Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Jo adjusted the light stand for the third time and stepped back to check the shadows against the brick wall she’d chosen as the backdrop. It helped that the late-afternoon sun had slanted through the tall windows of the studio space, casting flattering highlights across her client’s soft curls.
Malandra had arrived on time, full of charisma and ease, dressed in a burnt orange jumpsuit and cream sandals.
She looked every bit the confident, modern-day self-help guru she marketed herself as—a blend of approachable wisdom and undeniable presence.
Perfect for the website she was about to launch.
Jo, on the other hand, felt anything but composed.
She shifted the camera strap across her shoulder and offered a tight smile. “Okay, I want to get a few more headshots before we move to the lounge setup. You doing alright?”
“More than alright,” Malandra said as she tucked a curl behind her ear. “You’re good at this. I’ve never felt so relaxed having my picture taken.”
“Good,” Jo replied with a smile as she checked her focus. “That’s the goal.”
They moved through a few more shots—shoulders turned slightly, a softer expression, chin a little higher—and Jo fell into the rhythm of it all. Photography had always calmed her and given her something to focus on that wasn’t herself. But today, even the lens couldn’t distract her for long.
Her mind kept drifting to the message that had come through last night while she was at Satin. To the dinner plans waiting for her just a few hours away. To…Amelia.
“I hope I’m not overstepping,” Malandra said during a pause, brushing out any creases from her jumpsuit. “But…are you seeing anyone at the moment?”
Jo’s brows lifted.
“Sorry.” Malandra laughed. “I always ask people questions like that. It’s the therapist in me. Or maybe just the nosy bitch in me.”
Jo smiled as she lowered her camera. “I guess the honest answer is…it’s complicated.”
“That usually means one of two things.” Malandra tilted her head, curiosity settling in her eyes. “Either someone was involved, or someone’s still involved, and you’re not sure what to do about it.”
Jo hesitated. “Something like that.” She didn’t owe this woman anything personal, but somehow it was easier talking to a stranger.
Malandra wasn’t part of her world. She didn’t know about Callum or the tangled, aching truth of Amelia.
She also didn’t know about Lia. “Let’s just say I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately… and not much sleeping.”
Malandra smiled. “It sounds to me like your heart is being pulled in different directions.”
“Yeah.” Jo looked back at her client, surprised by the accuracy. “Exactly that.”
They stood in silence for a moment, just the hum of the studio lights filling the space between them.
Then Malandra stepped down off the backdrop area and straightened her shoulders.
“Well, for what it’s worth, you strike me as someone who deserves to be chosen.
Not just needed or wanted when it suits people. ”
“T-thank you.”
Malandra offered a soft, playful smile as she stepped closer. “And if your heart ever finds some breathing room, I make a mean margarita, and I know how to dance.”
Jo blinked repeatedly, caught off guard. “Wait, are you—”
“Yes.” Malandra grinned. “I’m asking you out on a date.”
“Wow. That’s…really flattering.”
Malandra lifted a brow. “But…”
“I’m not in the right place,” Jo said, more certain of that than she had been about anything else in weeks. “I’ve got someone I need to be honest with. And maybe someone I’ve already been dishonest with.”
Malandra nodded. “Good answer.”
They finished the shoot a little while later, and Jo sent Malandra off with a promise to deliver a batch of previews by the end of the following week. But even as she packed up her gear, the weight of the evening ahead pressed firmly against her chest.
Dinner.
With Amelia.
She hadn’t stopped thinking about it all day.
Actually, not since she’d sent the message last night, and not since Amelia’s unmistakably warm reply.
Just tell me when and where and I’ll be there.
Jo hadn’t suggested a restaurant yet. She hadn’t even chosen an outfit.
Because a part of her was still terrified that she’d walk into dinner and see a goodbye waiting in Amelia’s eyes.
And another part—a deeper, braver part—hoped she’d see something else.
Something that resembled a beginning.
The restaurant was quiet, tucked between a florist and a record shop on a sleepy corner of the city that Jo barely remembered existed.
It was the kind of place Amelia would choose, though.
Elegant without being showy, and dimly lit with white candles on every table.
It even had those cute little handwritten menus clipped to reclaimed wooden boards.
Jo had arrived earlier than she’d needed to, then spent ten minutes pacing up and down the pavement outside, her heart in her mouth.
When she’d finally stepped through the door and given her name, the server led her to a table in the far corner.
It was private, intimate, and candlelit.
