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I may have spenta little extra time in the shower tonight, but in all fairness, I haven’t had a reason to be quite so thorough with a razor in a really, really long time. As in years.
Not weeks.
Not months.
Years.
When Sam called last night and demanded to see me, I had no problem hanging up on him. I will never be that woman. You don’t get to not speak to me for a month after you throw my life into possible chaos and then dictate to me what I have to do. Tired, half-asleep Amelia was having no part of that. But when he called me back and attempted in his own way to explain why he did what he did, I got it. Albeit reluctantly. But I got it.
Even I can be reasonable when presented with a different side of a story.
It’s easy to look at this from my point of view.
He made decisions about my life without giving me a say. That will never be okay. But he did it coming from a place of caring. He did it while trying to protect me. He didn’t apologize for what he did because he didn’t want to lie to me and say he was sorry when he wasn’t. Even tired, I get that. At least, I think I do. After we talk tonight, I’m hoping I’ll still feel good about this decision because giving in last night was so damn easy. Inviting him into my bed and spending a few hours wrapped in Sam’s strong arms was everything I never knew I needed.
I don’t want to fall into this life because it feels easy to let someone else do the work.
When I’m ready to move forward, I want to take a running jump into my future, a future Sam may have given me by dealing with the one thing I’ve spent years running away from. But I don’t know if I’m there yet. If I’m actually ready or if I just want to be ready.
There’s a big difference between the two.
I drop my towel and walk into my bedroom to get dressed. Rummaging through my dresser drawer, I look for a bra and panty set I bought a few months ago but have since relegated to the back of the drawer. It’s the kind of set you put on when you want to feel a little extra confident about yourself. Or when you think someone might see them. You don’t put this on for comfort.
Once I’ve slipped into the black lace set, I put on my favorite dark-wash, skinny jeans, the ones that make me look like I actually have an ass. I grab a cute, lacy camisole from a hanger and rip the tags off. Yup. Never worn this before either. Man, I really need to get a life.
I finish off the look with my favorite long black-and-white striped cardigan.
Sexy, but not too revealing.
Hopefully, I don’t look like I’m trying too hard.
Shit. I hear the damn phone ringing but can’t find it in my room. By the time I find it hiding under the pile of my dirty work clothes I kicked in the corner, I’ve missed the call from Belles. Yeah. I’ll call her back tomorrow when I have a clue what I want to tell her about the past twenty-four hours.
Just as I slip it into my pocket, it rings again.
It’s Belles, again.
Sliding my finger across the screen, I expect to hear her usual happy voice. What I don’t expect is for Belle to be crying hysterically and for Declan’s voice to be the one that greets me.
“Amelia. Are you home?” Dec’s voice comes out strong, but there’s an underlying tone of fear there.
“Dec, what’s going on? Is Belle alright? Are the kids okay?” Oh my God. Is she losing the baby? Before I can let my thoughts wander off that cliff, Declan interrupts me.
“Amelia. We’re on our way to your place. We’ll be there in a minute.”
“Declan. You’re scaring me.” I grab my keys and coat and run down the stairs. “What’s going on?”
“I’m turning the corner now, Amelia. I see you. Hold on.” The Infinity QX SUV comes to a screeching halt directly in front of me. Declan’s window slides down, and I have a clear view of Belles, who’s sitting in the passenger seat, crying. Declan looks at me, then nods to the back seat. “Get in.”
Not needing to be told twice, I throw myself in the car and count to five. “Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on? Guys, I’m scared to death right now. Please tell me everyone’s okay.”
Belles turns her head around to look at me as Declan drives. “Amelia... Bash and Sam were out to lunch with their dad, and something happened. We don’t have all the details yet, but there was an explosion.”
“What?” I’m not fully comprehending what she’s trying to tell me. “What kind of explosion? What happened? Are they alright?” I scooch forward and grab Annabelle’s hand.
“Buckle your seat belt, Amelia.” Declan’s voice leaves no room for argument. I sit back and lock the belt in place as he takes a corner on what feels like two wheels. “All three of them were brought in to Kroydon Hills Hospital. That’s all we know. Nattie and Brady are already there. But they haven’t been able to get any information yet.”
My world tilts on its axis, and my breath catches in my throat.
