Page 182 of Beautiful Storm

“Yet?”

“Yeah, I’m thinking we should fill it with ten kids. Maybe more.”

“You’re dreaming,” Amelia scoffs, knowing I’m joking, but I love this house, regardless of size. “Two will be plenty. Juliet already walks all over you. You’d be drowning with ten.”

“Fine.” She’s got a point. My angel can do no wrong. “We can stop at two.” I bite back a smirk as she tucks her hands behind her head, closing her eyes, looking more relaxed than I’ve seen her in a while. She’s been nervous about the music video, and I’m guessing that now that it’s out in the world, and she can no longer change it, some of the built-up tension has left her. Which reminds me…

“I’m sorry you missed therapy today. I won’t make a habit of going to away games. I just wanted to see Thomas’s first—”

“What? No. You’re allowed to have a life, plus I… ah… didn’t miss it.”

“You didn’t? Did you give in and call my parents?” My parents are amazing with Juliet, but they’re the type of grandparents that believe in spoiling their grandchildren, and while I will admit I spoil Juliet, there’s a huge difference. She always comes home feeling sick after too much sugar when she’s been with them. They’re good in small doses.

Amelia huffs out a laugh, and then shocks me with her answer. “No, I gave in and calledmymom.”

“Wow.”

“I know.”

“And?”

“She was great. She took Juliet to that fairyland park near my appointment and Juliet won’t stop talking about it. Mom was relaxed and happy. She even mentioned a new man in her life.”

A genuine smile lights up my face. After Juliet was born, Amelia decided to start seeing a therapist to talk about her family and well…me. It really helped her work through the feelings she’d held on to since she was younger, and she’s been working on rebuilding her relationship with her mom. I was hesitant at first, but after Jake was arrested for harassing Amelia, his relationship with her dad came to light, and her mom was devastated that she’d been a part of it. Turns out, when Damien found out Amelia was pregnant, he showed up at the Brighton Productions office and that’s where he met Jake.

The asshole—Damien, I mean—has some kind of addiction to causing trouble. That’s the best way to describe it. It’s not specifically about money, although he did demand it from the news outlets when he sold his story, but it’s more than that. It’s almost like self-sabotaging behavior but threefold because he likes to sabotage the lives of the people he loves too. It’s destructive behavior that I want far away from my family.

“I think she’s in a better place,” Amelia continues. “It was always going to take time for her to move on from Damien—we knew that. Even after she found out what he’d done. But she hasn’t mentioned his name recently, so here’s hoping she’s finally putting that time in her life behind her.”

When Juliet was a few months old, we agreed to let Alice see her on the condition that she never took photos and didn’t talk to Amelia’s dad, or anyone else, about any of us. It took a while to trust her, but I think Amelia’s right. She seems to have changed.

“That’s great to hear and you seem a lot happier about it.”

“I am. It’s like a weight’s lifted. But it’s not Mom or the therapy that’s truly made me happy.”

“Oh, yeah?” I raise an eyebrow as Amelia sits up and crawls over to my lounge, straddling my lap.

“Yeah. There’s this guy. He’s smart and handsome and…rides a motorcyc—”

She squeals as I flip her over, cutting off what was about to be a blatant lie. We’ve been together for three years and she still loves to sass me any chance she gets. It keeps things interesting and makes me love her a little more each day.

“You hate motorcycles.”

“No, I don’t.” I stare at her deadpan until she laughs. “Okay, I don’t love them. But this guy—” I cut her off again, pressing my lips to hers in a bruising kiss, careful to keep my weight off her.

She mewls against my mouth as she wraps her hands around my neck, her fingers dancing through my hair. “Who’s the guy?” I ask, my lips brushing hers before I suck her bottom lip and cup her neck with my palm.

“Hmmm,” she moans as her head falls back, and I can’t help but laugh, knowing the sass is long forgotten.

“I was just saying I love you,” I lie jokingly, readjusting myself to glide a hand up her leg, my fingers wrapping around the string of her bikini.

“Yes,” she rushes out breathlessly when I kiss a path down her throat, sucking the heated flesh into my mouth. “I love you too.”

Pulling back, I stare down at her as she sucks in a breath, her hooded eyes gazing lovingly into mine. This woman is my world. Always has been. And I almost fucked it all up.

But never again.

We may have a shared past that I’m not proud of, but our story is only beginning. And if they ever make a movie about our life, Amelia won’t be the director—she’ll be the star while I’m merely the supporting actor.

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