Page 38 of Meant for Me
Zoey took a deep breath and released it, along with her annoyance at Linc. He was doing the best he could—they all were. “Maybe you could just give your dad a break?”
Amelia snapped her head to look at Zoey. “He’s not my dad. He’s just a guy I don’t know who gets to boss me around now.”
“I can see how it feels that way, but…” Zoey tucked her hair behind her ears. “He would have been there for you sooner, had he known.”
“Easy for you to say.” Amelia huffed.
“Amelia, trust me on this one.” Zoey touched her arm, stopped walking. “Maybe you don’t know him yet, but I do.” Better than anyone—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Unfortunately, Linc was showing the bad right now.
They were all overwhelmed.
“Why should I trust you?” Amelia crossed her arms, lifted her narrow chin.
Zoey resumed walking, slower this time. Was any of this even her place? And yet, how could she not try to help? “Because I haven’t ever lied to you or betrayed you. Because I want to be here for you.”
“For now.” She rolled her eyes.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve seen how this goes.” Amelia hurried to keep up. “You’re temporary. Just another live-in until the next shinier woman catches his atten?—”
“Look.” Zoey abruptly stopped again, turned to face her. “I don’t know what you experienced with your mom and her relationships, but this is different. It has nothing to do with beingshiny.”
Had Kirsten been shiny?
The errant thought ricocheted in Zoey’s chest, lodged a little. She tried to shake it off. Jealousy was a wasted emotion, and besides—Linc wasn’t hers.
Not like that.
“I’m not an idiot.” Amelia jabbed her finger into her chest. “I know how the world works, and I know how men and women work. So I know at some point”—she fluttered her fingers in a sarcasticbye—“you’re out.”
Zoey opened her mouth, then slowly closed it. How could she argue with such a fair assumption? She and Linc knew the truth between them, knew the innocence of their friendship and the circumstances surrounding their decision for Zoey to stay at his house. But Amelia…all she saw were facts filtered through a very jaded lens.
A lens she shouldn’t have ever been forced to wear.
Amelia studied her from the corner of her eye, sniffed. “How old are you, anyway?”
“Almost twenty-nine.”
She squinted, as if doing the math. “You’re not even old enough to be my parent.”
Ha. “Good thing I’m not, then, huh? Why don’t I just be your friend?” Hope waved a flag. Maybe this could be a breakthrough moment. A tiny step toward bond?—
Amelia shook her head. “You’re way too old for that.”
Ouch. Okay. “Well, what about a cool aunt?” Zoey struck a pose, both hands by her face in an old-fashionedVoguepose—realizing too late that was the exact opposite move that a cool aunt would make.
“You can’t be.” Amelia scowled. “You’re not related to my mom or dad.”
So now she was getting technical. Zoey lowered her arms back to her sides. “What do you want me to be, then?”
“Probably won’t be around long enough to matter.”
Ouch again.
“Look, I know my mom isn’t perfect, but I knew what to expect. And I knew how to take care of myself. I made myself breakfast, got to school on time, even made some B’s.” A warm breeze ruffled the teen’s dark hair, the exact shade of Linc’s, and her brown eyes watered. “Now I’m just starting all over doing the same stupid thing, but with different people in a different town.”
Man. That was a lot. Just the thought of this young girl having to parent herself every morning—and having apparently done a decent job at it—made Zoey’s heart ache. Attitude or not, Amelia needed help. Needed her.
