Page 34 of Healing of the Heart

Mom: Did she say she was her girlfriend?

Amory: She said they were sleeping together in the US

Mom: Call me

Amory calls her mom.

Her mom answers immediately. “Tell me everything,” she says, so Amory does.

“Look, baby,” her mom says, “I’m not going to tell you that Blake doesn’t have a secret girlfriend, because I suppose it’s possible that she does, but it sounds like you’re thinking with a lot of anger right now and not your head.”

“I don’t know what else to think,” Amory says, “Blake told me they were sleeping together.”

“But they’re not right now,” Kara says. “I don’t know, it just seems like something is off, like there’s more than you know in this situation. Like if she was trying to cheat, why would she tell you about it?”

“I don’t know,” Amory says, “guilt?”

“It doesn’t sound like that, honey,” Kara says, “I think you two should sit down and talk about what’s going on.”

“I don’t think I can right now,” Amory says.

Kara sighs, but she doesn’t try to convince her further. She doesn’t really know what to say to her daughter or how to comfort her. “Just take care of yourself, okay?”

“Okay, Mom,” Amory says, and she does feel a little calmer at talking to her mom. Maybe she is ready to talk to Blake.

However, when Amory walks into the cabin, her fury is reunited at seeing that there is food on the table.

“I made food,” Blake says.

“I can see that,” Amory retorts. She was outside for who knows how long, and all Blake could do is make food? It all just seems so heartless to Amory.

“There’s some for you on the plate where you normally sit,” Blake says.

“I’m not hungry,” Amory says, and Blake frowns. Good, Amory thinks, let her be upset. At least it’s over something as stupid as food, not someone lying to you and sleeping with you when they have someone waiting for them back home.

Amory goes over to the bed and takes off the cover and the pillow that she used on her first night here.

“What are you doing?” Blake asks.

“I’m not sleeping with you again,” Amory states, “I’ll stick to the floor.”

“Can’t we just talk about this?”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Amory says.

“I think there is,” Blake says.

“Well I don’t care what you think,” Amory shoots back.

“It’s not what you think,” Blake says.

“Why don’t you just shut up?” Amory asks. She arranges the blanket and pillow onto the floor.

“I’m not going to shut up,” Blake says, “you’re upset and I care about you.”

That sets Amory off. “You have no right to care about me!” she yells at Blake, ignoring her hurt expression. “So why don’t you just shut the fuck up and leave me alone? You got what you wanted from me and now it’s over.”

Blake doesn’t respond, she just stands there, stunned. She then mumbles something under her breath, but it’s so quiet that Amory can’t hear her, and right now she doesn’t care.

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