Chapter Sixteen #4
Oh. Amelia’s heart danced a little. “But you said you couldn’t do this. Only today, in fact.”
“I was wrong. I’ve been so wrong. About a lot of things.” Imogen reached forward for Amelia’s hand. The one that still worked. “Can I?”
Amelia scanned the room. They were still in the eyeline of quite a few people, and some of those people were already looking over. Not Imogen’s jam. “What if someone sees?”
Imogen grasped her hand and held it up like proof.
“I hope they see. I hope everyone sees.” She sucked in a breath then looked at Amelia so warmly it almost undid her.
“I want to be with you, Amy. Privately, publicly, together, apart. I want us. Yes, some of it might take some getting used to. Some of it won’t be easy.
There’ll be rough along with the smooth.
But the thing I realised is that I want the rough and the smooth with you.
And the in between. I want all of it with you. ”
Oh, those were very good words. So good, Amelia could hardly believe they were coming out of Imogen’s mouth.
“But you were right, you know. Some aspects of being in a relationship with me aren’t fun.
” Amelia wasn’t trying to ruin this, but she needed Imogen to fully understand what she was signing up for.
Amelia couldn’t risk another blow. Her heart couldn’t.
“There are criticisms. And rumours. And false stories. You could click onto Google and see a headline that we’ve broken up, when in reality we’re better than ever.
They could say I’m having an affair, or that you are.
That I’ve gone to rehab when really, I’m hiding out for a week binge-watching TV and scarfing chocolate because I’ve scored some time off. They can say anything they want.”
“I know,” Imogen said. “And I can handle all that. I want to handle it. So long as I stop shutting you out when I’m scared, we’ll get through it.
I’ll have you by my side, right?” Imogen looked terrified asking that.
Like Amelia’s answer could break her heart all over again.
And somehow, she was here asking it anyway.
Amelia knew right then she’d spend the rest of her life making sure Imogen never regretted this.
“Always. I will always be by your side, on your side, sometimes a thorn in your side.” They both laughed at that. Amelia squeezed her hand. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, Imogen. We can get through it all together. All that matters is us. The rest is just noise.”
Imogen nodded. “I know that now. It just took me a while to catch up.”
“And your past. That awful video.” They needed to get everything out on the table before Amelia let herself feel any of the happiness trying to break through. “It will all blow up again at some point. Are you okay with that?”
“I’ll never be okay with it, but I will tolerate it. Anonymous Member 191 will probably be delighted to see me get dragged through the gutter again.”
Amelia gave her a questioning look and Imogen waved her off. “Never mind. What I’m saying is that I can cope with it now. This is my storm now, and it’s my turn to walk through it for you.”
“So, you’re in this?” Amelia asked. She wanted to leave nothing open for interpretation. “As in, together, don’t care who knows, in this?”
“I’m in this. We can hard launch right now if you want. I’ll announce to this whole room that I’m with you.” Imogen even started to stand.
Amelia reached over to stop her. “Don’t you dare. Security will think you’re a crazed fan and drag you away from me.” She gently tugged her back down. “And Imogen, I don’t want you to be away from me ever again.”
“Okay. Then I’ll drag you out into the car park and kiss you under the stars and the flashes of ten waiting photographers. I’ll do whatever it takes. Whatever you need to know I’m not going anywhere ever again.”
Amelia couldn’t stop smiling. That was quite a declaration coming from Imogen. “I don’t know how I feel about giving all those photographers a show, but I would happily take that kiss in my hotel room.” A thought hit her and she frowned. “Shit. I agreed to the action movie.”
Imogen remained undeterred. “That’s a great thing, isn’t it? You wanted that one, didn’t you? Saving the world single-handedly like a badass?”
“I did. I mean, I do. But when Always the Bridesmaid ends, it means I’ll be gone straightaway. For at least six months.”
Imogen looked almost amused. “I mean, you do live in LA. And you’re an actress in high demand. I was expecting some distance.” She squeezed Amelia’s hand tighter. “We’ll work it out. Don’t worry about it.”
Amelia nodded, her mind already whirring with possibilities. “Maybe I can come visit on my days off.”
