“Wait a second.” There was some background noise on the other end, then after a few seconds, it quieted down. “Are you Sophia’s friend? She mentioned you to me.”
“When are you available? I can come by your office, or we could meet somewhere else if that’s more convenient.”
“I’m out of town on business. I’ll be back in about a week. Once I’m back, I’ll get in touch.”
“Alright.”
Amelia hung up, feeling an unexpected wave of relief wash over her.
Sometimes, letting go makes you feel so much lighter.
The divorce attorney had been recommended by Sophia, so of course Sophia would hear about any progress.
The next day, Sophia went on an epic tirade against Daniel, ranting for a solid half hour. At the end, she summed it up with, “Honey, you’ve finally given back Cinderella’s glass slipper!”
Amelia gave her a look. “Next time, just record yourself yelling. Holding your phone up the whole time must be exhausting.”
“To celebrate my best friend finally seeing the light and escaping her misery, you’re taking me out to dinner tonight. No objections!”
Oh, so to celebrate her newfound freedom, she had to foot the bill.
How did she ever wind up with such a wonderful best friend?
Sophia was determined to mark the occasion and chose a restaurant that was… well, let’s say, quite on theme.
“I’m getting divorced and you bring me to a romantic restaurant?”
Not just any place—Silkwood’s trendiest, most exclusive date spot.
“Oh, come on,” Sophia giggled, looping her arm through Amelia’s. “Getting divorced just means you’re free to find a new love. You’ll end up here again someday, so it’s good to get comfortable with the place now.”
The irony was, Amelia didn’t need any introductions. She and Daniel had been here before—he had even rented out the entire restaurant for Valentine’s Day.
That night, he’d not only reserved the hardest table in town, he sent her 999 perfect red roses.
“Charles?”
Charles walked over, glancing at the remains of their fancy dinner. “You here with Daniel?”
Charles and Daniel were as close as brothers, just like Amelia and Sophia. No point pretending.
She gave a half-smile. “You really think, with Violet back in town, Daniel would be sitting across from me?”
Charles paused, then sat down across from her.
It was awkward. As Daniel’s best friend, there was no good angle—he couldn’t exactly trash Daniel, but defending him would be even worse.
The silence stretched. Finally, Amelia smiled gently. “You don’t need to give me a pep talk. I’m not some tragic case. I’ve made my peace—if something isn’t meant for me, it just isn’t. No point clinging to it.”
Charles looked up at her, a strange light in his eyes. “What do you mean?”
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel)