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I shook my head, snapping myself out of my pointless wishful thinking.
No, there was no way David would be okay with this.
She was his baby girl, his youngest, the apple of his eye.
I felt a knot forming in my stomach thinking about how it would affect David to learn that his dear daughter was in a relationship with his best friend, seventeen years her senior.
Were Amelia and I making a huge mistake? Should I call this off before it had a chance to go any further?
The thought of letting go of her made me clench the steering wheel, my body signaling a physical resistance to the mere thought of losing her.
Driving back into La Jolla, thinking about just how important Amelia had become to me, my heart felt heavy, and my mind was abuzz with worry and frustration, along with a growing seed of doubt.
Chapter 19
Amelia
Ishut the door and peered through the peephole, watching Nathaniel’s car leave the tiny circular view. When the sound of his engine had faded away, I turned around, with my back to the inside of the door, and sighed.
What a night.
There was a warm feeling bubbling inside my chest–not only at that moment, but at every moment these days–and I couldn’t deny the other warm feelings that Nathaniel’s body had left me with…
Between my legs.
Every time we were together, it was the best I had ever felt. Could this kind of feeling go on like this forever?
When I clicked the deadbolt shut, I slipped out of my heels and, carrying them in one hand, began walking to my room, ready to flop down into my fluffy comforter and dream of Nathaniel.
Smiling to myself, I turned out of the entryway and rounded the corner into the living room, then froze in my tracks.
“Hey, Amelia,” Melinda said.
“Hey, sis,” Larissa echoed.
They were sitting on the couch side by side, with two steaming cups of tea on the coffee table, chamomile–I could smell it from where I was standing, and a small plate of Trudy’s cookies, fragrant with vanilla and cinnamon.
“Oh! Hey guys…” Something seemed off with them. I frowned, feeling uneasy about having just come home from Nathaniel’s place. Did I look like I had just emerged from a night of wild, passionate sex? Could I hide the deep blush still lingering on my face, the messy hair, the dreamy look in my eyes? “I didn’t know you were going to be over here,” I blurted out, looking at Melinda.
“Larissa called me. I got here a few hours ago.”
“Oh. It’s getting really late! I hope you weren’t waiting up for me?” I chattered nervously. “Is Trudy already asleep? I’ve been looking forward to trying one of those cookies…”
“She’s asleep,” Larissa nodded, more serious than her usual playful demeanor. “Why don’t you have a seat with us. We were hoping to talk with you.”
My heartbeat picked up, sensing I was in trouble somehow.
“Talk with me? About what?”
Melinda patted the spot next to her. “Here, you can have my tea. I’ll make another.”
I sat and sipped the tea while Melinda started the kettle. Larissa gave me a small smile but didn’t say anything and handed me the plate of cookies. I took one, nibbling on a snickerdoodle while Larissa looked at her phone, until Melinda returned with another cup of tea.
“Amelia,” Melinda said, sitting on the armchair. “We’re worried about you. Something is going on, and as your sisters who care about you, we’re hoping you’ll tell us what it is.”
Larissa put her phone down. “You’ve been so secretive about this new guy. It’s not like you.”
It was true. When I had dated in the past, I had told my sisters everything. Except now that I was with Nathaniel, I had been keeping an explosive secret for over a month. It shouldn’t surprise me that they were onto me, hard as I had tried to keep it from them. Still, it was uncomfortable being called out for seeing someone. I didn’t need their permission. I was an adult, after all.
