Page 126 of After All This Time

"Don't get your hopes up though, Amelia. I'd hate to see you disappointed."

There it is—the poison hidden in motherly concern, designed to chip away at my confidence.But I won't let her. Not this time.Because my dream isn't hers to dismantle.

Chapter 48

Tobias

I've been lying on this couch for twenty-five minutes, and I've been hard for at least twenty-two of them. Every shift of my body against this lumpy cushion only reminds me of the girl sleeping in my bed—where I should be.

This separation is fucking torture. I'm a needy bastard; I always have been. I've poured that energy into friendships, hookups, and distractions that didn't matter. But now, all I want is her.

I check the clock for the millionth time. Kayla has to be asleep by now.

Fuck it.

I climb off the couch, wearing nothing butmyboxer briefs, and quietly make my way to my bedroom. The door creaks slightly as I push it open, and the sight before me stops me in my tracks. Amelia's stretched out on top of my bed, white lace barely covering her curves—delicate, ethereal, and so fucking tempting that my mouth dries instantly.

She looks like an angel. Or a bride waiting for her husband on her wedding night.

Fuck that thought. If that's what she is, then she'll be my bride.

I bite back a laugh because this girl has scrambled my entire brain, and I'm not even mad about it.

"Took you long enough to get your ass in here."

She's been waiting. Needing me, just like I've been needing her.

"You been waiting up for me, Firefly?" I ask, drawn to her like a moth to a flame.

"More like I knew you were never going to sleep out there all night."

I reach the edge of the bed and pluck her phone out of her hand, placing it on the nightstand before climbing onto the mattress.

The second I pull her into me, that familiar rush hits—like my body's been holding its breath until it could touch hers again.

"There was no way I was staying out there when you're in my bed looking like this," I whisper against hermouth.

I nip at her bottom lip, earning a quiet gasp, before pulling back just enough to press a kiss to her forehead.

"How was work?" I ask, my fingers tracing lazy circles along her back.

"Fine," she murmurs, her nails lightly dancing over my tattoos. "Oh, Logan asked Harper on a date."

"Did she say yes?"

"Of course. I'm so happy for them. Honestly, they're perfect for each other."

"Do you think people would say that about us?" The question escapes me before I can catch it.

She raises her head, her dark eyes searching for something I'm not ready to say out loud yet. "Would you want them to?"

"Would you?"

"No way. I asked you first."She laughs, and the sound wraps around my heart like silk.

I roll her beneath me, pinning her to the mattress and caging her with my body. Her breath catches, that beautiful laugh fading as our eyes meet.

"All that matters to me is that you know how I feel. Everyone else can choke on their opinions."

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