HARD TIMES ━ lip gallagher²

05 | you've gotten balder

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"I HAVE AN INTERVIEW at that book store I was telling you about," Silvia said as Amara moved around the kitchen, glancing over her shoulder with a brow raised. "Don't give me that look! I like reading."

"Nerd," Amara muttered, smirking once her sister chucked a ball of paper at her head. "Have you seen Margot?"

"Nah," Silvia shook her head, wiping her mouth and finished chewing at the disgusted look she'd given her. "She's been acting weird since the day Ian and Carl came racing in here. She's barely been home. And neither have you, now that I think about it."

Amara smiled in attempt to make the lie more believable. Silvia was always able to tell when she was full of shit, and she added a shrug while she spoke, too. "Just been busy."

"Doing what?"

"Y'know. Work stuff."

"I should rephrase that. I mean doing who?"

She nearly dropped the fork in her hand and looked up. Silvia was staring expectedly at her. "Fine. This guy from Patsy's."

Silvia titled her head. "Lip's cool with that?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't he be?" Amara went back to busying herself so she wouldn't slip up.

"Um, maybe because he's literally crazy about you? I mean I thought that shit was only in movies but every time he looks at you it's like he's seeing you for the first time."

Amara's throat felt dry. "Oh," was all she managed to get out. "I've got to get to work. Fiona is having me work a double, she'll be here to pick me up in a sec. Apparently Celia has like explosive diarrhea."

Silvia scrunched her nose and gestured to the bowl of cereal in front of her. "That was literally the last thing I needed to hear right now."

Amara ruffled her hair as she left. "Sorry not sorry."

She tossed her bag over her shoulder and started out the door, making her way out into the parking lot. Her eyes scanned the area, but she had yet to see Fiona. Maybe she was just running late. She pulled out her phone to text her, but immediately Amara's head snapped back up at the sound of a voice.

"I've been meaning to catch you."

Her scowl deepened. "The fuck are you doing here, Joe?"

He stood up from the hood of his car. "You've gotten taller."

"You've gotten balder."

He ran a hand over his head. "It appears you're right."

She crossed her arms. Now Margot's strange behavior suddenly made sense. "What do you want?"

"Ever since you and my bitch of a mother threw me out of my own home, it came to my realization that maybe I am the problem. It wasn't until after her funeral that I came to this conclusion."

"You're about a decade too late on realizing that," she shot back. "Skip the script you've written this time and get to the point of why you're actually here."

"I want to fix our relationship," he stepped forward, but she shook her head and he stopped. "I get why you're hesitant towards me, it's my own fault, but I'm clean one year, and I've been working on myself. I'm in anger management. I've got it all under control. No more outburst. No more... No more hitting you."

"Do you want a congratulations for being a decent human being?"

"Look just..." He trailed off hopelessly. Amara could see Fiona's car pull up from the corner of her eye. "Give me a second chance? Let's catch up over dinner. I made a reservation at Olive Garden for six o'clock. Will you be there?"