Chapter 2
AMELIA GARCIA
“Mum!” I called out, pushing the door open and stepping inside our cozy home.
I took off my shoes and wore my teddy bear flip flops, stepping further into the living room. She wasn’t there.
“Mum!” I climbed up the stairs, pushing the door to her room open. She wasn’t there.
I was growing a bit panicky as I checked my room.
“Mum?!”
“Surprise!” The popping sound went off, and confetti fell on me, alongside squeals.
I shrieked for a second, and then my shock turned into sheer excitement at the sight of Mum and my best friend. Leyla.
“Congratulations, baby. You’re officially back to being single and ready to be hooked up!” She twerked in my face, bursting into a wild, blown laughter. Mum seconded her craziness.
Leyla’s a crazy bitch who’s been my girl since middle school. She’s literally the sister I never had and a semi–Mum, even though I’m a month older. She’s just too full of energy, wild, warm, and motherly. And I’m….well, soft, sometimes. And emotional and…less crazy.
“I can’t believe you both can be so childish. Do you know how scared I was when I couldn’t find you downstairs or in your room?” I pouted, going over to Mum who was sitting on my bed. I hugged her.
She laughed, patting my back. “Leyla thought we should surprise you.”
“She’s crazy.” I sucked in a laugh. “But I love the surprise, thank you.” I threw a kiss at Leyla and it made her giggle.
“How did it go, dear?” Mum asked, rubbing my curled, chestnut hair. “Did you sign the divorce papers?”
“Yes, Mum. I did.” Hiding my face in her hair shielded my teary eyes.
“Were they nice to you? Did they threaten you?”
I shook my head. “No, Mum. They were nice. Mr. Montgomery made sure they were.”
“That’s good, baby.” She patted my back even more. I heard her sniffling and I could bet she was struggling with her tears. I didn’t wanna look at her. It’d turn into an eye–bawling moment if she saw that I was holding back my tears too.
“Do you still wanna leave New York tonight? Don’t you wanna stay a few more days…”
“No, Mum.” I stopped her before she could even push it. “Mr. Montgomery is gonna announce the divorce to the press soon. And I need to be very far away from here when he does. That’s the only way I won’t get harassed and burgled for answers by the press.”
“I understand, baby. But…” she hesitated. Seconds passed and I thought she wasn’t gonna say anything more. Not until she softly asked. “You’re gonna miss him, won’t you?”
It was a heartfelt, sincere question and it shattered my every resolve. I sucked in a breath but it was loud. Now they knew I was crying. I couldn’t hide it anymore.
“Yes,” I admitted. She tried getting me to look at her but I refused. She tried again and I gave in.
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Her brown eyes, which shone like mine, were filled with a good dose of tears. She kissed my forehead and hugged me again.
“Thank you, baby. For the sacrifice. I’m never gonna stop being indebted to you.”
“Aww…” Leyla’s chummy voice in the background made me feel more heart–wrenching.
“Thank you too, Mum. For staying alive. What would I have been without you by my side?” I hugged her even tighter.
She pulled away a second later and stood. Her leg was healed but she was limping a bit.
“I’ll go get ready.” She smiled at me, then at Leyla, and then left the room.
I wiped my eyes, forcing a smile as Leyla plumped on the bed.
“Now, spill. How did it go? I need details.”
I exhaled, pulling up my hair in a ponytail with my scrunchie.
“There are no interesting details. It felt like a board meeting with those gruff bodyguards leading the way and those overly serious men at the table, giving me a dozen files to sign..”
“Bleh. Sounds boring.” Leyla made a face.
“It was.” I concurred, getting off the bed and going to get my clothes from my wardrobe. “But I got my check, which is fucking huge!”
“Girl! We’re gonna party. It’s the first thing we’re gonna do when we get to London.”
“Sure. I’m ready to party as hard as you want. That’s the least I can do to thank you for agreeing to come with us.” I smiled.
She bit back a smile. “How could I refuse? You’re my only family.”
Did I forget to mention she’s an orphan? Used to leave with her abusive aunt but now she’s independent? Yeah.
“We are,” I affirmed. My focus was now fixed on getting my things ready. And I almost forgot about her presence until she said my name again.
“Amelia?”
“Yes?” I didn’t look at her. I was folding up my clothes and forcing them into my suitcase.
“Did he say anything to you before you left?”
I stopped, going cold. But I recovered instantly, resuming what I was doing.
“He only asked where I’ll be going.”
“Did you tell him?”
I fought back a sob. “No. What for?” It was hard to sound as nonchalant as I wanted to. It was hard to pretend that I wasn’t breaking into pieces with each piece of clothing I folded into my suitcase.
“Uh…because you love him and you’re gonna miss him terribly? Duh.”
I glanced at her and she was sitting up now, giving me that intense, ‘Mummy‘ look that spelt ‘don’t you dare deny it.”
