Chapter 41 CHAPTER 041
Ameila POV::
"Ameila."
I fucking freeze on the spot. I was just on my way to the kitchen to check out the breakfast Ashley made before she left because I have gotten dizzy with hunger. She couldn't get me to come out of my room for dinner yesterday. I couldn't manage it. I was a wreck. I stayed holed up in my room all day.
"Amelia, I know you are in there." Linc's deep baritone at my door makes my knees go weak. My breath rushes out of me at the obvious anger in his tone. What is going on?
I ignored his calls when they came in about half an hour ago, but that can't be why he is at my door angry as a bull. I walk up to the door. And then I turn my back against it, resting on the cold metal, and then I am sliding down because my knees are fucking mush, just at the sound of his damn voice. I can't hold my weight up.
What the hell is he doing here? What is this about? We haven't seen or talked since I ran out of his office that night after my sleepy confession but so what? We have gone weeks where we didn't talked. Why the hell is he here now?
"Amelia. I have a master key. I will come in whether you want me to or not. Help us both and open this door this instant." I jump up.
I pull the door open with a glare on my face. And there he is. My glare melts right off my face as I take him in. Handsome as always. Dashing even. God, I missed him. That firm mouth. Those deep set eyes which are currently blazing angrily at me. That powerful chin with the perfect jawline. His full dark hair. He is the best looking forty one year old I know. Fuck, it is not fair.
"Where is he?" Linc walks in, looking around the apartment.
"What the fuck?" Now I am confused and angry. He is not supposed to come here. I thought we had an unspoken agreement. Just like how he shouldn't come to my school in Boston, and I shouldn't have gone to stay in his house the first week I arrived. He is breaking that law and for the most absurd reason. I see red.
"Where is he, Amelia?" He walks off into the kitchen and then the bedrooms. I follow him, bewildered and getting angrier.
"Where is who? What the fuck are you doing here Linc?" Even if I had someone over, and that was why I missed work, what right does he have to come barging in here?
"Tyler." He turns to me and I recoil at the mention of that name.
He watches my reaction curiously like he is seeing me for the first time since he barged in. I can't keep the dread from overtaking my features. An ugly fist grips my stomach and I feel like I could die from the horror of it all.
I stumble backwards and Linc reaches forward to grab me around the waist. My body sags into his, I can't help it.
Even though I have no idea why Linc would think Tyler would be in my apartment, just the mention of his name from him is enough to send me into a spiral. The emotional rollercoaster that bastard put me through with his blackmail and manipulations. Yesterday feels like a really bad fever dream. One I can't seem to wake up from.
I and Tyler weren't even friends and yet I felt the cold stab of betrayal sharp like we had been lovers like I fantasized in that brief moment during our first year.
"Amelia. Are you alright?" Linc whispers into my ears, his arm tightens around my waist and I am all too aware of the heat the innocent touch elicits in me.
"He...he, he is not here. Why would you think he would be here?" I can't help the trembling of my voice. I can't tell Linc about Tyler. He warned against it. In my desperation to appease him yesterday, I didn't question that. But it rings clear in my head that for some important reason, I shouldn't tell Linc.
"I don't know...I guess I wasn't thinking straight because I missed you so damn much. I asked to see you yesterday and you didn't show up. Then Marcus tells me the two of you are skipping work today. I don't know, I just went crazy." Linc's deep baritone vibrates down my body and I bury my head in his chest, his strong arm around my body only tightens.
"I am sorry. Forgive my bad manners." Linc adds when I don't say anything. He probably thinks I am mad at him but maybe he really didn't hear me that night. I could never be mad at him for longer than maybe two seconds.
"It is fine." I whisper, holding onto him tighter, needing the strength his hard warm body exudes. God, I missed him so much. Tyler only succeeded in making me wary, he could never extinguish what I feel for this man because of a few manipulative words. He doesn't know what it is like between us. And I suspect the rest of the world too. But I don't mind. I don't care. I am in love with this man. I want him. I always have. I always will.
And in this moment where I feel like I could shatter with how badly my nerves have been frayed, all I want is for Linc to consume me. I need his passion to cloud my senses. I want to feel needed by him. I miss how beautiful it can get between us. My body aches for him in ways I am becoming familiar with.
"So, and not that I actually care if you want to miss a couple days of work, I would like to know if there is a problem? Why didn't you show up today?" Linc pulls my face away from his chest so he can peer into my eyes. He cocks his head in an angle, I can see the slight surprise in his features at what he sees reflected in my face. The naked hunger I can't be bothered to hide.
"I don't want to talk about that right now." I say, leaning up on my toes, I feel his warm minty breath skim my face and I tingle. I would take this feeling over the dread Tyler had planted in my head.
"Really?" His breathy voice sends a tremor down my spine.
"In fact, I am not in the mood for much talking." I press my lips gently to his and his sharp inhale tells me he wants this just as bad as I do.
I dart out my tongue to trace the full curve of his lips and Linc lets out a growl.