HDU (39 page)

Amanda groaned.
 
Her phone buzzed on the table outside, which meant that she
had to get up.
 
Liam was supposed
to contact her about signing the new contract today, but she had a good
suspicion that the text wasn’t from him.
 
She rolled out of bed and plodded out to the sitting room, grabbing her
phone from the table and flipping it open.
 
Of course the text was from Casey.
 
Amanda looked up at the ceiling with exasperation.
 
She could feel it jeering at her
already.
 

You little
heartbreaker, he’s so depressed he’s binge eating! Don’t blame me… I didn’t
MAKE you stay in that bathroom forever ;-)

It wasn’t untrue.
 
Amanda ground her teeth.
 
Casey was so good at irking her.
 
She braced herself for more irritation as she scrolled down
the text to look at the picture attached.
 
Her eyes squinted.
 
It was a
photo off some gossip site, and it was of Liam from a night ago, following the
after party.
 
Amanda quickly
brought the phone close to her face.
 
He appeared to be sitting in some gutted diner, eating a
burger.
 
And there was someone
across from him.
 
An ex, perhaps?

In a flash, she opened up her laptop to search for
clearer pictures and perhaps an article of explanation.
 
It didn’t take long to find one.

LIAM GRABS A BITE (OR TWO) WITH CONNOR SCHAFFER!

Celeb-o-Matic

February
11

Following
an eventful night at the Critics’ Choice after party, Liam Brody grabbed some
grub and bro time at famous hot dog joint, Pink’s! Joined by best friend and
screenwriter, Connor Schaffer, Brody chowed down on burgers, dogs and fries
until 3AM.
 
Perhaps he worked up an
appetite nearly brawling with Ian Marsh because after the greasy feast, Brody
hopped over to Canter’s Deli for another few hours of noshing! According to witnesses,
the handsome hunk spent his meal chatting away while Schaffer listened and seemed
to dole out the occasional bit of advice.

“Liam was
calm, but it looked like he was getting something off his chest,” one witness
said.
 
“Everyone thought he’d still
be mad from the fight with Ian Marsh, but he seemed more bummed out than
anything.”

Perhaps
Brody regretted upsetting girlfriend Amanda Nathan by provoking a fight with
her friend (though it was in her defense!).
 
Guests of the after party say that following the
altercation, Nathan was distraught and fled for the bathroom.
 
No worries though, we’re told a
concerned Casey Mulreed soon followed to offer support for her friend.
 
Awww!

Though the last line made her eyes roll, Amanda laughed.
 
Liam had been hanging out with
Connor.
 
They’d been simply pigging
out till 5AM.
 
It was kind of
gross, but more relieving.
 
He
hadn’t been off banging some girl.
 
Not that I should care
, Amanda
told herself, though half-heartedly.
 
She
did
care.
 
It was stupid to try and deny at this
point.
 
She had feelings for Liam,
and they had been there for weeks.
 
She stood frozen in the middle of the room as she tried to come to terms
with the realization.

Right on time, her phone buzzed with another
text.
 
It was Liam.

Will be done by
6 – I’ll be by around then
.

Amanda breathed a hard sigh of relief.
 
She had momentarily doubted he’d see
her ever again following all the drama.
 
After happily replying, Amanda flew into the bedroom to get made up and
changed.
 
By the time Liam’s
footsteps sounded in the hallway, she was ready and waiting for him in a
crocheted bolero top and light wash blue jeans, hoping that her particularly sweet
get-up would defrost him upon sight, in case he planned on greeting her with
the same stiff tone he’d left her with.
 
But her plan backfired before it could even start.
 
Rather than barge right in, Liam knocked.

“Really?” Amanda exhaled under her breath as she made
her way over to open the door for him.
 
She cracked it open just a bit, peering out at him in his gray sweater,
his peacoat draped over his arm.
 
He looked so handsome but so serious.
 
“You knock now?” she asked.

He ignored her question, stoic.
 
“Can I come in?”

Amanda let him in with an inward groan, watching him walk
right past her and toss his jacket onto the couch.
 
However when he turned around to face her, he stood still
for a moment, softening as he took her in.
 
She inched closer to him as his eyes traveled from her lightly
glossed pink lips to her bolero top.
 
He reached out to touch the crochet, right below where it tied with a
ribbon.

“You look nice,” he said.

“Thank you,” she breathed.
 
Her smile quivered as she watched him withdraw his hand from
her to rub the back of his neck.
 
He looked downward, solemn again.
 
“Liam,” Amanda started with a sigh.
 
“Before we get to the contract, please… just let me give a
real apology for what happened with Ian.”

He shook his head, but when she groaned in
frustration, he pulled her to him by the waist.
 
“I mean you don’t have to apologize because you didn’t do
anything wrong,” Liam said, looking her in the eye.
 
He let go of her once she appeared to relax.
 
“If you didn’t stop me, I would’ve done
something to get myself fired from the movie before we even started shooting.”
 
Amanda placed her hands on her hips.

“So you’re not upset about Thursday.”
 
She studied him, her face six inches
from his, trying to read his expression.
 
Liam’s dark eyes watched hers as they wandered from between his brows to
his lips, trying to detect any crease or twitch that might give away his
feelings.
 
Her earnest
concentration made him somewhat smile.
 
“You’re not mad about…
any
of
the things that happened that night?” Amanda questioned.
 
She was doubtful, but angry actually wasn’t
the look on his face.
 
It was
something indistinguishable.

“I’m not mad,” Liam reassured.

