Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 8

The man standing next to Daniel watched the scene unfold with an amused, almost gleeful look, as if he were enjoying a bit of drama.

“Amelia, can you stand up on your own?” The principal, not wanting to overstep, hesitated to help her. “I’ll go find someone to assist you.”

Amelia tried to move her foot. It wasn’t so bad that she couldn’t walk, but getting up was still a struggle.

Daniel’s brow furrowed deeply, and he started toward her, but before he could get close, Violet—her face streaked with tears—clung to his sleeve. “Daniel, my leg hurts so much…”

The man beside them piped up, “Didn’t Violet have a rehab surgery scheduled? Hope she didn’t mess up her knee with that fall.”

“She’ll be fine. I’ll take her to the hospital now,” Daniel said, his tone final.

Without another word, he strode over to Amelia, lifted her easily, and draped his coat around her shoulders.

Amelia froze. The heavy wool shielded her from the biting cold, the lingering scent of cedar and warmth wrapping her in an unexpected embrace.

She grabbed his arm instinctively, desperate, as if holding on to her last shred of hope. “Daniel, I twisted my ankle too.”

He looked at her quietly. Behind him, Violet’s voice rose, calling his name, demanding his attention.

Amelia’s gaze locked onto his, unwilling to let go.

“The principal will take you to the nurse’s office,” he said, prying her hand away before leading Violet off, his departure as sharp and final as a knife’s edge—leaving her heart raw and bleeding.

The principal called over two girls to help. Amelia sat on a stone bench, eyes downcast, her face so pale it was almost translucent. Daniel’s black coat lay crumpled on the ground.

Recognizing the coat as Daniel’s, the principal picked it up and followed along, scolding Amelia for her carelessness. “A scene like this—now the library donation might fall through.”

Despite the harsh words, there was worry in the principal’s eyes. Seeing Amelia limping between the two girls, she finally fell silent.

The nurse confirmed it was just a minor ankle sprain—nothing serious, just ice, ointment, and a gentle massage.

That evening, Daniel called.

“Staying at the base now?”

Amelia was still angry and shot back, “No, I’m living on Mars.”

“Wow, your phone gets signal all the way from Mars? Impressive. Didn’t know our Kitten Turner was so accomplished—exploring outer space. You should take me with you next time, show me the universe.”

Daniel was always like this. No matter how mad you were, he’d say the most ridiculous things. If you told him he was annoying, he’d go off about how he ran into an adorable tabby cat today, rambling until your anger just fizzled out.

Amelia didn’t know how to respond, so she simply hung up.

A moment later, a text came through: [Signal’s not great in outer space. Why not come back to Earth with me?]

She stared down at her phone, which buzzed again: [I’m outside. Open the door, Kitten Turner.]