Page 67 of Face Me Off

“I’ll tell him over Thanksgiving,” She murmurs, more to herself than to me. “Clear the air on … well, everything.”

“You deserve clarity, Amanda. Don’t let this linger,” I say, nodding.

“Don’t worry about me.” She lifts the letter and gives it a shake. “Everything’s falling in place for me.”

The torn look on her face deepens my guilt. I feel like I’m living a double life.

“And what about you?” Amanda nudges back, but her smile fades to one of concern. “Is everything falling in place for you?”

“Of course!” I blurt out, with a laugh that sounds too high and false even to my ears. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“You’ve been acting strange lately, Maddy.” Amanda bites her lip as she studies me. “You’ve been distant and … distracted. And you’re always rushing off somewhere or other.”

“I have?” I try to sound surprised but even I’m not convinced.

“Yes, you have.” She sets the letter on the coffee table, leaning in closer. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” I say a little too quickly. But then I add, “Just stressed about telling the parents about switching my majors.”

“They’re not going to like it, but you need to stay true to yourself.”

“Yeah, I know,” I reply, picking at a loose thread on my leggings. “It’s just … it’s easier said than done.”

“I get it,” she says softly. “But you’re the one who has to live your life, Maddy. Not them.”

“You’re right. That’s why I’m doing it.” I look toward my bedroom, suddenly feeling inspired. “I’m going to work on my art collection.”

“Good. I can’t wait to see the final pieces.” She flashes me a genuine smile before returning to her study schedule.

I push to my feet, exhaling slowly, and try to ignore the guilt burrowing deeper inside me. I hate lying to Amanda. She’s my best friend, and keeping such a big secret from her feels wrong.

But what choice do I have? She can only know about Ryan and me once we learn how to handle our families.

And besides, Amanda has enough on her plate right now with her internship offer and whatever is going on between her and Blake. I just hope she doesn’t leave hating me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

RYAN

The water lapsaround our ankles as we stroll along the beach, hand in hand. My heart is full. One of my best abilities is to compartmentalize, and when I’m with Maddy, I’m free to do that. She makes it so easy to forget about Dad’s financial troubles, the impending lawsuit, and the fact that her dad will never approve of me. Though, she still doesn’t know what her dad said to me in high school.

“I needed this walk after that meal.” Maddy’s statement breaks my thoughts.

I took Maddy to a secluded place in Malibu. It’s a hole in the wall that serves home-cooked meals. It’s a place her dad and none of their friends would visit.

“It’s a pretty cool restaurant, isn’t it?”

“It is. How did you ever find it?”

“I’ve got skills.”

“You sure do.” There’s a slight tease in her voice that is bogged down with an underlying sadness.

“It feels good to just get away from the grind of everything, you know?”

“It does.” Those green eyes turned toward me. “And I happen to like spending time with you.”

I like this new version of Maddy. I mean, I always enjoy being with her, but there’s just something different about her. She’s more open, maybe? Perhaps making us official made it so we don’t hold back anymore.

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