“And maybe I can come visit you on location,” Imogen replied with a hopeful look.
They both smiled at each other.
“So, we’re really doing this?” Amelia asked, hardly able to believe it. Only hours ago, she thought she had lost Imogen for good. Now they were holding hands in a crowded room, talking about location visits and a future together. “No more running?”
“Only if I’m running toward you. At an airport somewhere. When I can’t wait to be in your arms after you’ve just finished filming some Oscar-worthy blockbuster.”
Amelia couldn’t stop her grin. “You have a high opinion of me.”
No one had ever looked at her like Imogen looked at her in that moment. Like she was everything. “The highest. I’m madly in love with you, so it goes with the territory.”
Amelia raised her casted arm to her chest and feigned shock. “Madly in love with me? A celebrity?”
“I know, what are the chances? What did you tell me before?” Imogen squinted in thought. “Never say never. I think those might have been the wisest words I’ve ever heard.”
She remembered that? Amelia smiled at hearing her own motto come out of Imogen’s mouth. Then she realised she’d been so overwhelmed, she hadn’t actually said it back. “You know that I’m completely in love with you too, right? Like disgustingly so.”
Imogen beamed. “How disgustingly?”
“Like totally gross. Like wanting to come up with the most sickeningly cute pet names for each other and use them in public.”
“We need those,” Imogen said, taking the suggestion seriously. “What else?”
“Like wanting to dance with you in the living room when there isn’t any music on.”
“Oh, that is gross. Let’s.”
Amelia was on a roll. “I would even be prepared to coordinate our outfits.”
“A step too far, but I appreciate the sentiment behind it.” Imogen’s grin softened as she looked at Amelia. “How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Steady me. I come apart and then you look at me for five seconds and suddenly everything feels safe again.”
“It’s just us. I feel the same around you.”
Imogen’s thumb brushed slowly over Amelia’s knuckles. “I’m dying to kiss you right now.”
“Then you should do that.”
“And I will. But I’m not sure you’d want me to kiss you the way I’m going to kiss you right in the middle of this bar.” Imogen’s eyebrows lifted in suggestion.
Amelia pictured it and struggled for a coherent thought. “I do have a room,” she managed.
“You mentioned that.”
Amelia smiled. Their easy rhythm had returned. “Would you like to join me in it?”
Imogen didn’t hesitate. “I would. Now?”
“Right now.” Amelia didn’t want to wait another second to have Imogen close again.
It turned out she didn’t have to. When they stood, Imogen wrapped an arm gently around Amelia’s back and leaned in close, their noses almost touching. “Maybe just one kiss here first?”
Amelia nodded. “A warm-up,” she whispered before leaning into the featherlight touch of Imogen’s lips.
Amelia melted into it instantly. It was one thing to kiss someone when you were dating.
It was a whole other thing when you’d just agreed to a future together.
The kiss was soft and sweet, and Amelia savoured every second of it.
They were finally on the same page with this. Amelia could feel it.
“Let’s go,” Imogen said softly.
A few astonished faces watched them leave.
A couple were pointing phones in their direction.
They’d probably taken videos. Snapped photos with them mid lip lock.
But that didn’t matter anymore. If Imogen was okay with it, they could plaster it on the front page of every magazine and newspaper for all Amelia cared.
When they stepped into the elevator, Amelia leaned forward to press the floor button and flinched. “I hope you don’t have high expectations. I’ve still got dodgy ribs and only one arm.”
“Do your lips still work?” Imogen asked.
Amelia answered by pressing a kiss to her cheek. “They do.”
Imogen smiled and ran her finger down Amelia’s arm. “Can this arm still hug?”
“Last time I checked.” She wrapped it around Imogen’s back as proof.
“Then all my expectations for tonight are fulfilled.”
Amelia tingled all over. “And are there expectations that go beyond tonight?”
“Oh my God, there are so many,” Imogen replied. “It’ll likely take years to fulfil them all.”
“Wow. Then we better get started.”
“We’ve got time.”
Amelia caught her own smile in the elevator mirror. Yeah, they did, didn’t they?