Page 128 of After All This Time

The second her orgasm crashes through her, I lose it, thrusting one final time as I spill inside her, giving her every last piece of me.

When I finally pull back, she's staring at me with those big, beautiful brown eyes, and everything clicks into place. Every truth I've been running from, every feeling I've tried to ignore—it's all there, crystal clear.

She's it for me.

She's seduced my soul, claimed every broken piece of it, and now it only whispers her name.

Chapter 49

Amelia

Last night, Tobias made love to me.

There's no other way to describe what happened between us. It wasn't just sex—it was something deeper, something that ripped me open and reached into the parts of me I didn't even know I'd been guarding.

For once, I didn't shove the feelings away or try to rationalize them.

I let myself feel everything.

I stroll out of Tobias's bedroom, still wearing one of his white oversized T-shirts, the soft cotton skimming my thighs. His scent wraps around me, bringing me nothing but comfort, but the moment I enter the kitchen, I find him and my mom sitting silently at the island. They're doing that thing adults do when they're pretending everything's fine, but their body language is screaming otherwise. Her fingers are locked around her coffee cup like it might try to escape, while Tobias is staring into his like he's trying to drown himself in it.

"What's wrong?" I ask, my eyes bouncing between them.

My mom's smile is pure plastic, so fake that it makes me want to scream. "Nothing, sweetie. Tobiashas just been tellingmeallabout the piece you're doing for your audition next week."

"Right. Theone he wasn't supposed to see." I force a lightness into my voice that I don't feel, but Tobias's refusal to meet my eyes makes my stomach twist.

It was only a few hours ago that those same eyes had burned into mine with something that looked a lot like…

My mom's voice cuts through my thoughts, which is probably for the best, considering where they were headed.

"I'd like to see it."

"Why? It's not like you've been overly supportive about it."

"It was a bit of a shock, but I've had time to think about it, and maybe getting away and seeing what life has to offer could be good for you."

I blink, my coffee cup halfway to my mouth. "Where the hell is my mother?"

She raises an eyebrow at my sarcasm but doesn't bite back, which is an immediate red flag with this woman. "I've just changed my mind about it. Is that okay?"

Mygaze returns to Tobias, who still hasn't looked at me. His jaw is clenched so tight I can practically hear him grinding his teeth while his eyes are fixed on my mom in a way that sets me on edge.

"It's not like I needed your approval, but if you're on board, then great."

"Good, now go andget dressed," my mom orders. "I want to see this dance."

I clutch my coffee closer, breathing in the steam like it might clear away whatever nightmare I've stumbled into. "Yeah, no. It's ass o'clock in the morning, and I need caffeine first."

Tobias finally looks at me for only a second, but it's enough. Something in his eyes makes my stomach drop to my toes, and whatever went down while I was sleeping, whatever words were exchangedin this room, left marks.

"I'm gonna go back to bed. You got everything you need from my room, Mills?"

"No, actually. I left my phone in there."

"I'll grab it," he offers quickly, already moving, but something in his voice doesn't match the man inside me just hours ago.

"Fuck that," I mutter under my breath, chasing after him.

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