Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 181

Amelia spent some time chatting with her grandmother, then slipped away upstairs while Nora was feeding her medicine.

Her and Daniel’s room was exactly as it always had been—untouched, unchanged. Outside the window, the crabapple trees were in full bloom, their pink blossoms swirling like mist, painting spring’s beauty across the glass.

She wandered over to the window and spotted a pair of ceramic vases on the sill.

They’d made them together, back when she’d dragged Daniel to a pottery studio on a whim. It seemed easy enough, but once they started, it turned out to be anything but; making something beautiful was even harder.

Her vase had come out lopsided and crooked. When she glanced over at Daniel’s, she’d been annoyed to find his looked nearly perfect—good enough to sit in the shop window.

It was their first time, so why did his look like a professional’s demo piece, and hers like a tragic online fail?

Mortified, Amelia had left her ugly vase behind and stormed out.

Later, when they went back to her family home for dinner, Daniel made a detour on the way and picked up both finished vases from the studio.

She’d always suspected he just wanted to show off and rub it in, so she refused to take hers. But Daniel insisted, saying that although her vase might not be pretty, the way it leaned had a certain charm—like a little figure resting against his.

When she put them together, she had to admit he was right.

Back then, it had seemed so romantic, the way even their silly little crafts ended up side by side.

Now, it all just felt like a cruel joke.

Amelia picked up both vases, weighing them in her hands.

…

She left before dinner.

Her grandmother was still muddled, pouting unwillingly at the idea of Amelia leaving.

No matter how much she wanted to stay, some goodbyes had to be faced. Gently stroking her grandmother’s silvery hair, she whispered, “Grandma, I’m going now.”

Amelia walked out into the golden glow of sunset. As she reached the door, footsteps sounded behind her.

She took a deep breath and stepped out through the Campbell family’s front door.

…

Amelia tucked the straw bird carefully into her suitcase, then changed into something more comfortable and came out of her room. The new housekeeper had just finished preparing dinner.

The woman stood by the table, looking a bit nervous, watching for Amelia’s reaction.

Amelia, always quick to put people at ease, smiled warmly. “This looks delicious!”

The housekeeper relaxed a little, ladled her some soup, and asked, “Will Mr. Campbell be home for dinner? If not, should I save something for him?”

Amelia checked her phone. Daniel had messaged her an hour ago to say he wouldn’t be back for dinner.

Half an hour earlier, a message from an unknown number had come through: two photos. One was of a riverside window, glowing with the colors of sunset. The other showed Daniel sitting at the window, head bowed over a menu. In the corner of the frame, a slender woman’s hand—Violet’s, she guessed—rested on the table.