Page 21 of Grumpy Bossy Billionaire Enemy

“Not yet,” Amelia replied, stroking the diamond on the pendant. “The sky is still beautiful.”

She was right. The night sky might be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever beholden. However, its beauty was nothing compared to Amelia’s.

“I love you,” were my beautiful, magical words. I'd been nurturing these words for as long as I could remember.

I've loved Amelia for a long time, and I was certain that I'd always love her as long as I breathed.

The sparkle of her being was unhidden now. It spread a smile on her face that reached her ears.

“I love you too, Henry Robinson,” Amelia responded. “I love you so much.”

I kissed her on her shoulders and held her a little tighter and a while longer into the night. We watched the night stars retreat into the darkness. We also watched new stars emerge from where they weren't before. There was never a more perfect night nor a more perfect woman.

****

Amelia promised to return to my home when she gets off work tonight. She didn’t hide her presence in my home from her parents any longer. They weren’t aware of our deep attraction and didn't care about it. No one except my mother seemed to care about my growing feelings for Amelia. I was in Mother's house, watching the event planner survey the garden in Mother's vast backyard. She was also here to get Mom's specific requirements for the wedding. Mother had pressing concerns. She voiced them, and I realized it was about Amelia. She was worried that I was getting lost in my relationship. She told me that I had a mere infatuation, which would subside with time.

I didn’t need to remind her that I was a grown man who could differentiate what an infatuation felt like. I'd gone through Richmond's dating spree and met a few people I lusted after many women and nothing felt like the happy possession of Amelia in my arms. Nothing. Everything I felt for Amelia was far from infatuation; it was deeper, more intoxicating than anything I had ever felt. Mother claimed she was always right. She told me she'd been in our shoes when she was young and had a similar experience with my father. But they couldn't keep up the fire that burned between them as time passed. I reminded Mother that Amelia and I are different from our parents.

“We’ll see,” Mother snickered. “You know I’m always right.”

Mother’s divine intuition always being right was one of the things that upheld the family business after my father’s death. She'd always seen through people's action or inaction. She'd always seen through things and could predict what would come from a business deal. This made her deal carefully with things that could bankrupt the business. However, she was here, telling me she had foreseen the fire between Amelia and me dying off.

This was a time when I wanted her to be wrong, a time I wanted to prove her wrong. I'd work things with Amelia, and we'll get stronger daily.

“You wouldn't have to worry about that, Mom,” I kissed her on her cheeks. “Amelia and I will be fine.”

I took off from her mansion, heading home, waiting for Amelia’s return from the hospital. Amelia threw her bag on the sofa as she walked into the living room. She folded her hand across her breasts.

She was angry, but not at me. “Camille is getting married to Troy!” she blurted out. “Did you know about it?”

I exhaled, unable to hide my reaction to the news. Amelia could tell that my indifferent reaction to the news of my brother marrying her best friend meant that I knew all along. Troy was only trying to outsmart Mother by marrying Camille before he got Emilie shoved down his throat. Their marriage would be on paper. Therefore, legally, he couldn’t marry someone else before divorcing Camille. Troy and Camille would have a secret wedding that would be revealed to my mother the day after.

I couldn't imagine Mother's reaction to this news. She'd go completely crazy and do everything to frustrate the marriage. Amelia was fuming, aware of the pressure that lay ahead of her friend. “Why didn’t you mention anything to me?”

“I didn’t know Troy was going to go on with it.”

“You knew he would leverage Camille's mother's cancer treatment?”

“He mentioned it, but I didn’t know that he was going to go on with it.” I paused and continued, “I didn’t know Camille was going to agree as well.”

Amelia finally sat down, hitting her head on the sofa. “I don’t want her to face this life,” Amelia said. “Your mother…she won’t like it.”

I took her hands into mine. “I know, and I'm sure both Camille and Troy know this too. They are adults who can take care of their problems. I'm sure they can also handle any heat from my mother."

“Troy and Camille are two people who want things from each other, and there is no better proximity than what they have."

Amelia put her head on my shoulders. “The wedding is tomorrow.”

Just then, my phone buzzed. The device showed a message notification from Troy informing me that his secret wedding with Camille was the very next day.

I raised the screen to Amelia's face. "Speak of the devil."

By virtue of our relationship with the couple, Amelia and I knew we were the two witnesses needed at the wedding.

“We have a wedding to attend tomorrow.” I kissed Amelia's forehead. “Our wedding plans are coming in handy.”

I gently held her, quietly reminiscing on the huge events before us. My brother’s marriage and also my marriage with Amelia. While I was overwhelmed with the uncertainty of the future, I was certain I’d hold on to my love for Amelia for life. My mind trailed back to the conversation I had had with my mother. It was hard to shake the fear occupying my head. I hoped that it wouldn’t be this hard.

---