Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 159

Amelia stared at the clock on the wall, its ticking second hand marking time like a metronome on her heart.

She knew she shouldn’t hope for anything, but a stubborn thread of longing still clung to her, woven from hundreds of nights tangled together in passion and false comfort. A stand-in could never hold a candle to a first love, but what if, just once, he faltered? What if, for a moment, he chose her?

The thought, once planted, grew wild and unruly, impossible to prune away.

Amelia curled up, tucking her knees to her chest and burying her face, desperate not to look at the time, forcing herself not to think.

But feelings shoved deep in her heart refused to dissolve. She told herself, over and over, that if she just buried them deep enough, she’d eventually forget. Reality, though, had a way of digging up the soil, and she found herself caught in a whirlpool—sometimes drowning, sometimes breaking the surface for air, but never reaching solid ground.

She had no idea how long she’d been sitting there when Samuel’s voice broke the silence. “Time’s up.”

Amelia lifted her head and saw Samuel making a call. When he hung up, he looked at her, every word dripping with scorn.

“Well, your husband is already rushing to save his precious Deceptive Lily. And you’re still here worrying about his safety. How touching.”

Amelia opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Disappointment crashed into her chest like a boulder dropped into a still lake, sending ripples of pain through every part of her body.

This was why people shouldn’t let themselves hope for impossible things—when expectations are crushed, the pain doubles.

Daniel didn’t choose her.

Not even once.

Samuel had been with more women than he could count on both hands, every type imaginable, but there was something about Amelia that got under his skin.

One glance was all it took for Amelia’s skin to crawl. She didn’t recognize everything, but the whip and handcuffs stood out, clear as day—no mistaking what those were for.

She scrambled to her feet, but before she could make it two steps, Samuel grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her back.

“Look at that—rested and ready for a little fun. Good. It’s no fun if you’re limp.”

Amelia thrashed and kicked, every fiber of her body recoiling. “You forget what you lost? You touch me and Daniel will kill you!”

“Still got the nerve to bring that up?” Samuel’s face twisted with rage as he yanked her head back by the hair. “You think I’m being soft, not letting the whole crew have a turn? Don’t kid yourself. If Daniel cared about you, he would’ve picked you today instead of dropping everything for Deceptive Lily.”

“Let me spell it out for you: he’s barely two miles away, and he still won’t come. He’d rather take the long way around to save her first. To Daniel, you don’t even add up to the dirt under Deceptive Lily’s fingernail.”