Page 164 of After All This Time

"You're coming tomorrow, right?"

Baby, they won't be going to your show tomorrow.

"Yes, we'll both be there."

Not after you find out I'm going to spend the rest of my life with your daughter, you won't.

"We could've gotten you a ticket, too, Tobias." Kayla's words drip with false sweetness. "If we'd known to expect you, of course."

"It's fine. I was there last night, and she was incredible."

Kayla's smile is razor-sharp, her teeth clenched tight enough to crack."Of course she was."

The server materializesto take ourdrink orders—some pretentious light shit for Kayla, whiskey neat for my dad because he's predictable as fuck, water for my girl because she's dedicated to her craft, and beer for me because we're not sticking around long enough to pretend we want dinner. My hand finds the back of Amelia's chair like a magnet, fingers twitching with the need to touch her bare shoulder—just one brush of skin on skin to groundme in this shitstorm. Kayla's eyes snap to my hand, her stare icy and dissecting, but I don't move away. I'm not hiding. Not anymore.

"You know, David," Kayla starts, her voice casual. However, her words are anything but. "I was thinking, with Amelia on the road so much, it might be worth finding her a new place to live. If she's only home half the year, Tobias might as well move in with one of his friends. Or, better yet, he could always come home. If Amelia doesn't need him, of course."

My jaw clenches so hard my teeth might crack. Beside me, Amelia goes rigid, tension rolling off her in waves that I feel in my fucking bones. Without thinking, my thumb traces circles on her skin, marking her as mine right under Kayla's judgy-as-fuck stare.

"Yeah, that's going to be a hard fucking pass. And Kayla, poking the bear? Really? Feels a little stupid, don't you think?"

Her lips tighten into a thin line, but Amelia's voice cuts in before Kayla can retort, "I told you last time I saw you that I wouldn't be moving out."

Across the table, my dad sits back, swirling whiskey in his crystal glass like the pompous ass he is. He's too quiet, and I see those wheels turning behind his eyes. Say what you want about the bastard, but he didn't continue to build his empire by being stupid.

"What exactly am I missing here?" His words slice through the tension like a blade. His eyes ping-pong between us before zeroing in on me and Amelia. "You two. What aren't you saying?"

Now my hand moves to Amelia's back, my fingers brushing slow circles against her spine. My dad's eyes track the movement, narrowing with every touch. But my girl? She doesn't break. Instead, her hand slides over to mine on the pristine white tablecloth, our fingers threading together like they were made to fit.

"This had better be a sick joke, Tobias."

"It's not a joke, Dad."

"I warned you to stay away from her," Kayla hisses across the table.

"You knew about this?"

"Jesus Christ, David, I didn't know they were actually together."

"She knew I had feelings for Amelia; that's all. She was probably trying to avoid any drama."

"Which is more than what can be said about you two," he fires back, his tone cold as ice. His eyes dart between us, landing on our joined hands. "Now get your goddamn hands off each other before someone sees you."

I open my mouth to respond, but before I can, Amelia laughs. It's a sound that's equal parts defiance and exhaustion, like someone who's all out of patience. She lifts her glass and finishes her entire drink of water, slamming it onto the table with a huge, unapologetic fuck you and meeting Kayla's glare head-on.

"Do you find this amusing, Amelia?"

Oh, he's so fucked.

"Actually, I do," Amelia fires back. "Because if you want to start pointing fingers, maybe take a good hard look at your own shit first."

"Amelia!"Kayla's voice cracks like a whip, but Amelia doesn't even flinch.

"You forced us to live together."She leans forward, all fire and fury and fuck-you energy. "All because you're overbearing as hell. I still don't understand why—my happiness clearly means nothing to you—but you've always tried to control my life in one way or another."

"Asking you to live together so you're not alone in a city isn't the same as asking you to climb into bed together,"Kayla spits, her perfect mask cracking to reveal the ugly underneath.

"No,"Amelia agrees, her smile pure venom. "That happened all on its own."

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