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I couldn’t. Instead, 1 evaded it
“It’s part of the conditions in the contract. We’re not allowed to tell each other where we’ll go
“Yeah. But, the contract also stated that you’re not allowed to fall in love with each other. And yet, here you are, head over fucking heels in love with him. Girl, please..”
This time, I stopped, sitting my ass back on the bed and lowering my head. Tears rolled down my face, and I couldn’t keep them back.
My little heart was battered. There was no downplaying it.
“But he doesn’t love me.” I sobbed, facepalming myself. “Not that I expect him to, but…but…”
“Amelia, girl. Stop, please. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.” She hugged me from behind, pulling my head to rest on her
chest.
“I hope he’s gonna be alright. He’s so scared of being alone. And he has those nightmares and he’s allergic to a lot of things. I just hope…”
God, I really messed up. Falling head over heels for him was a stupid move. Learning every little detail about him, worrying about him, and taking care of him so wholeheartedly was sheer stupidity on my part because I knew better. I knew we were gonna end. I shouldn’t have sacrificed myself on a stake by developing these feelings.
“He’s gonna be fine. He’s a billionaire with lots of maids, butlers, and nannies at his disposal. I’m sure they can handle his allergies.”
It wasn’t just about the allergy. It was the sad reality of not being able to be the one to take care of him anymore. I loved doing it. I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing it.
“You should be more worried about you, your Mum, and what you’re gonna do with your life from hereon…”
I wanted to talk but a retch tore through my lips. I’ve been feeling nauseous all day. Now it was getting heightened.
“When we get to London, you should go to college. Get a degree…”
“Sorry, Leyla!” I got out of her arms and rushed into the bathroom, throwing up in the toilet.
Great. Now I’m sick too!
******
EDMUND MONTGOMERY
I took a sip of my whiskey, looking through my full–length window into the beautiful night street of New York.
But even doing this wasn’t making me feel any better. Standing near the window and gazing at the street was Amelia’s favorite thing to do at night. She loved this window. She always gushed about how they didn’t have anything like it back in their little apartment.
One time, she…she…no. I wasn’t going to think about it. I’d feel worse. Fuck it, I made love to her, pinning her against the window. I exerted my kinks on her and she welcomed all of them.
We had the steamiest nights. Every night with her was ecstasy. But now she was gone, and I was back to my lonely, sleepless nights.
“Edmund?” Lewis called out, knocking.
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“Come in.”
He did, shutting the door slowly behind him. I watched him through the window as he seemed anxious to talk. I wasn’t in a hurry to hear what he had to say either. So we absorbed the silence quietly.
“She left…” he began, and my eyes popped. “…an hour ago. I checked the flight list. She, her Mum, and her best friend”
“Where did she go?” I had to know. Yes, this was breaking the deal. But sending her off without an idea where she was headed would drive me nuts. I needed to know.
“London.”
An unwilling smile crept to my lips. She always gushed about going to London. Her eyes would shine so bright and I’d be lost staring at her….
God, Edmund. Don’t do this. Don’t miss her already. It’s been barely hours.
“Do you miss her?”
Damn you, Lewis.
“It was a deal. It’s done. She had to leave. There’s no room to feel emotional about our separation. It was bound to happen.”
I sounded good enough like an ass. Anyone else would believe that I truly wasn’t affected. But not Lewis.
“Yeah. But for a non–emotional deal, you both looked pretty sad at the meeting. Like some lovebirds being forced apart.”
I held back a groan. ” “Lovebirds‘ is an inappropriate term to describe us. She’s twenty–one. I’m thirty. There’s almost a decade between us. We can’t be lovebirds. We’re just…”
I sought the word, but nothing clicked.
“Strangers with memories. Got it.” Lewis completed.
Yes. Memories: Beautiful, steamy memories.
“Giving her that much cash felt like you were trying to rid yourself of the guilt of letting her go. I could be wrong but…”
“Stop trying to psychoanalyze me. Please.” I warned, turning around to look at him.
“No, I’m just saying…”
“I gave her that cash because I owed her that much. She sacrificed six months of her life living by my rules under my roof, tolerating my aloofness…”
“She didn’t tolerate it. She fell in love with it.”
My heart did a weird fluttering thing. Hearing him say she loves me was creating a weird effect. She never said it. Not that I expected her to. But…
“And she might always love you. And I think you might always love her too. And as far as I know, people with so much love for each other always reunite sometime in the future. So cheer up. You’ll be seeing her again.”
He smiled and left my room.
His words twirled inside me. How could he boldly think I love her? I don’t. Maybe I just got fond of her. But not love.
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There was only one woman I’ve loved and her name was Nikki. But she disappeared on me months ago. Which led me to strike the deal with Amelia.
I was crazy over Nikki. I still was. So I could never love Amelia.
Still, why did the thought of her loving me make me feel damn giddy? And also, why did the thought of seeing her again bring a weird sense of calmness into my raging heart?
475
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.
