Chapter 25 This Is Getting Worse
Amelia POV
I did not leave my room for almost an hour.
Not because I was hiding.
Okay maybe I was hiding a little.
But mostly because Clara and Sophie kept finding new articles every five minutes and reading them out loud like they were hosting a morning news show.
Which was not helping my mental stability.
At all.
"Listen to this one," Clara said, holding her phone dramatically.
I groaned from my pillow.
"Please stop."
She ignored me.
"Is Dominic Blackwood secretly hiding his wife from the public?"
I slowly lifted my head.
"WIFE?"
Sophie burst out laughing.
"This one is my favorite."
"I do not have a favorite because they are all terrible."
Clara sat on the edge of my bed.
"You have to admit this is iconic."
"I have accidentally married a man I barely talk to."
"You live in his house."
"That does not make me his wife!"
Noah was still sitting beside me.
He had been quietly looking at the photos on Clara's phone.
Then he smiled.
"That's Amelia."
"Yes Noah."
"That is unfortunately Amelia."
Clara leaned closer to him.
"Noah do you know the internet thinks she is your mom?"
He looked confused.
Then he looked at me.
Then back at Clara.
Then he shrugged.
"Okay."
My brain stopped again.
"OKAY?"
Sophie laughed so hard she almost fell off the bed.
"Oh my god he accepted it immediately."
"No he did not."
Noah slid off the bed.
"I hungry."
Clara put him down.
"Food sounds like a great idea."
"Food will not fix this situation."
But everyone ignored me and started leaving the room.
Which meant I had no choice but to follow them.
We walked down the hallway toward the kitchen.
Ryan's voice echoed from downstairs.
"Have you guys seen the internet today?"
Clara looked at me.
"Oh no."
Sophie whispered dramatically.
"He knows."
We walked into the kitchen.
Ryan was sitting at the counter with his phone.
Sebastian stood beside him drinking coffee.
Ryan looked up the moment we walked in.
Then he grinned.
A very dangerous grin.
"Well well well."
I already knew I was going to regret this moment.
Ryan turned his phone around.
There was an article on the screen.
The headline said
Is Dominic Blackwood Finally Married
I covered my face with my hands.
"This is not real."
Ryan looked delighted.
"So Amelia."
"Yes."
"Anything you want to tell us?"
"No."
Sebastian looked at the phone.
Then at me.
Then at Noah.
Then back at the phone again.
He looked thoughtful.
Ryan leaned back in his chair.
"I leave the house for one day and suddenly Dominic has a secret wife."
"I AM NOT HIS WIFE."
Ryan nodded slowly.
"Suspicious response."
Clara laughed.
Sophie leaned against the counter.
"This is the best morning ever."
Ryan suddenly looked toward the hallway.
Then his grin got bigger.
"Oh this just got better."
Everyone turned.
Dominic had just walked into the kitchen.
The room went quiet immediately.
He looked calm.
Too calm.
Which somehow made it worse.
His eyes moved across the room.
Ryan.
Sebastian.
Clara.
Sophie.
Then finally me.
Then the phone in Ryan's hand.
Ryan raised the phone slightly.
"So Dominic."
Dominic said nothing.
Ryan continued.
"Congratulations."
Dominic looked unimpressed.
"For what."
Ryan turned the phone toward him.
"For getting married."
Clara covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing.
Dominic looked at the screen.
Then he looked at me.
I panicked.
"I did not marry you."
Why did I say it like that.
Ryan laughed.
Sebastian looked like he was trying very hard not to smile.
Dominic was quiet for a moment.
Then he looked back at Ryan.
"Delete that."
Ryan clutched the phone dramatically.
"Delete the internet?"
Dominic ignored him.
Then he looked at me again.
"You saw the articles."
"Yes."
"And?"
"And what."
He waited.
My brain started talking before it could stop itself.
"I just want to say that if we were secretly married I would definitely remember the wedding."
Ryan choked on his drink.
Clara turned away to hide her laughter.
Dominic stared at me.
I panicked more.
"And I also did not secretly give birth to Noah."
Ryan almost fell off his chair laughing.
Sebastian finally smiled slightly.
Dominic looked like he was deciding whether to be annoyed or amused.
Before anyone could say anything else Noah spoke.
Very loudly.
"I want Amelia to be my mom."
Silence.
Complete silence.
My soul left my body.
Clara froze.
Sophie froze.
Ryan looked like Christmas had come early.
Sebastian blinked.
Dominic slowly looked down at Noah.
Noah looked completely serious.
"I want Amelia."
Ryan leaned closer to Sebastian and whispered loudly.
"This is getting good."
"Ryan," I whispered.
"Please stop existing."
Dominic crouched slightly so he was at Noah's level.
"Why."
Noah pointed at me.
"She nice."
My heart melted immediately.
Even though I also wanted to disappear.
Dominic looked at me again.
His expression was unreadable.
Before anyone could speak again we suddenly heard shouting from outside the house.
Ryan frowned.
"What is that."
Sebastian walked toward the window.
Then he stopped.
"There are people outside the gate."
Clara walked over.
"People?"
Sophie gasped.
"Are they reporters?"
Sebastian nodded slowly.
"They have cameras."
Everyone looked at me.
I immediately pointed at the articles.
"This is your fault."
Ryan looked thrilled.
"This is amazing."
Dominic walked toward the window.
His expression changed instantly.
Cold.
Serious.
He pulled out his phone.
"Security."
He waited a moment.
"Yes."
There was a pause.
"Remove them."
Ryan leaned against the counter.
"You know what the best part of this is."
No one asked.
But he continued anyway.
"They are here because of Amelia."
I covered my face again.
"This is a nightmare."
Dominic ended the call.
Then he looked at me.
"They will leave."
My stomach did something weird.
"You did not have to do that."
His voice was calm.
"Yes I did."
Ryan smirked.
"Oh look at that."
Sebastian raised an eyebrow.
Ryan pointed between us.
"He is being protective."
Dominic gave him a cold look.
Ryan only smiled wider.
"This is going to be fun."