Love Me Love Me (English)

34

Amelia

"Where's June?"

I had to stay late and Brian came to pick me up. He looked more even miserable than usual.

"She went home with her mom," I said, slamming the car door.

"Why are you studying at school? Can't you study at home?" My brother and his infallible instinct for sniffing out lies.

"Brian, save the third degree for your girlfriend."

I gave him a sly smile, and he started the car with a more serious expression than necessary. "What girlfriend?"

"Bravo, smartass," I quipped, adjusting my skirt on my knees. But then I remembered that Brian was never a smartass. "You're joking, right?" I asked whirling around.

"No. We broke up."

"What?! Are you serious?"

It seemed absurd to even ask him because Brian never joked around, especially not about Ari.

"No. She said she wasn't sure how she felt about me."

After two years, my best friend dumped my brother and didn't even tell me?

"When did she dump you?"

"A half hour ago," he answered tensely.

"You and she . . . oh my god! How'd you take it? How are you?" I put my hand on his shoulder.

Brian contorted a side of his mouth into a sad grimace. "How should I be? I feel like shit."

"I'm sorry. So it isn't like all the other times? Maybe she's indecisive, and—" Ari was like that. She swung like a pendulum, and we never knew where she would end up. One day she was an animal-rights activist and the next day she'd be eating meat like she couldn't live without it.

"She was convinced. She said she was sure of herself this time. Did she tell you anything?"

"No. I had no idea." I bit a hangnail off my pinkie. What if Taylor had been telling the truth in the bathroom? James was such a piece of work that I'd expect him to do anything. I could've killed him with my bare hands.

"She wants time to herself? I think she's just stressed because her dad's on her butt because she got a B."

"No. She said she isn't sure she loves me, Amelia. I don't know what else there is to discuss."

Hearing his devastated tone made me want to grab James by the balls and crush them.

I was so sorry for Brian. But I wouldn't give up. Ari couldn't dump my brother. Not like that out of nowhere.paused to think, and Brian immediately became paranoid.

"Is there someone else? There isn't someone else, is there? Tell me the truth," he demanded coldly.

"Not that I know of. She didn't mention anyone to me," I murmured, putting my head on his shoulder.

"Okay, let's talk about something else." He groaned, irritated.

"Nothing from dad?" I asked, already disappointed.

The thought of my dad's disappearance tortured me every night. But now, another thought plagued me. If Ari was cheating on my brother, I would find out if it was the last thing I did.