Page 74 of After All This Time

She freezes, her back straightening like she's bracing for a fight, and when she turns to face me, there's fire in her eyes.

"Since when have you been secretive about anything, Amelia?"

"Since you brought another girl home to our apartment,"she fires back, her words hitting like a slap. "And then had the audacity to think you could have any kind of say over who I date."

There it is. My fuck-up laid bare between us.

"I shouldn't have done that,"I say, my voice low, heavy with the kind of regret that sticks in your throat. "But it wasn't what you think it was."

"You weren't on a date?"She doesn't wait for me to respond, nor does she give me the chance to explain. "Doesn't matter. It's who you are,"she says as her gaze darts around the room like she needs something to focus on other than me.

"No, it's not."I step closer, invading her space. "And you know that."

Bitterness laces her laugh, cutting deeper than I want to admit. "You're free to date whoever you want, Tobias, but I wasn't expecting it. I…"

"You what, Firefly?"

Tell me, Mills. Tell me I'm not alone in this.

Her eyes catch mine, and for one vulnerable second, they soften. "I wouldn't have done it,"she whispers. "I wouldn't have brought Tate home."

I knew I fucked up the second I asked Chloe to grab a drink. I knew it even more when I brought her to the apartment because she needed the bathroom. Nothing happened—nothing ever would have—but it doesn't matter now. The damage is done, and there's no unfucking it.

"Are you dating him?"

"No, it was one drink because he wouldn't leave me alone."

"I really don't want you to go out with an asshole."Or anyone.

"It's a little late for you to be playing protective older brother, Tobias."

Oh, she fucking went there.

"Why?"I demand, stepping closer.

"Why what?"

"Why is it too late? It's what I am, isn't it?"

"What else would you be?"

"You tell me, Mills."

"What you are is a pain in the ass who seems to want to scare off any guy who shows me any attention, and I don't know why."

I step past her and toss my cigarettes, lighter, and phone onto the nightstand.

"You know exactly why."

"Tobias…"she whispers, and the fight slips from her tone for the first time tonight.

I pull my shirt over my head and fling it onto the chair before turning to face her.

"You wanna keep ignoring this?"I ask, pointing between us. "Then fine. But don't act like you don't feel it, too, because we both know something's going on here, and I'll ignore it to a point, but I'm done pretending it doesn't exist."I pull back the covers and slide into bed, the mattress dipping under my weight. "You getting in?"

"Yeah, I'll just be a minute,"she says, grabbing her things and disappearing into the bathroom.

I know her well enough to recognize when she needs a second to process. It's her thing—step away, take a breath, and pretend like she's not about to blow my whole world apart.

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