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I moved over to the couch with her, putting an arm around her. “We can try talking to him again. He has to come around eventually.”
Ami leaned her head against my shoulder. “I guess. I just don't want him stirring up family drama. We tend to have enough family issues as it is, without adding something more on top.”
I tried to think of something to say, some way to comfort her. But I wasn't sure what to do. I was usually the kind of person who could take charge of any situation, and find a way to make things work. But when I'd tried that with Mark, it had backfired.
“Would it make things easier if I stayed home?” I asked. “That way I won't be a source of tension.”
“No. That's not fair to you. Besides, I don't want to go without you. I'd miss you.”
I kissed her forehead. I couldn't think of another solution.
“If only,” she said with a sigh, “there were some way to convince him how we really feel about each other. Let him see that this isn't just about sex.”
I nodded. “I wish he could see how much I love you.”
Ami suddenly sat up straight. Her eyes went wide.
“What?” I asked.
She smiled. “That's the first time you've said that.”
I shrugged. I hadn't even thought about it like that. It had just felt so natural to say it.
I looked her in the eyes and said it again. “Ami, I love you.”
Her face lit up. “I love you, too.”
I kissed her. And for just a moment, it seemed like all of the other troubles had gone away.
But I knew Ami was right. There had to be some way to get Mark to see how we really felt about each other.
I could only think of one way to prove my love. Not just for Mark's sake, but for me and Ami as well, to show her just how deeply I loved her, how much I needed her in my life.
I held Ami close to me, thinking it through. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed like the perfect answer.
Chapter 11
Ami
I was a bundle of nerves while Cam and I drove to my parents' house Wednesday night. It was a long drive, and we had to stop every hour or two to get out of the car, stretch our legs, and get something to eat or drink. Cam drove the whole trip; I told him I wouldn't mind taking a turn here and there, but he said he was fine. I thought maybe he was really just being possessive about his car.
I hadn't told my parents who I was bringing with me. Just that I would have “a guest,” and that they would need to set an extra plate for dinner. My mom had been texting me subtle and not-so-subtle questions all day, trying to grill me for more information about my mystery guest.
Her latest text was, “Does he have any food allergies? I'm sure you know if you've had dinner together before.”
I rolled my eyes at the text. Coming from my mom, “you've had dinner together” was code for “you've been on dates together.” She was trying to trick me into confirming for her that the guest I was bringing over was, in fact, my new boyfriend.
I wasn't ready to reveal anything over texts. I wanted there to be at least a little bit of a surprise. I texted back, “I wouldn't know, but I can ask them.” I thought I was being clever, saying “them” instead of “him,” so I wouldn't even be confirming whether my mystery guest was a guy.
“You look very pleased with yourself,” Cam said from the driver's seat. We were close to home now, and he looked a bit tired from the long drive.
“Just texting my mom,” I said.
“Is she okay with me coming?” he asked. “You've been kind of evasive about it the whole time.”
“She said she's fine with me bringing a guest,” I said.
He glanced sidelong at me. “'A guest'?”
“Yeah.” I shrugged, keeping my head down. “A guest.”
“So...you didn't tell her that it was me.”
I chewed on my lower lip. I knew Cam might be offended that I was keeping him a secret, but I needed to find the right way to bring this up. Especially since I knew my brother was already at our parents' house. If he learned that I was bringing Cam, he might start giving our parents the wrong idea. I wanted to be there to perform some damage control, before Mark painted Cam as the bad guy and ruined everything.
“Do your parents not like me?” Cam asked.
“No!” I shook my head. “No, I'm sure they love you. They never had any problem when Mark brought you over.”
“Yeah, but that was different.” Cam's grip tightened on the steering wheel. He kept staring straight ahead. “That was their son bringing home a friend, not their daughter bringing home a boyfriend. Do you know if Mark told them anything about us?”
