Chapter 60
(Edmund’s POV)
54%
The night air in Brixton was still heavy with the remnants of chaps. The crew had long packed up, leaving only the quiet hum of generators and the faint scent of smoke from the food stalls earlier in the day. Everyone had gone back to the hotel Everyone except me.
And her.
Amelia.
She was standing near the far end of the field, staring into nothing. The dim glow from the lamppost caught the side of her face, the one Vikki had slapped. It was still a little red. My chest tightened at the sight. I had wanted to run after her immediately after Vikki stormed off, but I couldn’t, not with everyone watching. Now, the moment I saw her again, I realized how much damage my silence had caused.
I walked toward her slowly, my shoes crunching against the gravel. “Amelia,” I said softly.
She didn’t turn. “You shouldn’t be here,” she replied, her voice low and tired.
I stopped a few feet away. “I had to see you.”
“You’ve done enough seeing for today, Edmund,” she muttered. Her arms were folded tightly across her chest, like she was holding herself together.
“I didn’t know she’d come to the park,” I said. “Vikki just-”
She finally turned to face me. “Just what? Decided to come here and humiliate me in front of everyone?”
Her voice cracked a little at the end. It stung more than the words.
“Amelia, I’m sorry. I swear, I didn’t tell her anything about this outreach. I don’t even know how she found out.”
She let out a dry laugh. “She’s your wife, Edmund. Of course she found out. She probably has people watching you-” She stopped and looked away, blinking rapidly. “You should go back to her.”
That last sentence hit like a punch to the gut.
I took a step closer. “No.”
She blinked, confused. “What?”
“I said no. I’m not going back to her.”
“Edmund-”
“Amelia, listen to me,” I said, my voice rising slightly. “You think planned for this? You think I wanted her to show up and embarrass you? God, no. But I’m done pretending that I don’t care anymore. I’ve been doing that for years. And I can’t. Not with you here.”
She shook her head and took a step back, as if my words burned her. “You don’t know what you’re saying. You’re angry, embarrassed-”
“I’m in love with you,” I said, cutting her off.
Her eyes
widened. The words hung between us, almost daring either of us to move.
1/4
14:41 Thu, Feb 5 BNB
Chapter 60
“Don’t,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Don’t say that.”
“It’s the truth.” I sighed. “Truth is, I always have, It just took me along time to realize it.”
She took another step back. “You’re married.”
“Not for long.”
Her head snapped up. “What are you talking about?”
“I’ll divorce her,” I said immediately. “I should’ve done it a long time ago.”
Amelia laughed again, but it was hollow this time. “You can’t just say that like it’s so easy”
54%
To vouchers
“It’s not easy,” I said firmly. “But it’s the only right thing to do. Vikki and I–we’ve been done for years. That marriage is just a paper now. You of all people know that.”
Her lips parted slightly, but no sound came out.
I took another step closer, slowly closing the distance between us. “Amelia, I was a fool. Back then, when we were married… I thought keeping my emotions buried made me stronger. I thought love was a distraction. You tried to reach me, and I pushed you away. I destroyed everything we could’ve been.”
Her eyes flickered with something–pain, maybe recognition. “You think saying all this now will change what happened?”
“No,” I said. “But maybe it’s not too late to fix what’s left.”
She swallowed hard. Her voice was barely above a whisper. “There’s really nothing to fix Edmund.”
I exhaled shakily. “And I’ve hated myself every day for it.”
Silence. The kind that cuts through you.
Finally, she looked up at me, her eyes glistening under the lamplight. “Why now?” she asked softly. “Why say all this now, after everything that happened today?”
“Because watching her slap you, watching you just stand there and take it…” I paused, my throat tightening. “It made me realize that I’ve done worse than slap you, I’ve crushed you over and over again with my silence. And I can’t live with that anymore.”
Her lower lip trembled. “Edmund…”
“Say something,” I said, desperate. “Yell at me, curse me out, hit me if you want, but don’t walk away again.”
She finally turned to face me fully. “You don’t get to decide that,” she said quietly. “You’ve had your chance before. And now
Before she could finish, I stepped forward and did the one thing I’d been fighting the entire evening.
I kissed her.
It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t gentle either. It was desperate, hungry, years of regret and love colliding all at once.
Her hands came up against my chest, pushing weakly at first. “Edmund-”
But I didn’t stop.
When she finally shoved me back, her breathing was uneven. Her eyes wide, conflicted met mine. “What are you doing?” she asked, her voice barely holding steady.
9/2
‘t be inget af
for m
/amber Kanty as Heifing Hay other on huge nates what they maybe mexa to me”
Que estudent oy key are Bunkring dined. Ta‘ make promises you can’t keep. Edmond”
1 carte de nie
the war der folles wat kewry anymore. It felt lighter somehow, like the air between us had shifted. I knew nothing me budget, de will guarded, will sure, but there was a dark again
céder a brang menene, the polled back dightly, her expressionl gentler now. “You should go rest, she murmured. “We still
the fut day of the mersuch tomorrow?
here fan, fired wide. “Oh course. I made a promise to those people
the hit wwwer, just turned and started walking toward the hotel.
matched her go, hands still trembling from the kiss, heart still racing from the confession.
tee de didnt believe me yet. Maybe she was still scared to trust me again. But tonight, for the first time in a long while, I
* hope, beautiful hope,
bad * 1 stood there, watching her disappear into the night, one thing became clear.
AD
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
