Page 92 of Conception
I may have a poker face in the boardroom, but I clearly do not when it comes to Amelia.
“What’s with the face, Wellington?” J.T. asks, his eyebrows furrowed.
“Your cousin. Amelia?”
Those same eyebrows rise in surprise. “You met her?”
“Yeah, I met her.”
“How’s she doin’?”
“I…I don’t know.”
And it hits me.
I don’t have a fucking clue how Amelia is doing and I fucking hate it.
It’s unacceptable, and I have the power to fix it.
Fix everything.
“J.T., it’s been nice catching up but I’ve gotta run.”
“What’s up? Where you going in a hurry?”
“I’ve gotta get back to Crystal Cove.”
A steady hand catches my arm, stopping me in my tracks. “Did something happen between you two?”
I pause, my eyes meeting his curious ones. “Yeah, J.T. Something happened. I fucking realized what Gwen and I never had. What you two do. I fell in love with Amelia and I walked away like the world’s biggest moron. And now? I’m going to fucking fix it.”
Two hours later, Mom finds me in my bedroom, packing a duffel bag. I’m lost in thought, with Genesis playing on my boombox, when a throat clears, tearing me out of my one-track mind.
“Going somewhere?” she asks as she leans against my doorjamb, eyeing me with concern. “And more importantly, have you told your father?”
Fuck. Spring break starts next week and I’m set to shadow Dad, him calling it a “trial run” before I get to put my nameplate at the Wellington Enterprises table.
I don’t fucking care.
“Mom, I’ve gotta go. I’ve been gone too long as it is. I can’t stay away from her for another second. Dad will have to understand.”
“Her?” Her melodic tone sounds amused and definitely intrigued.
I lift my gaze for a split second and see her studying me, curiosity etched on her delicate features. “Yeah, Mom. Her.”
That’s all she gets. I don’t have time to tell her all about Amelia, the woman who captured my heart. The woman who I don’t even know will have me back. The woman I don’t want to share.
The laughter that fills the air catches me off guard. Mom walks into the room and sits on the edge of my bed, patting the seat beside her. Although I’m eager to hit the road, I sit too.
“You are your father’s son, Knox. Through and through. You’ve always been that way. Clay was my softie, the momma’s boy I never knew I wanted.”
I snort. “Yeah, and look at him now. Went from momma’s boy to wrapped around Maria’s fingers.”
She sighs. “Trust me. Don’t I know it. But it’s good for him. She’s good for him. I always knew Clay would find a good woman, and it didn’t surprise me that he did it so young. But you? I worried about you.”
I meet her gaze. “What?”
“You’re so much like your father. Focused on work, work, work. I think that’s why I was elated when you found Gwen so early on, even if it was obvious to pretty much everyone that you weren’t all in.”
