I can think about is getting some aspirin and drinking a gallon of water. I feel like I’ve been run over by a train.

No, being run over by a train would probably hurt less.

I take three aspirin and drink cup after cup of Star Light tap water. Then I sit back down on the bed. I have forty-five minutes before I have to be at D’Angelo’s for the lunch shift.

I’m hoping Nick won’t be there.