Chapter Ten #2
The screen stayed blank for more than a minute. Maybe she shouldn’t have put Imogen on the spot like that. When Imogen did eventually begin to type, it was stop start, stop start. Like she was trying to think of what to say. Then her reply came through.
I was thinking that if you were in an action film being all tough, beating up a load of bad guys, wearing the kind of attire female action figures usually wear, then your fanbase would probably lose their minds.
Amelia let out a small squeal and threw herself back onto the bed, kicking her legs in the air. That reply was the equivalent to your crush admitting that they thought you were cute. Which was something she never thought she would get from Imogen again.
Would you?
Amelia pressed send before she could think better of it. She wanted to be respectful and all, but if there was any hope of Imogen still being open to the idea of them having any sort of relationship that went beyond friendship, then Amelia wanted to explore it.
Amy…it feels like you’re flirting…
What was that tone? Good or bad? See, this was why Amelia was not a fan of texting. How was she meant to know if Imogen was amused or annoyed? She stared at the message again trying to decipher it. Imogen wasn’t telling Amelia not to flirt, was she?
I am.
There. Being upfront and honest with her intentions seemed like a good way to go. She held her breath while she waited for Imogen’s response. She even grabbed onto one of her six pillows to hug because she needed something. Amelia practically chucked it away when it came.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t flirt with my friends.
Again, with the confusion. Was Imogen condemning the flirting or entertaining it? Amelia was pretty sure that if Imogen really wanted her to stop, she’d say so. Hoping she wasn’t reading the situation completely wrong, Amelia kept going.
Me either. It’s something I’m trying.
“Because you are so much more than my friend,” Amelia said quietly to herself.
You’re impossible.
Amelia laughed because that message was the equivalent of Imogen backing down. Imogen smiled when she wrote it, Amelia just knew it. This was her opening…
I want to see you. Do you think we could hang out soon?
The truth was, Amelia missed Imogen terribly.
It felt like torture knowing that she was so close, yet somehow completely out of reach because everything between them had become awkward and complicated.
Amelia would take whatever version of Imogen she could get at this point—even if it was only friendship—because the idea of losing her completely felt far worse.
That was how important Imogen had become to her in such a short space of time.
It was why Amelia had refused to walk out of the Wishing Well that day without a fight.
People like Imogen didn’t come along very often, and when they did, you held onto them.
As friends?
Amelia wrinkled her nose at Imogen reintroducing the boundary. She was really beginning to hate that word friend. Alas, it was her reality now and she needed to accept it. She probably needed to put a lid on the flirting too. A damn shame.
Yes.
She reluctantly pressed send. But this was what Imogen needed from her right now, and possibly forever. The small piece of hope that lingered inside Amelia would have to stay there for now, locked away, unless something drastically changed.
After a couple of minutes with no reply, Amelia figured Imogen was probably nervous about seeing her after everything that had happened and now that she knew who Amelia really was. She quickly sent off another text to try to put Imogen’s mind at ease.
Somewhere private too—where we know there’s no chance of photos or anything. Nothing for you to worry about. Just a low-key—she almost typed date—hang out. You can come here to the hotel, or I can come to you. We can meet somewhere. Whatever you want.
Amelia hid behind her pillow as she waited for Imogen’s response.
“You’ve been staring at that same message for at least five minutes now without typing anything,” Niamh said as she sidled up beside Imogen. “Everything okay?”
“Yep.” When Niamh looked at her like she didn’t buy it, Imogen sighed. Her friends were masters at seeing through her. “It’s Amy. She wants to meet.”
“Ah. I suspected it might be Amy-related.” Niamh tilted her head to the side. “Do I call her Amy now too? Feels a bit wild.”
Imogen let out a soft laugh. “I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.” Sometimes she forgot that Niamh was just as fascinated by the whole Amelia Whitlock thing as Piper was. She was just a lot more subtle about it most of the time.
Niamh smiled. “So, she wants to meet. What do you want?” she asked kindly.
Imogen glanced around to make sure none of the customers were close enough to overhear them.
She was also kind of relieved that Piper was currently across the room clearing tables.
