Page 96 of Riding the Waves

Damian gave her one of his looks – as though he were reading her mind. “What were you going to say?”

“Nothing.” She couldn’t help but smile at the way he glared at her. “It’s just still a bit weird sometimes. Whenever there were any big decisions regarding the kids …”

“You discussed it with Anthony?”

“Yes.” She swallowed hard. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” He pursed his lips. “Talk to him if you want.”

Amy studied his features, checking if he was being genuine.

“I’m serious,” he said. “Talk to Anthony about it. See what he thinks. Let’s face it, he probably knows Billy and Marty better than I do. And I don’t think he’d be vindictive. He’ll give you his honest opinion.”

Amy leaned in to plant a kiss on Damian’s cheek. “I love you,” she told him firmly. “And I don’t think Anthony does know Marty and Billy better than you, but I think I’ll feel better if I discuss it with him.”

“What happens if he’s against it?”

“He won’t be.” She was sure of it. “He’ll be upset, which will make me feel terrible, but he’ll tell me to do whatever makes me happy.”

Damian rolled his eyes dramatically. “You always have to pick the nice guys, don’t you?”

“Obviously not always.” With a smirk, she looked him up and down.

“You think you’re hilarious!” He slipped his arms around her waist to tickle her.

She laughed delightedly, not only from his fingers digging under her ribs but from relief at the conversation.

“Are you really thinking about moving to my place?” he asked when she relaxed into him.

“Yes. It sort of feels inevitable.”

He drew back and looked at her uncertainly. “That sounds as though you have no choice.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.” She sagged against his chest. “More like that’s where we should have been all along.”

Damian tightened his arms around her and dropped a gentle kiss on her head. “I didn’t even think you liked my house. It’s a little different to what you’re used to.”

“That’s true,” she agreed, relaxing into his embrace. “But I don’t like this house. Not so much because of the furnishings, but because I’ve never been truly happy here.” She squeezed his hand. “I want something different.”

They fell into a thoughtful silence.

“Can I ask you a question?” Damian murmured after a moment.

“Mmm?”

“Is that picture supposed to be snakes or ropes?”

Amy drew back, shifting her gaze above the fireplace. “It’s vines.”

“Really?” He cocked his head, clearly unconvinced. “I thought it was snakes hiding in leaves. But from the stairs it looks like a pile of ropes with leaves on them.”

Amy frowned. “I always thought it was vines,” she said, moving to the centre of the room and gazing up at it. “But maybe you’re right about it being snakes.”

“Sorry.” Standing beside her, Damian draped an arm around her shoulders. “I didn’t mean to ruin it for you.”

“To be honest, you might have redeemed it a little. If I look at it as snakes, I might hate it slightly less. Which is odd because I’m not a fan of snakes.”

“You hate the painting?” Damian asked.

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