54. Amelia
Chapter 54
Amelia
T he last few weeks have flown by faster than I ever wanted. I've barely seen Tobias, and it's eating at me. Despite my minor role, my life has become an endless cycle of rehearsals—morning to night. It's fucking relentless. When I'm not dragging myself through practice or passing out from exhaustion, I'm slinging drinks at the bar while Tobias drowns in his own work commitments.
But those moments when we do connect? They're electric. We crash together like storms meeting over open water, all lightning strikes and thunder.
We find each other everywhere—bodies tangled in sweat-dampened sheets, pressed against kitchen countersbesidecold coffee, sharing breaths under steaming water that can't compare to the fire between us. The where doesn't matter, only the how and now of us.
And maybe my mom's right. Maybe there's some truth to her accusations that we're too dependent on each other. But I can't bring myself to care.
My mom’s been different since our little brunch showdown—less helicopter parent, more distant satellite. Maybe I've finally achieved what teenage me could only dream of—disgusting her enough that she's given up on micromanaging my life.
She hasn't brought up Tobias on the rare occasions we talk, and I haven't mentioned him either. I don't want her words to poison this thing between us, especially when I'm getting ready to leave.
I want to go, knowing Tobias and I are in a good place—not one weighed down by insecurities or the suffocating pressure of everyone around us trying to convince us that what we share is wrong.
Because it doesn't feel wrong.
It's real, pure in its imperfection, and it's ours.
And if protecting it means maintaining this distance from my mother, then so be it.
I finally have a night off from the bar tonight, and Jen invited me over. Apparently, Zane's out of town visiting his family, and she and Tessa are having a sleepover. They asked me to stay the night, but the second I mentioned it to Tobias, he looked at me like I'd lost my mind. It's an unspoken rule between us—even with the crazy schedules, we don't go a night without sleeping next to each other.
I decide to show up casual and cozy, slipping into my favorite full-length pajamas—a mint-green set covered in tiny sloths that I've had forever. I shuffle into my slippers and make my way out to where Tobias is waiting. The second he sees me, his hand flies to his mouth, his eyes narrowing as if he's trying not to laugh.
"Wow," he says, his voice dripping with amusement. "Haven't seen those bad boys since high school. How the hell have they survived this long?"
I flip him off while pulling my hair into a messy ponytail. "They're my favorites, asshole. And they're still perfect," I defend, smoothing the worn fabric like it's designer silk instead of decade-old cotton.
Tobias steps closer, towering over me in the way he always does, and presses a soft kiss to the top of my head, keeping his lips there as he breathes in the scent of my hair. Then he turns around, crouching slightly with an expectant look. The muscles in his back flex beneath his thin T-shirt, and I have to resist the urge to run my hands over them.
"Come on, sloth girl," he teases, patting his back. "Hop on."
I try to look annoyed, but the grin breaks through anyway as I jump onto him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. He grabs his phone and keys, passing them to me before pulling me closer.
"It's raining out. We can't let those fluffy sheep on your feet get wet now, can we?" I lean in and press a soft kiss to his cheek in thanks.
Once we pull up to Jen and Harry's place, Tobias steps out into the rain like it's nothing, the downpour soaking him instantly. He strides to my side of the car and opens the door, lifting me into his arms and holding me tight against his chest.
His shirt clings to him, and rain drips from his hair and catches on his eyelashes, but his focus stays on me.
"I got you," he murmurs, and I swear to god, I melt. Not just metaphorically—I literally feel myself dissolving into him, becoming something boneless and weightless.
When Tessa opens the door, she's standing in a pair of brightly colored Care Bears pajamas. Her hair is pulled up into a messy bun, with a few loose blonde strands framing her face, making her look cute as hell. The second her eyes land on us, her entire face lights up, and a wide grin spreads across her lips.
"Where do you want her?" Tobias asks, completely deadpan, as if showing up at someone's door with me in his arms is the most normal thing in the world.
Tessa steps aside, holding the door open and pointing toward the living room."In there works," she says, still giggling.
"You know I could've walked from the door."
He throws me a look that says we both know that's not happening—not when he wants me exactly where he can touch me.
Jen glances up from where she's arranging pillows on the couch, a smile tugging at her lips as she watches Tobias gently lower me down.
