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Me:
Hey, are you free tomorrow? I’m supposed to be taking Sarah to the science museum at 2 p.m., but something’s come up.
Colin:
Yeah, I’m free. I can take her.
Me:
I owe you. But also, she’ll love spending some time with her favorite uncle.
Colin:
I am under no illusions I’m the favorite.
Me:
You underestimate yourself, big brother. Love you xx
I don’t send Gage a text letting him know of the change of plans. Instead, I tell myself he’ll understand. He’ll be okay that I just need a little more space.
What I conveniently ignore is the way that man looks at me, the way he’s made it abundantly clear he wants so much more from me than a quick fuck, and that he’s not the kind of man who would ever tolerate being ghosted.
17
Gage
She didn’t show.
She sent her fucking brother.
No text. No call. Nothing.
She has a hell of a lot to learn about me because I am not a man who walks away from what I want. Amelia does not get to look at me the way she does, kiss me like that, and then run. Not without facing me.
After I put Luna to bed on Saturday night, I leave Shirley with her, and I go to Amelia. It’s late. Nine thirty. But I don’t care if she’s already asleep, we’re having a conversation.
Her doorman calls her when I arrive, and I’m already prepared to fight my fucking way up there if she says no. But she doesn’t. She lets me in. And when the elevator doors slide open into her condo, she’s standing there barefoot, wide-eyed, and looking at me like she had no idea I’d show up here tonight. Like she thought I’d just let this slide.
I step out of the elevator, every muscle in my body pulled tight, every part of me on edge.
“Gage,” she starts, but I cut her off.
“You blew me off.” I move into her, invade her space. “Without so much as a text.”
Her long lashes blink up at me and I see her brain spinning. I’m too close for her comfort, but she’s going to have to deal with that tonight. I’m done giving her space.
Her hands come to my stomach and I fucking wish they were doing that for a different reason, but I rein my focus in, keeping it fixed on why I came here.
“I’m sorry. I?—”
“No. Don’t be sorry, Amelia. Be fucking anything but that. Be honest with me. Tell me why.”
She flinches at my hard edge and I’m not sure if I’m going to get the realness from her that I’m desperate for, that I’ve fallen hard for. Because it looks a hell of a lot like she’s about to cut and run, and try like fuck to never come back.
“You kissed me last weekend like you wanted me to ruin you,” I say, pushing harder than I intend, butfuck, I’m barely keeping my shit together right now. “You want this. You wantme. But I could see you were running scared, so I gave you space. Didn’t force anything. Hell, I refused to fuck you because I knew you weren’t ready.” My shoulders tense as I try to find the edge of whatever the fuck this feeling is. “Tell me what you need from me that’ll help you give this a chance.”
Her breaths are coming faster now, and when she speaks, I hear her breathlessness. “I told you my fears, Gage. I’ve been honest with you.”