Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 46

Amelia finally understood the meaning behind that saying—sometimes, when you’re truly at a loss for words, all you can do is laugh.

Grandma Edith’s eyes darted back and forth, studying Amelia and then Daniel, as if something had just dawned on her. “Oh! Amelia, isn’t your wedding anniversary coming up soon?”

It was, in fact, almost here.

January fourth. She’d chosen that date herself, hoping for “forever and always.”

Looking back now, even their anniversary felt like a cruel joke.

Forever and always? Who was she kidding? Just another lie she’d told herself.

Amelia kept quiet, offering no response. Daniel let out a sardonic chuckle. “Some people probably don’t even remember. Out of sight, out of mind, huh?”

Amelia shot him a look. “You’re the one who can’t keep his heart in one place. I could never compete with your wandering affections.”

Daniel laughed, his tone sharp. “Wandering affections? Care to enlighten me? Because I have no idea what you’re talking about. Or have you been living inside my head this whole time?”

Before Amelia could reply, he smirked and answered himself, “Oh, right. Maybe you have been living there.”

Amelia was left speechless.

Grandma Edith felt her teeth ache at their back-and-forth. At her age, being dragged out just to watch these two bicker was enough to choke her.

Amelia pressed her lips together, feeling frustrated. Daniel had always been like this—twisting words, turning black into white and white into technicolor, all so you lost track of the real issue. Worse, he’d deliberately brought Grandma Edith into this conversation about divorce, knowing full well Amelia wouldn’t want to upset her or air their dirty laundry in front of the family matriarch.

She hated being backed into a corner like this, manipulated in ways that left her no good options.

But, sooner or later, the truth would come out. There was no hiding it. Maybe it was better to get it over with, even if Grandma Edith was here. Better to lay it all on the table in front of family than let secrets fester.

“Grandma, there’s really no need to celebrate our anniversary this year, because we’re about to—”

As she spoke, the door swung open. Charles came in holding a container of freshly cut fruit. “Boris, the fruit is good today. Have some.”

Charles had been dropping by often these days, so much so that Boris half-jokingly wondered if he’d been gifted an extra son from the heavens. Grateful and a little amused, he said, “Dr. Johnson, you’re busy enough already. No need to go out of your way for me.”

“It’s really no trouble. I’m not neglecting my work.”

The two men actually had plenty to talk about. Boris wasn’t much of a talker, but Charles always managed to bring up topics that interested him, so conversation flowed easily.

“I’ll leave you two to chat. I’m going to ask the doctor what we need to keep in mind for tomorrow’s discharge,” Amelia said, heading out of the room.

After speaking with the doctor, Amelia passed by the nurses’ station and overheard a group of nurses whispering excitedly. “Did they actually get into a fight? Dr. Johnson didn’t get hurt, did he?”

A fight? Charles?

Amelia’s first thought was some kind of dispute with a patient’s family. She hurried down the corridor, only to find Daniel and Charles facing off at the far end of the hall. Both men stood tall and imposing, their tension so palpable it seemed to electrify the air. The onlookers kept a cautious distance, too wary to get close, but unable to look away.