"You know what you guys are doing tonight?" she asks.
Tobias straightens, his hands sliding into his pockets as his gaze flicks to mine. "We're gonna shoot some pool and have a couple of beers."
His words are for Jen, but his eyes are fixed on me, and for a moment, the world around us seems to fade. The memory hits us both at once—the last time he played pool.
That night at our parents' house.
The night everything between us really began.
Tessa bursts back into the room, her Care Bear pajamas swishing against her legs.
"How come you didn't go with the professor? I thought things were serious between you two."Tessa elbows him as she walks by, earning an exaggerated grunt. "Ouch,Blondie, no need to get vicious," he mutters, rubbing his ribs with a smirk.
"I couldn't get the time off work," she says, dropping onto the couch beside me. "Besides, it's good for Zane to go and spend some time with his family. I'll go next time."
"I don't know about that. Families are pretty overrated," he says, and we all hear the meaning behind the words. The history that doesn't need explaining.
Jen raises a brow, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she smirks at him. "What are you talking about? Your parents sound awesome."
Tobias gives her the bird just as Harry strolls into the room with a beer in hand and a smile on his face.
"Hey, you ready?"
"Of course I am. I'm waiting on your ass," Tobias fires back at him. "Damn, you smell good, man. This for me?" He leans in toward Harry, dramatically sniffing him.
Harry grins, his voice dropping into a playful, low drawl. "You know it, baby."
Tobias rolls his eyes, shoving Harry with that perfect mix of brotherly bullshit and genuine affection.
"Let's leave these beautiful women to do whatever it is they do,"Tobiassays as Harry turns to Jen and presses his lips against hers in a tender kiss.
Then Tobias is there, in my space, his mouth finding mine like muscle memory. The kiss is soft, barely there, but it sets off fireworks under my skin.
"So this is what it feels like to be a fifth wheel," Tessa teases, playfully rolling her eyes at all of us.
"You want some love too, baby girl?"
Before she can tell Harry where to shove it, both guys descend on her like oversized puppies, planting exaggerated kisses on her head while she shrieks with laughter.
Tobias straightens first, but his focus snaps back to me. One hand cups my jaw, and the other grips the back of the couch for balance as he leans in closer.
This time, his lips press against mine slower, deeper, with an intent that feels like a promise. The kiss is unhurried, and whenhe finally pulls back, his breath fans across my lips in a quiet sigh.
"I'll be back to pick you up later,Firefly."
As the door shuts behind the guys, Jen and Tessa turn to me, their matching smirks already in place, and I can practically see the interrogation forming on their lips.
"I knew how he felt about you, but seeing it… God, Amelia, I'm so happy for you. For him and you," Tessa says with a wide smile.
I fidget with the throw pillow in my lap, my heart doing that flutter thing it does whenever I think about him.
"It's really good," I admit. "I'm… I don't even have words for what I am."
"In love." Jen breezes in like a fairy godmother, wine glasses clinking as she sets them on the coffee table alongside a bottle of red. "And don't try to deny it—your face gives you away. Just like his does."
I don't confirm or deny it. I don't need to. They see it as clearly as I feel it.
"I never thought I'd see the day, to be honest," Jen muses as she pours the wine.
"I've seen him make his way through women for years. He doesn't disrespect anyone—never cheats—but he just… doesn't commit," I say as I accept the glass Tessa offers me.
"Because he was searching for something real."
"He thought he might find it with you once," I say, the words slipping out before I can stop them.
I'm not jealous—not when I see how perfect she and Zane are together,andnot when I know how deep her friendship with Tobias runs.
"He messaged me about you a couple of times," I say, remembering those late-night texts that popped up, full of confusion and wounded pride. "He couldn't understand why this gorgeous girl named Tessa wouldn't give him a chance when he was so sure there was something there."
"That arrogant little shit." Tessa rolls her eyes, but her smile is all affection. "Tobias is hot, like stupidly hot. We can all see that," she admits, a smile tugging at her lips. "And there is something between us, but it's the purest platonic brother-sister love, and that spark, the one you and him obviously share, wasn't there."
"Not to mention," Jen cuts in, a wicked glint in her eye, "you were busy climbing your professor like a tree."
I nearly choke on my wine, the liquid threatening to make a dramatic exit through my nose.
