Page 66 of After All This Time

She's stunning, of course—blonde with sun-kissed skin and legs for days and not a single hint of awkwardness about being here.

My throat tightens, and all I can feel is this hot, searing mix of rage and humiliation bubbling up inside me. My stomach twists, my heart pounds, and every logical thought is replaced by one singular, irrational truth—I hate her. I hate her for being here and for reminding me in the cruelest way that Tobias isn't mine and never has been.

But more than that, I hate him for letting this happen and for making me feel like a complete idiot, like some stupid little girl who misread all the signs.

"Hey," she says, her voice light and polite, the kind of tone that instantly grates on my nerves, turning me into a catty bitch.

"Hi," I say, the word barely escaping my clenched teeth.

It's irrational, and I have no right to be mad.

I don't want to be mad.

I don't want to care.

"This is Chloe," Tobias says, his voice calm, but there's a slight shake I don't miss. "Chloe, this is Amelia. She's my…" He pauses, the word hanging in the air as he glances at me.

Say it. I hold his gaze, daring him.Call me your sister. Reduce me to that.

"Roommate," he finally says, and the word lands with the weight of a slap.

My chest tightens, my pulse thrumming so loudly I can barely hear Chloe's polite, "Nice to meet you."

"You too," I manage.

I see the quick once-over she gives me. She doesn't know what I really am to him—hell, I don't even know anymore—but I can feel her sizing me up, and I hate it.

I stand there, feeling like a jealous, petty prick in my ridiculous pajamas that screamchildand notwoman, staring at her in her cute outfit and perfect hair.

"Well, I'm going to bed," I announce, not waiting for a response.

I don't look back. I just turn and head toward my room as my vision starts to blur with angry tears I can't even begin to explain.

Why do I care this much?

Why did I ever expect anything different from him?

Why did I expect anything from him at all?

As I shut the door behind me, my chest heaves, the emotion spilling over as I grip the edge of my desk to steady myself. I've seen Tobias with women before, but this feels different, and I hate it.

I crawl into bed, turn off the light, and pull the blanket over my head like it can block out the world. The thought of hearing them—of hearing her laughter or his voice or, God forbid, something worse—feels unbearable.

Chapter 25

Tobias

Fuck. My. Entire. Life.

I knew this was a bad idea. Ifuckingknew it. If there was any doubt about how Amelia feels about me, those last few minutes just blew that shit into outer space. The way her brown eyes shifted—happy to see me one second, then like I'd just torched her favorite pair of ballet shoes the next—the change was instant.

She looked… hurt. And then, just as quickly, she looked like a goddamn savage, ready to hang me out to dry by my balls.

And honestly? Fair. I deserve it.

Because while we keep dancing around this unspoken thing between us, refusing to say the words or even acknowledge it, what the hell did I expect? This mess, this colossal clusterfuck of emotions, is entirely our own doing. There's no one else to blame. Not Levi, not Chloe, not even that dipshit Tate.Just us.

And yet here I am, standing in the aftermath, wondering how I'm supposed to fix it.

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