She let out a little sigh of relief, her hand lifting
slowly to take his.
 
“Good.”

“But I’m not going to renew the contract.”

Her hand dropped back to her side.
 
She tried to blink away the immediate
hurt.
 
“What?”

Liam stood up straight.
 
“This is where we should end it,” he said.
 
Amanda exhaled with frustration.

“You
are
mad about Ian.”

“No, I’m not,” Liam insisted.
 
She stared at him.

“Then is this about Dylan?” she asked.
 
Her cheeks burned once the words were
out, and though they sounded presumptuous, she stuck to her question.
 
If it wasn’t about Ian, there was just
one other thing left.
 
Liam’s lack
of an answer only confirmed her suspicions.
 
He looked at her.

“I know you better than to think that something happened
in that bathroom.
 
If there’s
anything I’ve learned in the past few weeks, it’s that you’re fiercely loyal,” Liam
said.
 
“Which is why we should end
it here and give you and him a shot.
 
Because he clearly wants you.”
 
He slid his hands into his pockets.
 
“And you clearly want him.”

Amanda stared, her mind racing.
 
“How do
you
know?” she challenged, in disbelief of both the situation and
herself.
 
Just weeks ago, she
resented being unable to pursue Dylan.
 
Now she resented being pushed into his arms.

“Because it wasn’t that hard to figure out.
 
You’re not the best actress,” Liam
answered, mustering up a playful smile for her.
 
She didn’t return it.
 
Her words failed her as she tried to respond.
 
She wanted to tell Liam that regardless of what he’d seen
between her and Dylan, she wanted
him
more – but uttering those words were far too daunting, even though she
had a sneaking feeling that he might want her just the same.
 
And so she was left to watch in silence
as he retrieved his coat from the couch and pulled it on.
 
She didn’t even realize that she had
gravitated in front of the door until his hands were on her waist again, gently
trying to move her.
 
“What are you
doing?” he asked softly.
 
Her mouth
opened and closed.
 
It was her
chance to stop him – to confess all her feelings in hopes of getting the
same admission out of him.
 
All she
had to do was abandon her insecurities and convince herself that
Liam Brody
might truly want her – as
a real, contract-less girlfriend.

But she couldn’t.
 
“Nothing,” she finally answered, stepping aside for Liam,
who paused before her with his hand on the doorknob.
 
For a moment, his eyes searched hers as if trying to read her
thoughts.
 
She wished he
could.
 
That way, he might relieve
her and be the one to say something first.

But he was silent too.
 
And with a kiss on the corner of her lips, Liam was gone.

SAY IT
AIN’T SO! LIAM AND AMANDA CALL IT QUITS

February 19

Posted by derpityderp

HDU via Celeb-o-Matic

After a week of speculation, it has been confirmed
that America’s favorite couple have split.
 
Rumors of a breakup surfaced when Liam Brody showed up solo
at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week while his lovely lady was photographed out and
about alone.
 
To further suspicion,
paparazzi caught Liam having brunch with best friend Connor Schaffer on Monday
while an unaccompanied Amanda Nathan moved her suitcases out of the swanky
hotel Brody paid for and into a first-floor studio sublet in Alphabet City.
 
Even more suspicious was the fact that
Brody and Nathan weren’t spotted together once before yesterday, when Brody
flew off to Nebraska to begin shooting for
A Soldier
.

This morning, a rep for Brody finally issued the
following statement: “Liam and Amanda have mutually decided to part ways, but
they remain friends and wish the best for one another.”

Some speculate that the actor’s complicated shooting schedule
got in the way of the budding romance.
 
Neither Brody nor Nathan have personally commented thus far.

TOP
COMMENTS

mrstylerchase

NOOOOO THEY GAVE ME SUCH LIFE. I THOUGHT HE
CHANGED!!! ughhh serves me right for trusting liam brody

vidabella21

mte. if it turns out he cheated i’m going to be so
effin depressed

cali_damianator

i think it’s rly the shooting sched tho…he IS going
to be gone for super long

R0X1E

lmao at everyone being sewww heartbroken. same ppl
crying were calling this girl fat 4 weeks ago and saying that liam should cheat
on her.

vidabella21

ugh haters on HDU can be seriously vile. i hope they
all diaf.

AMANDA NATHAN: YOUR NEXT FAVORITE D-LIST TRAINWRECK!

February
23

Pop Rock
Gossip

Posted by
Jessie O.

You want
her to become exactly that.
 
Sickos.

I’m
talking to you, media – the so-called “photographers” and “reporters.”
 
In the past three days, you’ve
dedicated your nights and mornings to hounding Amanda Nathan outside of her new
apartment.
 
Because when a girl has
been freshly dumped and is probably trying to recover, the best way to help her
do so is to shout into her window from the sidewalk and demand she answer your
prying questions about her ex – on camera, no less.

Leave
Amanda Nathan alone.

She does
not possess the hardened jadedness of a celebrity veteran.
 
She needs time and complete privacy to
recuperate, especially so she can bounce back to deal with your vicious
headlines about her.
 
They’re
already starting.
 
You’ve already
degraded her to titles like “celebrity fling” and simple “nobody,” and you’ll
probably refer to her as such whenever she’s mentioned in the future, simply
because she once dated someone famous in her twenties.
 
Amanda Nathan could actually go on in
life to run some thriving business, perhaps in her hometown of Merit, Missouri,
and she would
still
be remembered by
the world as a “celebrity fling” or desperate “nobody.”
 
All because of you and your need to
shame people for failing to stay famous.
 
Ugh.