Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 261

It sounded ridiculous, but after less than two hours of sleep, the very first thought that popped into his mind was to do another paternity test.

As if the idea wasn’t absurd enough on its own, what was even more outrageous was how quickly he put it into action.

He couldn’t quite explain himself. Maybe his grandmother had gotten into his head, or maybe, after so many dead ends in this relationship, he’d finally glimpsed a sliver of hope and just couldn’t bring himself to let go.

Even the tiniest hope—he wanted to cling to it.

…

After hanging up, Amelia spent a few minutes reviewing data before irritation started simmering inside her.

What did he mean by, “He’ll get in touch when he’s made up his mind”?

How long was he planning to drag this out? Was he going to take a lifetime to decide? Was she supposed to wait around forever?

The more she thought about it, the more exasperated she became. She grabbed her phone and stalked to the window, then, barely containing her frustration, dialed his number again.

“No, you need to give me a real date.”

Daniel seemed to snap out of a daze only when he heard her voice. “How specific do you want? Down to the minute? The second?”

“If you can be that precise, great. I’m not going to wait around for you forever.”

“I can’t be that precise,” he said flatly.

That set her off. After all this time in Silkwood, she’d sorted out an apartment, a car, a job, even a preschool for her kid—yet here she was, still stuck in a limbo of not-quite-divorced. It was enough to make anyone frustrated.

“Where are you? Let’s talk face-to-face.”

Daniel glanced at his watch. The results wouldn’t be out for another two hours.

They met at a café not far from the hospital. When Amelia arrived, Daniel was already there.

The place was done up in warm retro tones of brown and orange. Daniel sat by the window, one elbow on the table, his head propped lazily in his hand, idly stirring his coffee with the other. He looked like he’d stepped out of a high-end glossy magazine—effortlessly elegant, yet somehow detached.

Hearing the scrape of the chair opposite, he looked up slowly, then beckoned the server over.

And with that, silence fell between them for a whole hour.

Amelia couldn’t fathom what needed so much thought. All they had to do was show up, sign the papers, and then go their separate ways. Why complicate something so simple?

She turned to watch the world outside the window—people hurrying by on the street. Across from her, Daniel just sat there watching her, sunlight spilling through the glass and turning his eyes warm and soft.

She caught his gaze by accident and quickly looked away, but the faint smile in his eyes lingered.

After what felt like ages, Daniel’s phone rang.

He answered with a few brief words, then stood up.

It reminded Amelia of so many times, three years ago—he’d get a call and just leave.

But this time, her heart barely stirred. She sipped her juice quietly.

Daniel paused by her side, reached out, and pinched her soft cheek. “I’m off. Still eating, huh? You’ll turn into a little pig at this rate.”