Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 190

So he could refuse her after all.

So he knew, too.

But it was all too late. Whether he refused or cared—none of it mattered to her anymore.

After today, she’d be gone.

“I’m hungry. Go make dinner,” Amelia said as she slipped off his lap.

Daniel didn’t understand why her mood suddenly turned so distant. He lingered, gently holding her slender hand. “It’s barely evening. We just had lunch.”

“But I’m hungry,” Amelia replied, already heading for the kitchen.

Daniel glanced at the clock on the wall. It was a little early, but if he started now, dinner would be ready at the usual time.

“It’s my birthday today. Can I pick what we eat?”

Amelia opened the fridge and pulled out steak and fresh vegetables. “Let’s have steak. You cook.”

Daniel let out a disbelieving laugh. “It’s my birthday and you want me to cook?”

“Is that a problem?” Amelia had no intention of ever cooking for him again—not even something as simple as steak.

She draped her hands over his shoulders and pressed a half-hearted kiss to his throat. “How about now? Will you cook for me?”

She had him wrapped around her finger. Daniel stared at her flushed lips, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Fine. But after dinner, I want something else from you. Be ready.”

Cooking a prepped steak wasn’t hard; Daniel took over the kitchen while Amelia set the table outside.

She spread a champagne-colored satin tablecloth, set out matching placemats, arranged a line of scented candles before the centerpiece, and made sure the wine had time to breathe. The faint aroma of candles mingled in the air.

Chef Campbell—Daniel’s self-appointed alter ego for the evening—emerged from the kitchen with two plates of steak. Amelia flicked off the main lights, letting candlelight dance across the table and fill the room with just the right touch of romance.

“Try my steak,” Daniel said, placing her plate in front of her. He glanced at the candles and grinned. “With a setup this romantic, if I don’t make sure you have an unforgettable night, I’d be letting all this effort go to waste.”

Typical—always with one thing on his mind. Amelia ignored the bait and changed the subject. “Your phone was lighting up for ages earlier. Pretty sure it was Violet. Aren’t you going to call her back?”

The question came out of nowhere. Daniel arched an eyebrow, tossing it back to her. “What do you think?”

She shouldn’t be asking. She’d be gone soon, and pointless conversations about feelings would leave her with nothing but emptiness. But she needed to know—needed to hear it, to let her heart finally let go.

“I have no idea. I’m not a mind reader,” Amelia said, her words flat. “How would I know what you want?”

Daniel set down his knife and fork, took a sip of wine, unhurried. “Let me ask you first: why did you agree to marry me?”

Because I liked you. Because I loved you.

But she couldn’t say those words anymore. Her sincerity had been trampled too many times; it was in pieces, and she refused to offer it again.

“Because you seemed like a decent choice. You wanted to get married, so I agreed,” she answered.

It was a safe, neutral answer—neither good nor bad. Candlelight flickered between them as Daniel studied her in silence for a long moment.

“Same here,” he finally said. “You seemed like a good choice. So I married you.”