Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 445

A barrage of questions left Amelia speechless.

She stayed silent, but Daniel kept his eyes fixed on her, refusing to let her avoid him. “You have feelings for me too, don’t you? You’re not as indifferent as you pretend to be. Part of your heart still belongs to me.”

Amelia didn’t hesitate. “It doesn’t.”

“You answered too quickly,” Daniel said. “I don’t believe you.”

Amelia pressed her lips together. “Believe what you want. Just let me go.”

On the bed, Ruby stirred awake, her bright eyes blinking in the darkness, watching them.

It was too dark to see exactly what Mr. Daniel and her mother were doing, but their silhouettes looked… close.

Kiss her! Go on, kiss her! Ruby cheered them on in her head, snuggled under the covers.

But just then, a shrill phone vibration cut through the moment. The screen lit up. Amelia moved to answer, but Daniel stopped her. She gritted her teeth. “Just pick it up. Don’t wake Ruby.”

Daniel didn’t argue. He grabbed the phone and stepped out onto the balcony, sliding the glass door shut behind him.

Amelia let out a shaky breath, steadying herself in the darkness.

“Mommy.”

A small, sleepy voice broke the silence. Amelia’s relief was palpable as she flicked on the lamp. “You’re awake.”

“I want some water.”

Amelia twisted open a bottle of mineral water and handed it to Ruby. As Ruby took a sip, her gaze drifted to the balcony. “Who’s Mr. Daniel talking to? He’s been on the phone forever.”

Who knows. Maybe he’s talking to his precious Porcelain Doll, Amelia thought.

She changed the subject. “Are you hungry? What would you like for dinner?”

Ruby hopped off the bed and slid her feet into her slippers. “I’ll go ask Mr. Daniel.”

Ever since she’d gotten that whole specimen set as a gift, even meals seemed to revolve around him.

Ruby pushed open the balcony door, and Daniel’s voice drifted in: “No need to thank me. Just focus on getting better and back to school soon, okay?”

Daniel scooped her up in his arms. “Crab and shrimp it is.”

Ruby headed out with Daniel, never letting her feet touch the ground—the whole time, he carried her.

After dinner, Ruby played for a while in the themed family suite, flipping through the entomology museum’s picture book again and again before her eyelids finally drooped.

Amelia bathed her and tucked her into bed, while Daniel sat nearby, spinning a bedtime story. Amelia took the chance to slip into the bathroom for a shower.

Amelia was wearing long-sleeved pajamas with pants, and on top of that, she’d thrown on a jacket—an unmistakable message: “Keep your distance.”

She ignored Daniel’s teasing, climbing into bed beside Ruby. “Stop talking. We’re trying to sleep.”

Amelia lay there, listening to the sound of water cascading in the shower, and—against her better judgment—her mind conjured up an image of the man inside.