Nick and Amelia walked stiffly toward the car, Amelia's cheeks still flushed with embarrassment. Six years without kissing anyone, and now the first kiss she'd had in all that time was in public. She couldn't shake the thought, and her skin tingled with both embarrassment and frustration.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Amelia snapped, her voice sharp as she climbed into the passenger seat, trying to cover the awkward beating of her heart.
Nick shrugged as he got into the driver's seat. "You started it. I was just... inspired."
"Inspired?" she repeated, her anger rising. "That was way too much. We were in the middle of a hospital!"
"Yeah, but now I'm pretty sure Maia won't be sniffing around me anymore," Nick replied with a satisfied smirk, clearly pleased with himself. "Think of it as helping me get rid of a pest."
Amelia shot him a sidelong glance. "She's tall, gorgeous, and skinny like a model. Are you sure you won't regret it?"
Nick chuckled, glancing at Amelia with a mischievous grin. "I'm more into cuddling a soft, curvy bunny than clinging to a bag of bones."
Amelia's face immediately flushed a deeper shade of red. Her mind raced as she instinctively ran her hands down her sides, suddenly feeling self-conscious. Was she curvy like he said, or had she gotten too round since giving birth to the twins? Crap. She squeezed her hips, feeling the slight fullness that hadn't been there before motherhood. Did he mean that in a good way?
Mortified, Amelia turned away and jumped into the car, desperate to escape the flood of emotions Nick's teasing had stirred up. Damn him for always knowing exactly how to push her buttons.
As Nick slid into the driver's seat and turned the key in the ignition, Amelia's mind buzzed with unanswered questions. She had to clear the air before they left.
"Nick," she started slowly, her voice tentative. "This is all for your dad, right? I mean, we're just doing this for him?"
Nick turned to her, his expression unreadable. "Relax. The sponsorship for your lab is already in the works. You'll have the funds to continue your research without any problems."
"That's not what I meant," Amelia pressed, her voice a little sharper now. "I mean, after all this is over—after I've done my part for your father—we'll go our separate ways, right?"
Nick's expression turned cold. "Why would we do that?"
Amelia sighed, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on her chest. "Nick, look. Things aren't like they used to be. Your mom hates me, and my family... they hate yours. Once the contract's up, I want you to process our divorce."
The atmosphere in the car grew tense. Nick gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white as if he could crush the leather beneath his fingers. The silence hung thick in the air.
"You're planning to go back to him, aren't you? The father of your kids?" Nick finally asked, his voice low, laced with bitterness.
Amelia turned sharply to face him, horrified. "Oh my God, Nick! If I wanted to do that, I would've done it before the twins were born. Are you serious right now?"
Nick's jaw clenched, and his grip on the steering wheel tightened. "Tell me where I went wrong, Amelia. You were the one who fought tooth and nail to keep this marriage together because neither of us wanted anyone else. And then you disappeared without a word. But look at me—I stayed true to my word. I haven't been with anyone."
Amelia's mouth hung open, unable to respond. The guilt settled heavily on her shoulders. She knew what she had to say next would change everything. Her heart raced, and her palms felt clammy.
"Nick, listen," she said, her voice trembling. "I have kids... kids that aren't yours. How do you expect us to continue this marriage?"
Nick was silent for a moment, then spoke softly. "We've both made mistakes. You thought we were divorced. I can't blame you for that."
Tears welled up in Amelia's eyes, spilling over as she broke down. She couldn't believe Nick was still trying to find a way to make this work. "When my sister got pregnant with Aaron's kid, you didn't do this. You didn't try to make it work. You left her … your fiancee. Why are you doing this to me now? Do you want to trap me so you can torture me for the rest of my life? Are you still holding a grudge against Aaron and Olivia?"
Her sobs grew louder, wracking her body as she fumbled with the door handle, desperate to get out of the car. She couldn't breathe—Nick's persistence was suffocating her. She needed air, space, time to think. Without another word, she threw the door open and bolted from the car, her feet hitting the pavement in a frantic run.
Nick watched her go, his heart aching with every step she took away from him. He clenched his fists, fighting the urge to follow her, to pull her back, to make her listen. But he knew better. In the past, he would've chased after her without a second thought. But now, he knew Amelia needed space, needed time to process everything. If he pushed too hard, he might lose her for good.
As she ran, Amelia didn't watch where she was going. Her vision blurred with tears, her chest tight as she struggled to breathe. She crashed into someone, sending them both stumbling.
"Amelia?" a familiar voice said, concern laced in every word. "What are you doing here?"
"Aiden?"