"It's the best decision I've ever made," Tessa declares."But maybe what Tobias and I needed was exactly this—this friendship. It's perfect exactly as it is, and I wouldn't change it for anything." She pauses, tilting her head thoughtfully. "Although… I barely see him these days since someone's been keeping him thoroughly occupied."
"Sorry about that," I say with a chuckle. "Seriously, though, I'm glad he has you. He's going to feel it when I'm gone, and Tobias doesn't do well with being alone."
"Has he always been like that?" Tessa leans forward, wine forgotten in her hand, concern etching lines between her brows.
"Since I've known him, yeah."
"We've got him," Jen promises. "He's basically our annoying brother at this point—we're not going anywhere."
"Okay, enough heavy stuff." Tessa brightens, clearly trying to lift the mood. "Tell us about this amazing opportunity. This is what you've been dreaming about, right?"
"It is." I nod, trying to summon the excitement that used to bubble up whenever I thought about it. "It's the tiniest role, but it's experience and something to add to my resume."
"But?" Tessa presses, her eyes narrowing as she studies me.
I blow out a breath, pushing my hair back from my face. "Two weeks suddenly feels really soon. And this opportunity doesn't shine quite as bright as it did when I first got the call."
"Because of Tobias?"
"Yeah, he's part of it," I admit. "But it's more than that. I feel like I've just started to get settled. Like, for once, things feel… right."
"Sixmonths will fly by," Jen says with that big-sister certainty she's perfected. "And then you'll be back where you belong."
"With Tobias," Tessa adds, and something in her voice makes my heart squeeze.
She's his closest friend, and I can see how much it means to her that maybe—just maybe—he's found someone who makes him happy.
That someone being me.
Wine drunk is a different kind of magic. The kind that makes everything feel soft around the edges and turns regular Friday nights into something special.
Like literal sloths, we sprawl across Jen's living room, riding that perfect buzz where everything's funny and nothing hurts.
"Listen," Jen announces, her words a littleslurred. "When I get married—and this is nonnegotiable—Harry better be ready because I'm having a Disney princess party for one."
"So Harry's not invited to his own wedding?"Tessaasks.
Jen waves her hand dramatically. "I meant for two, obviously. Oh god, and then there's all of you." She starts counting on her fingers, squinting like the math is more complicated than it should be. "Okay, so maybe a twelve-person princess party. That's reasonable, right?"
"Have you told Harry about these very specific details?"I ask, swirling the last bit of wine in my glass.
"Absolutely not.I'mpretty sure he'd run away from me as fast as possible if he even knew I'd mentioned weddings."
"Bullshit,"I say, shaking my head. "I haven't known you guys that long, but trust me, he is all in for you. He looks at you the way Damon looks at Elena."
The room goes dead quiet, andJen's eyebrows shoot up like they're trying to escape her face. "You better be talking about Salvatore and Gilbert right now."
I laugh, nodding without shame, and Tessa leansforwardwith a grin, tilting the bottle until the last drops of wine splash into our glasses. "I knew I liked you. And for the record, I don't really like anyone."
"That's it."Jen fumbles for the remote. "We have to watch it now. It's basically the law."
She pulls up Netflix,and withinmoments, the screen flickers to life, and the tortured expression of Stefan Salvatore fills the room as he mourns what he thinks is the loss of his brother.
We settle in, and whether it's the wine or just one of those perfect moments, everything feels right.
Tessa raises her glass."To princess weddings that Harry doesn't know about yet,the Salvatore brothers,and friends who don't suck."The sound of our glasses clinking mingles with soft laughter, and I sink deeper into the couch, savoring this moment.
These are the nights that become memories, the kind you look back on years later and think, That's when I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be.
The room fills with our overlapping voices and laughter as we watch,andone episode bleedsinto two.
Before we know it, the front door swings open. Harry walks in first, with Tobias right behind him, and my stomach flips as butterflies take off the second his eyes find mine.
Harry surveys our collection of empty wine bottles with amusement, and both guys nod their approval in a way that makes them seem more like proud parents than anything else.
"Not this again." Harry dramatically collapses onto the floor by Jen's feet. "How many times are you going to make everyone watch this?"
"Why are you even acting like you didn't cry when Damon and Bonnie just poofed into oblivion?" Jen shoots back.