She loved Piper and all of her gusto and enthusiasm, but sometimes it was Niamh’s calm and steady ear that Imogen needed, and this was one of those times.
“I’m dying to see her, and I hate it,” Imogen said. It was the first time she’d come out and said so, even to herself.
“Why do you hate it?” Niamh looked at her with compassion, and that did it.
Imogen let go of everything she had been holding in.
“Because she’s a Hollywood actress and I like her.
And I know that I shouldn’t like her because of who she is, but I do.
I can’t help it, she’s amazing. And we’re supposed to be friends now, but it’s so obvious that neither of us actually want that, yet it’s all we can be because there’s no way I can date her, and my mind is just a big cocktail of confusion right now. ”
Niamh’s eyebrows pulled together as she tried to keep up with Imogen’s train of thought. It was a lot, Imogen knew. “Okay,” she said after a few beats. “Remember when you met Amy, and you weren’t looking for anything, but you managed to keep an open mind?”
“Yeah. And look how well that worked out for me.”
Niamh thoughtfully pursed her lips and nodded. “Fair point. Scrap that. But…you know, maybe if you try hanging out as friends, it will be great.”
“Do you think so?” Imogen wasn’t so sure. She and Amy had never felt like friends. It was as if something more had always been inevitable.
“You won’t know until you try, right? And like you said, you’re dying to see her.”
“Which is precisely the problem,” Imogen said emphatically. “If I’m so keen to see her, how can I be trusted not to backtrack?”
Niamh looked at her like she was being silly.
“You’re the most responsible person I’ve ever met.
There are levels of responsibility with us.
” She held her hand down really low, below her waist. “Here’s Piper.
” She raised her hand to about eye level.
“Me.” Then she lifted her hand up above her head. “And that’s you.”
“You don’t give yourself enough credit.” Imogen indicated the pub around them. “You did all of this.”
“No,” Niamh said slowly. “We did.”
“But it’s your baby. You had the idea, made all the arrangements. Piper and I are just along for the ride.”
“Hmm. And thank God you are.” They shared a smile. “My point is, you’ll not crack unless you really want to. I’m sure you can control yourself. You’re not weak, Im.”
Maybe she was when it came to Amy. “What would we even do? It would have to be the least date-like activity ever. Like a crochet class or something.”
“Do they have those in Ballyluck?”
Imogen grinned. “Not that I know of. Maybe it could be our next venture after we retire from bar work.”
“Writing that one down for the future,” Niamh said, putting an imaginary pen to her palm. “Did Amy suggest anything?”
“Yes. Date things! My place. Her hotel. Somewhere else.”
Niamh laughed. “I don’t think she was suggesting date things. It sounds more like she was suggesting all the things. Putting the ball in your court.”
That made sense. Amy had sounded like she was trying to be accommodating in her message. “Yeah, well she was being flirtatious too.”
“Tell her to stop,” Niamh said like it was the simplest thing in the world. Imogen hesitated and Niamh picked up on it instantly. “Ah. You don’t want her to stop.”
“No, but I need her to.”
“Do you really though?” Niamh asked. “Would it really be so terrible to be with someone famous? There isn’t a woman who likes women in the world who wouldn’t want to be in your position right now. And plenty of men too, I’m sure. It’s Amelia Whitlock, Imogen.”
“Believe me, I’m only too aware.” It had been easier when Amelia Whitlock was only a name that Imogen had heard in passing every now and again.
A faceless celebrity whom she knew her friends had the hots for.
Everything had gotten so heavy and complicated since Imogen found out who Amy really was.
It almost made Imogen wish she’d kept lying.
Almost. “It wouldn’t be terrible to date Amy.
My short experience of dating Amy was marvellous.
However, it would be terrible to date Amelia Whitlock.
Because the sad fact is that there would be countless people out there in the world actively hating on me for no reason.
Spreading lies and tearing me apart, and that would be terrible, yes. ”
“Couldn’t you just ignore it, if it were to happen?”
“You mean when, because there’s always someone out there who wants to bring you down.” Imogen knew she sounded like a pessimist, but from her experience it was true.
“But they don’t know you, so fuck them. Pretend they don’t exist.”