Free Again (Time for Love Book 3) by Miranda P. Charles

to someone else?”
    Amanda's lips started to tug into a smile as tension left her body. She hadn’t paid attention to that particular fact before—that Connor had asked her out after she’d told him about her resolution with her best friends. She’d been quick to believe that she’d been cast aside yet again.
    But now that Connor had mentioned it, it was hard not to see that very important detail. It supported Connor’s version of events. He must be telling the truth.
    “I can’t believe I spent a whole month hating your guts for believing you tried to pimp me to you friend,” she murmured.
    Connor’s eyes widened. “Tried to pimp you? Wow, no wonder you hated me. Well, I spent a whole month thinking you were like your cousin Lori and her friends.”
    Amanda chuckled dryly. “I’ve already guessed that was exactly what you thought of me. And I hated you even more for thinking that.”
    “I’m so sorry, Amanda,” Connor said contritely, his countenance sincere.
    “I’m sorry, too,” she said with an apologetic smile.
    “You know, we could have avoided all this if I had your phone number. On that note,” Connor said, fishing his phone from his pocket, “may I please have it?”
    “Why? You plan to call me?” she asked lightly, thrilled.
    “I plan to take you out to dinner, Amanda. After what you went through, that’s the least I could do.”
    Ooh, she’d like that too. She was giving him her number just as her phone rang. It was Ash. She got up to answer the call, looking out her window.
    “Just checking that you’re home already,” Ash said.
    “Yeah, I am. Where are you now?”
    “I just dropped Gemma off.”
    “That’s good.”
    “Are you okay?”
    Amanda frowned. “Yeah. Why?”
    “Just making sure.”
    “Shouldn’t I be?”
    “You slept with Connor in Melbourne, didn’t you? And it was because of him that you got so pissed off that you glugged wine like water at the party?”
    Amanda gasped. Did the girls tell Ash?
    “Bren and Gemma were very worried that I let you ride with Connor. I put two and two together,” Ash said.
    Amanda heard the beeping tone of an incoming call. “Someone’s trying to call me,” she said.
    Ash snickered. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s one of the girls. Why didn’t you tell me, Amanda? There I was being all friendly with the idiot. What’s he done to you?”
    “He’s not an idiot, Ash,” she censured lightly. “How can you say that about your new friend?”
    “He’s not my friend if he’s done something unthinkable to my sister,” Ash said self-righteously.
    She laughed. “Oh, Ash. I love you. You’re so funny. But stop treating me like I’m thirteen! And you can remain friends with Connor. You have nothing to worry about.”
    “Oh. So it wasn’t Connor?”
    “So you really thought I had sex with someone in Melbourne?”
    “I don’t know anymore, Amanda,” he said with exasperation. “Why don’t you just tell me about it?”
    “Why do you keep being so nosy?”
    She heard his big sigh. “Because I hate it when you come crying to me with a broken heart.”
    “Okay. So I’ll take you off the list. I’ll just run to the girls next time.”
    “That’s not what I mean! I mean I hate it when you get hurt—”
    “I know what you mean, darling. I’m just kidding.”
    “But you’re not gonna tell me, are you?”
    “Ash, even if I had a one-night stand with someone somewhere, why would I want to report it to you? That’s just... eww.”
    “Okay, fine,” Ash said resignedly. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
    “You’re coming here?” she asked in surprise, glancing at Connor. He was watching her with an amused look on his face.
    “Yup.”
    “You don’t have to, Ash.”
    “Yes, I do. Your overnight bag’s in my car. We both forgot about it.”
    “Oh, yeah. But I don’t think there’s anything there that I’d need for the next few days. Just bring it over to Mum’s the next time we have dinner with