"I did not cry." Harry's mouth drops open, and he swivels tofaceTobias."I swear, man, I had something in my eye."
Tobias settles next to me on the couch arm, close enough that I can feel the warmth radiating from him. "No judgment here, brother."
"You know what?" Tessa's wine-brightened eyes study Tobias thoughtfully. "You've always reminded me of Damon."
Tobias raises an eyebrow at her. "I'll take it."
"Seriously." She waves her wine glass for emphasis. "It hit me when we first met—the hair, the clothes, that whole… vibe you've got going on."
"What vibe?" His lips quirk with curiosity.
"The asshole vibe," I tease, gently nudging him with my elbow.
"Yes!" Tessa points at me, grinning. "Exactly! Though obviously, we know you're not actually an asshole."
Tobias chuckles, leaning closer to me. "An asshole vibe, huh? Is that what you think of me, Firefly?"
I dig deep to find my most innocent expression. "Well, you know—the tattoos, that cigarette you always keep behind your ear—"
"Don't forget the piercings," Jen adds, helpful as ever.
"Player," I finish with a smirk.
"Player?Take that back, baby. Right now."
I shake my head, feeling drunk from the wine and the way he's looking at me. "Not a chance."
His eyes darken like storm clouds. "Fine. But we're addressing that attitude the second we get home."
"God, you're such a smooth bastard," Tessa mutters beside us.
"You had your chance,Blondie," he fires back, smirking at Tessa, who responds with a cheerful middle finger.
Laughter erupts, filling the room as Tobias takes the brunt of everyone's teasing, something he handles with an ease that only makes him more irresistible.
"Right, Mills. You ready to go?"
"What's the rush?" I ask, trying to sound casual, though my heart is hammering against my ribs.
"You really want me to tell the room? Because I will. Every dirty detail."
"Oh my god, get out!" Jen shouts while Harry clamps a hand over her mouth, grinning like the devil himself.
"Don't listen to her," Harry says, his eyes twinkling. "I want to hear it."
I laugh, shaking my head as I stand, sliding into my slippers.Tobias stands and lifts me into his arms. My legs find their home around his waist, holding onto him as the room spins slightly from the wine.
"Is it still raining out?"
"No," he says, and I hear everything he isn't saying in that single word.
That he just wants me close.
"Okay then," I murmur as a lazy smile spreads across my lips.
"Thank you for tonight, girls!" I call out over my shoulder, my words warm and loose with wine and happiness. "Best night ever!"
Tobias, ever efficient, shouts his quick goodbyes while cradling me against his chest, already striding toward the front door.
The cool night air kisses my skin as he steps outside, and I rest my head against his shoulder.
At his car, he sets me down on the hood, the cold biting through my thin pajamas. But then his mouth crashes into mine, and the chill becomes nothing—less than nothing because nothing matters except how it feels to be kissed by him.
His kiss is pure fire—hungry and demanding, his tongue sliding against mine as his hands brand my waist. He presses between my legs, and I feel the hard, aching proof of his need mirroring my own.
"Feel how much I've missed you tonight?" he rasps against my lips.
I can barely breathe, my head spinning for an entirely different reason now.
"Take me home and show me."
"Yes, ma'am." His exaggerated drawl pulls a breathless laugh from my throat.
In one fluid motion, he lifts me again, carrying me to the passenger sideof the car.
The seatbelt clicks into place, and he leans in, one large hand braced on the seat. He crowds my space in the best possible way, capturing my mouth in a gentle kiss.
"One hundred and eighty-two days,"he whispers against my lips, each number a bullet to the heart. His forehead presses to mine, and I think the tenderness might kill me faster than the distance will.
He straightens and closes the door carefully before walking around to the driver's side. I know him well enough to see what he's doing—he's turning those words over in his head, trying to lock them into place and find a way to be okay with them.
"Tobias?" I say his name quietly when he finally slides into the seat beside me.
"Yeah?"
"Do you know how I know you're the right one?" My voice breaks, vulnerability laid bare.
"Tell me, Firefly."
"Because anywhere I've ever been without you has always felt like the wrong place."
His eyes soften, his walls crumbling right there in the dim light of the car. He doesn't say anything, but he doesn't need to. His gaze tells me everything I need to know.
He loves me.