Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 63

Daniel’s eyes hardened, the light catching in them and turning his dark pupils a deep shade of brown. There was still that tenderness, but now it was tangled with something he couldn’t quite name—a silent struggle flickering beneath the surface.

He was silent for a long time before finally speaking, his voice rough as gravel. “Amelia, just give me a little more time, will you?”

Amelia laughed, but it was a laugh at herself—at her own naivety and foolishness.

Who was she to make such demands? She was just a stand-in, a substitute, asking him to throw away the real thing and keep a cheap imitation. She had no right, and humiliation was the only thing she deserved.

Yet she kept that smile on her face, trying to sound casual. “Exactly. You can’t give me what I want, and I can’t live like this anymore. So, divorce is our only option.”

Daniel’s brow furrowed. “I told you, just give me a little more time. Is it really so hard to trust me?”

The smile faded from Amelia’s lips. “Time? How much time do you need, Daniel—a year, two years, the rest of my life? Or are you waiting for Violet to get pregnant and have your child? Am I supposed to play nursemaid to her when that happens?”

Her words grew more absurd the longer she spoke, and Daniel’s chest heaved with frustration. “How many times do I have to say it? There’s nothing going on between me and Violet. For God’s sake, you’re the only woman I’ve ever slept with!”

“That’s how it is now, but who’s to say it’ll stay that way?”

Amelia’s voice rang out, sharp and loud enough to draw attention from across the room. Sophia, who’d been standing by the picture window, looked over just in time to see Amelia turn away, her eyes rimmed red, a glimmer of tears at the corners.

Sophia’s temper flared.

She stormed over, grabbing the nearest broom as a weapon, and laid into Daniel with a vengeance. “You come into my house and bully my friend? You think just because I’m nice, I’m a pushover?”

“Get out! Get the hell out!”

Mr. Campbell, who’d been treated like royalty his entire life, had never been manhandled like this before. A vein throbbed on his forehead as he gritted his teeth. “Sophia, this is between me and Amelia. It’s none of your business!”

Daniel’s expression turned savage, and Sophia had no doubt that if Amelia weren’t there, she’d be in serious trouble.

But with the tension in the air, there was no way she could back down now. She hesitated, torn between continuing her show of bravado or actually following through, when Amelia’s cool, clear voice cut through the chaos. “I want you to leave. Isn’t that enough?”

Sophia couldn’t believe it. She tiptoed over and peeked through the peephole.

“Holy crap, he really is!”

The more Amelia tried to understand Daniel, the less sense he made. If he didn’t love her, why couldn’t he let go? And if he was so angry, why didn’t he just leave?

Sophia messaged Zachary: [Did he say anything to you?]

Zachary thought about it. Honestly, Daniel hadn’t said a word, but the look he gave him spoke volumes. He’d sized Zachary up from head to toe, then given him a look of utter disdain, as if to say, “Is that all you've got?” And beneath that, a silent accusation—“What are you doing hanging around someone else’s home for so long?”

Zachary replied: [Nothing. Didn’t even say hi.]

Sophia snorted. “Not only is he a jerk, he’s rude to boot.”