Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 2

She was the first to avert her gaze.

“Heading home already?” Violet smiled, warm and gracious. “It’s my fault—if Daniel hadn’t been shielding me from those drinks, he wouldn’t be this drunk. Sorry for troubling you.”

Amelia’s fingers curled slightly as she drew in a deep breath. “He’s my husband. There’s no such thing as ‘troubling’ me.”

Violet stepped aside, giving her room, her tone still gentle. “Drive safe.”

Daniel leaned heavily against Amelia, his tall frame making it difficult for her to support him. As they passed the wheelchair, he reached out and ruffled Violet’s hair. “The apartment’s all arranged. The driver will take you there. Text me when you get home, okay?”

Violet’s smile brightened. “I will!”

Amelia felt her eyes sting, but she didn’t push Daniel away. She helped him into the car.

She was silent the entire ride, gazing blankly at the city lights racing by outside her window.

Daniel rested his head on her shoulder, his breathing soft. The faint scent of whiskey mingled with the cedar on his skin—a scent that was unmistakably his.

The driver helped her get him inside their house.

Amelia took off his coat, his shoes, and socks. Just as she straightened up to fetch a warm towel, Daniel caught her hand.

He pulled her down onto the bed and wrapped her in his arms.

He nuzzled her cheek, his voice husky with drink, thick with longing. “Don’t go.”

He almost never got drunk, and he almost never acted like this. He wasn’t the cold, distant man she was used to—right now, he was as needy and affectionate as a big, loyal dog.

Amelia let herself savor it for a moment, not pushing him away. But soon, the bitterness crept back in—the bitterness of knowing how much he fussed over Violet, organizing welcome dinners and arranging her new place.

She looked up at his face, tracing his features with her eyes, and asked quietly, “Daniel, do you love me?”

“I do,” he murmured, eyes still closed, but somehow his lips found her eyelids in a gentle, unerring kiss.

Did he only like her eyes because they looked like Violet’s?

Her heart felt like it was being wrenched apart, stabbed and twisted until she could barely breathe.

“Where’d you go?” Daniel stirred, reaching out sleepily toward her back. “Come here. I wanna hold you.”

Hold you, my ass!

At some point, grief gives way to anger—a wild, reckless fury. Amelia grabbed a box of tissues and hurled it at his head, hard.

“Go cuddle your first love!”

“I’m just a stand-in—I’m not worthy of your affection!”

She flung the tissue box again for good measure. When she looked back, Daniel had passed out cold.