I thought after I left the awards dinner the other night that slipping back into her good graces would be easier than it’s proving to be, and that has me approaching my boiling point.
The click of heels outside my window has me peering through the blinds once again just in time to see Amelia approaching her office alone.
I spin around so fast that I slam my leg into the corner of my desk, crying out in agony. “Fuck!” Rubbing the spot, I reach for the folder with Oliver’s papers and walk toward my door. “That’s going to leave a bruise.”
At a punishing pace, I exit my office and glide across the courtyard to Amelia’s door, knocking softly before checking to see if the door is unlocked, which it is. So instead of waiting for her to answer, I let myself in and find her back to me as she places something in her filing cabinet.
“Amelia.”
She doesn’t bother turning around to face me. “What do you want, Ethan?” I guess she was expecting this visit, which could be a good or a bad thing.
“I came here to show you something.”
“Oh really? You’re not here to ask me questions about why I was leaving with Brayden earlier?” Finally, she turns and shows me her face, the pain and irritation in her features prevalent. And I hate that her face is beginning to look like that every time I see her.
Anger flashes through me just from the mention of that dickhead’s name, but I tamp it down. “Not unless you want to share with me. But honestly, I don’t even like hearing his name coming off your lips, so hearing about why he was here would be enough to make my ears bleed.”
“Jealousy isn’t a good look on you, Ethan, especially when you have no one to blame but yourself for him being around.”
“You’re right.”
Her face falls with shock, but she quickly recovers. “What do you need to show me? I don’t have a lot of time. I have somewhere else I need to be tonight.”
Walking toward her, I open the folder and bring out the drawing Oliver made of the three of us. “I thought you’d want to see this.”
Her eyes well with tears as she takes in his artwork. “Why are you showing this to me? This isn’t going to fix anything.”
“I know, but I want you to see that this is what I intend to fight for.”
Her head lifts. “Fight for what?”
“The three of us together.”
She sighs and hands the paper back to me. “Nothing has changed.”
“Yes, it has.”
“We still want different things.”
“What if I changed my mind?”
Crossing her arms over her chest, she narrows her eyes at me. “Just like that? You’ve changed your mind? This doesn’t have to do with Brayden, does it?”
I toss the folder on her desk and close the distance between us. “I don’t give a shit about that fuckface. You are all that matters to me. You and Oliver and the three of us together.” I reach up and frame her face with my hands. “The longer we’re apart, the more I realize what an idiot I’ve been. You’re the woman I can’t live without. You’re the one I want in my life forever, and I’m willing to do anything to show you that.”
Tears stream down her face. “All I hear are words, Ethan. And words are great, but they aren’t actions. There’s so much more that has to happen before this can be resolved.”
“I know. I just…”
The bell above her door rings, distracting us. And the visitor that walks through is even more of a reason to put this conversation on pause.
“Oliver?”
“Amelia!” He races toward her as she intercepts his hug around her waist.
“Hi, buddy. What are you doing here?”
A few seconds later, my mother comes barreling through the door, breathing heavily. “I’m so sorry. He took off from the gelato shop, and I couldn’t keep up with him. He was insistent about coming to see you.” And then her eyes flick between Amelia and me. “I hope we weren’t interrupting anything.”
I immediately want to tell them to leave, but Amelia drops down to Oliver’s level and covers up our turmoil. “No, it’s fine. I’m happy to see you too, Oliver. How was school?”
“It was fun. Today was my parent-teacher conference, so I got out early. Grandma picked me up, and we’ve been running errands before she brought me back to Daddy.”
“And you got gelato?”
“Yes. I got strawberry today.”
“That’s a good choice.”
“Your gnomes haven’t moved, Amelia,” he says. “Does that mean the treasure is safe?”
“For now. But something could happen at any moment, and they might have to protect it.”
“Can you make sure you take a picture if they move and have Daddy show it to me?”
She brushes his hair from his face. “I promise.”
“Oliver, can you wait with grandma outside, please?”
“But Daddy, I wanna spend time with Amelia.”
“She’s busy, bud.”
“I’ll make sure to come say goodbye to you before I leave, okay? Your dad and I just need to finish talking.”
His ears perk up. “Are you talking about your feelings?”
“Something like that,” I reply. “Now go, please.”
“Bye, Amelia!” He waves, and then my mother flashes us a small smile before they exit her office.
“Ethan, I have to go.” She walks away from me, gathering some files and her purse.
“This isn’t over, Amelia. We’re going to talk about this. I want to have lunch tomorrow.”
She pauses, staring up at me. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. And even though I don’t feel you deserve to know, Brayden and I are just friends, nothing more.”
A small wave of relief rushes through me, but then I focus back on why I’m here. “I don’t care. I want you to hear me out. That’s the least you can do for me…and for Oliver.”
She sighs, closing her eyes. “Fine. But I really have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I leave her office first, holding the door for her. Locking the door behind us, she fulfills her promise as she bends down to hug my son goodbye.
“Bye, Amelia!” He waves at her and then turns to me once she walks out to the parking lot. “Did you talk about your feelings, Daddy?”
“Not yet, bud. But soon.”
“You’d better do it fast, Daddy. I want Amelia back in our family.”
Nothing like pressure from your kid to man up fast.
* * *