Not exactly what Jo believed was right at the moment, but she could still appreciate a beautiful setting.
As she wrung her hands and settled them on top of the table, the door opened.
Jo saw Amelia before Amelia saw her. Her hair was swept back into a loose twist, a navy silk shirt tucked into tailored high-waisted trousers. The simple earrings she wore caught the light, and then Jo noted Amelia’s expression. Was she…nervous, too?
God, Jo hoped so. At least then she wouldn’t feel alone.
“Hey,” Jo said, standing as Amelia approached the table.
Amelia smiled, but it was nothing like the usual smile she had for Jo. “Hi.”
They kissed each other’s cheeks briefly—just a brush of skin, but enough to make Jo’s stomach somersault—and sat down.
The server came over for their drinks order, effectively breaking the silence, and then he left again…and that heavy quiet settled once more.
Amelia cleared her throat and looked up from her menu. “I wasn’t sure if you still wanted to meet me.”
Jo swallowed. “I wasn’t sure if you’d say yes.”
“Yet here we are.” Amelia sat back in her seat and laughed.
“Yeah.” Jo nodded as her fingers curled loosely around her napkin. “Here we are.”
It wasn’t easy to sit across a table looking back at Amelia.
Not because Jo didn’t want to, but because the longer she did, the harder it became to keep her composure.
Everything about Amelia—the way she carried herself, the subtle grace in her movements, the warmth beneath the caution in her eyes—set Jo on edge in the most beautiful yet maddening way.
Jo chewed her lip, then shook her head as she said, “I’m sorry.”
Amelia frowned. “For what?”
“For the other night. For choosing the club and Lia over dinner with you. I shouldn’t have done that.” God, Jo couldn’t believe how stupid she’d been. Right now, she was just grateful that Amelia hadn’t turned her down in return.
Amelia searched her face. “You were honest about it. That’s more than most people would have been.”
“That doesn’t make it okay.”
When the space around them fell silent again, Jo thought that Amelia wasn’t going to respond to that, but then she leaned forward slightly, her hands folded neatly on the table. “I don’t blame you. We said we wouldn’t let this get complicated.”
“It’s… I…” Jo took a breath and exhaled it slowly. “It’s already complicated, Amelia.”
Amelia simply nodded.
“I’ve spent weeks trying to separate how I feel about you and how I feel about…everything else, but I can’t. You’re always there in my head.”
Amelia looked away and visibly swallowed. Jo caught the flicker of something as it settled on her face. Pain, maybe…or fear. “I don’t know what we’re doing,” Amelia admitted. “I don’t know how we do this.”
“Me neither.”
Silence again. God, Jo hated silence. She’d spent so much time alone in it since Callum had broken her heart.
So, she focused on Amelia, wanting dinner to be as pleasant as possible.
She just wished the small furrow between her brows would eventually smooth out before the night was over.
It had been there since the moment she’d sat down.
“I had a shoot this afternoon,” Jo said, trying to ease the weight between them. “My client…she asked if I was dating.”
Amelia smiled faintly. “And what did you say?”
“I told her it was complicated.” Jo hesitated. “She asked me out.”
Amelia’s brows lifted a little at that.
“She was lovely. Smart, gorgeous, confident…”
A shadow crossed Amelia’s face, but she managed a slight smile. “Did you say yes?”
“No. I told her I wasn’t in the right place.”
Amelia looked down at the table, her expression unreadable.
“Because I’m not.” Jo leaned in. “Because I can’t stop thinking about you.”
“Jo—”
“I don’t expect anything from you, Amelia.
I know what we agreed, and I’ll respect that, but I will admit that I wanted to see you tonight purely because I miss you.
” Jo’s voice almost betrayed her. “You’ve always been there, and you’ve always cared.
You’ve always made me laugh and smile when life doesn’t feel great. You just…I miss you, okay?”
Amelia visibly swallowed.
“I know we can’t be together. I know that I’m not lucky enough to be with you, even if you said you didn’t care about the fact that I used to date Callum.
But I can’t change how I feel, and while I know I should avoid moments like this for my own sanity, I don’t want to risk pushing you away or losing you. ”
Amelia reached for her water and took a slow sip. “This…scares me,” she said that so quietly that Jo had to wonder if she’d meant to say it out loud at all. “I’ve built a life that doesn’t make space for this kind of thing.”
“I’m not asking you to make space for any of this…for me. I do, however, have to stop pretending that this isn’t real.”