Read Online Small Town Secret: Mayfield Springs Book 1 by Carrie Curtis - Free Book Online

interested in anything long-term with me. I had known that from the outset, but since last night a tiny piece of me had hoped that wouldn't be the case. I felt like crying as any dreams I'd had since the previous night of a reconciliation evaporated.  
    "And next month we're shooting in Australia, so I've got a long few weeks ahead of me making sure that everything we need to shoot here is finished before we head to Oz."
    "Yeah, sure. Of course," I said, acting as if talking about blockbuster movie schedules was the most normal thing in the world.  
    "So how's work with you?" Chris asked.  
    The question seemed almost like an insult as if he wasn't really interested in me and was just making polite conversation. Why did Chris ask me that? He knew how terrible it was working in the diner. He saw me in there last night, didn't he?
    "It's ok," I said as I fiddled with my napkin. "Actually," I turned to him. "That's a lie. It's terrible;   just really, really crap. It pays minimum wage, and I have to work my ass off just to be able to cover the basics for Bella and me." My voice rose in volume as I spoke and I noticed the girls at the other end of the table listening to me. I didn't care what they thought anymore; I was sure they thought I was a loser country bumpkin anyway, so I didn't stop talking. I just spoke louder.  
    "Yeah, that's right. Some of us have to work for a living. We can't just go to fancy parties and expect to have the world handed to us."
    They exchanged pained looks between themselves as if I was a lunatic.  
    "Amy," Chris interrupted. "It's ok; you don't have to talk about work. We can talk about anything else. How's Bella? What's her favorite show on TV?"
    "No," I said throwing my napkin on the table. "I want to talk about it. I work until late at night, six days a week and my sixty-year-old mom babysits for me. In fact, tonight and tomorrow night are the only nights I've had off for ages, and I had to get down and beg for those nights off. And I could only get them off on the condition that I pull a double shift next week. I get talked to like shit from just about every customer. If they're not rude, they're trying to get me into bed. But the worst thing about it is that Bella thinks I'm staying away from her on purpose. She doesn't understand that I work so many hours because I need to pay to look after her."   I dropped my face into my hands and broke out into sobs.
    Chris leaned over and put his arm around me. "Amy," he whispered gently. "Maybe we should go outside for a moment. I think you might have had a little too much to drink."
    I raised my tear-streaked face and looked at him angrily. "Don't you tell me what to do, Chris Taylor. You have no right to cast any judgment on my life."  
    "I'm afraid," I stood up and grabbed my things, "that I'm going to go home now. Goodnight. You've all been just awful," I slurred. "See you at the wedding," I said as I stormed out.  
    I could hear Chris chasing behind me. As I reached the front steps, I felt his hands on my shoulders. I shrugged them off angrily.  
    "Amy, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I was just looking out for you that's all. I know that your life is incredibly hard, and I shouldn't have asked you about it."
    I flinched and pulled myself away.
    "I'm fine. Just going home," I said, as I fished for my keys in my handbag.  
    "Whoah, there's no way you're driving home," said Chris, trying to grab the keys out of my hand.  
    "What the hell are you doing?" I asked belligerently.
    "I'm trying to make sure you don't crash on the way home. You've had a bit too much wine to get behind the wheel of a car," he replied seriously.  
    "Fine," I said, knowing that he was right and hating that I had to agree with him.  
    "Let's walk then," I said heading off down the steps and across the car park.  

CHAPTER 11

    CHRIS

    Amy walked ahead of me down the road, her stride showing that she was still furious with me, with the world, with