Amelia’s POV.I slid into the car, the weight of my memories pressing down on me. As the car pulled away from the school, I couldn't help but think about the night my parents died. I blamed myself, wondering if things would have been different if I hadn't insisted on celebrating my birthday that night. If only they hadn't been driving me home when the drunk driver hit us. If only, if only… I let out a groan, my grip on the steering hardened. Flashback.It's a chilly night, and the rain is pouring down outside the car windows, which are rolled up tight to keep out the weather. The wipers are going back and forth, smearing the raindrops across the glass. Inside the car, the heater is blowing warm air, and the radio is playing softly in the background.My parents were chatting and laughing, until my mom's favorite song started playing on the radio. She immediately started singing along happily.I sat in the back seat, sketching with the new brush my father had given me for my birthday
Amelia's POV.“Your eyes are swollen,” he said, and I froze in my tracks. Greyson had never commented on my appearance before, so why now? And why did he sound so concerned? Was he just being polite, or did he genuinely care? I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. I stood there, speechless, as Greyson's gaze lingered on me. “Amelia!” He called out.“Oh this?” I said, rubbing my eyes. “It’s nothing,” I muttered, giving him a smile that never reaches my eyes.“If you say so,” he said, finally breaking the silence. I nodded, trying to regain my composure. I continued walking past him, my heart still racing. What was that all about?I shoved the strange encounter with Greyson out of my mind and made my way up the stairs to my room. I slammed the door behind me, the noise echoing through the empty house. I walked over to my closet and pulled out a box from the top shelf. Inside, nestled among my most treasured possessions, was a picture of my parents. I took it out and hu
Amelia’s POV.There, sitting in the head teacher's office, was Jayden. His face was pale, and his nose was bleeding. A nurse was attending to him, but when I entered, she stopped and looked up at me. “What's wrong?” I asked, my voice trembling as I knelt beside him. Jayden looked up at me with bloodshot eyes. “I'm okay,” he said, but I could tell he was trying to put on a brave face. “It's just a nosebleed. I'm fine.” But I could see the fear and exhaustion in his eyes. Something was definitely wrong.My voice was tinged with anger as I asked, “Who did this to you?” Jayden looked down at his hands, not answering. “I guess you must be Mr. Jarvis' girlfriend,” I heard a voice behind me. I turned around and saw a woman standing in the doorway. I felt my stomach flutter at the word ‘Mr. Jarvis girlfriend’, but I pushed the feeling away. “What happened to him?” I asked, my voice now calm and even. “He was in a fight with his classmates,” the woman said, a frown forming on her face. “
Greyson’s POV.I scrolled through my phone, a slideshow of memories from happier times playing out on the screen. There were photos of my wife and me, smiling and laughing, our arms around each other, surrounded by our friends and family. Then there were pictures of my son, so small and precious, his big blue eyes shining with wonder and joy. A lump formed in my throat as I swiped through the pictures, a bittersweet ache in my chest. Today marked three years since my wife had left me with our son, not caring he was small and needed a mother figure. I remembered how I had begged her to stay, to give me one more chance, but she had refused. She had called our son a “mess to deal with,” her words stinging like a slap in the face. I had spent the last three years alone, my heart broken and my life in shambles. But despite it all, I still loved her. I let out a sad, wry laugh. Love was such a strange, complicated thing. It could make you feel the highest of highs, but it could also bring
Greyson's POV.“You don't expect me to just give you that!” I yelled, my anger bubbling over. The voice laughed again, a low, sinister laugh that sent a chill down my spine. “Watch your son die,” the voice said. “Because right now, he's about to cross the road.” I felt my heart stop for a moment, and then start racing again, my mind whirling. “What? How? How the fuck do you want me to get $72,500?” I yelled. The voice laughed again, this time a mocking laugh. “I don't know,” it said. “Your time is ticking, though.” I was overwhelmed with fear, my mind racing. I didn't know what to do. “Tick! Tock! Tick! Tock!”I grabbed my laptop, my fingers shaking as I tried to contact the police. But before I could hit the enter key, the voice spoke again. “You think you can outsmart me?” it asked. “Here's the price. Watch your dearest son die,” it said. I froze, my hands trembling as I hovered over the enter key. “Wait!” I yelled. “Let me explain!” But the voice didn't give me a chance to spe
Amelia’s POV.“What?!” I yelled, my voice ringing through the small, dark room. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. The man in front of me, Greyson, had just said something so shocking and offensive that I couldn't even process it. My hands flew to my mouth, my brain racing, my heart pounding. Tears began to flow down my cheeks, and I pushed past Greyson, unable to stay in his presence any longer. Never before had I been so insulted, never before had my feelings been so hurt.I hurried down the stairs, the floorboards creaking beneath my feet. I expected Greyson to call out to me, to apologize for what he had said. But I heard nothing. I reached the bottom of the stairs and ran to my room, slamming the door behind me. I collapsed onto the floor, my body shaking with sobs. My tears flowed freely, and I put my hands over my mouth, trying to muffle my screams. I waited for the sound of footsteps, for the knock on the door, for Greyson to apologize. But there was only silence.My
Greyson’s POV.My eyes widened as she spoke the last words. “Bullied? How?” I asked, my voice cracking. “Jayden hardly talks,” I said, shaking my head in disbelief. My wife and I had been divorced for years, and our son had been affected more than I could have imagined. The divorce had been hard on all of us, but I never thought it would lead to Jayden being bullied at school. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair, trying to process what she had just told me. I watched her walk away, swaying her hips as if to taunt me. I groaned in frustration.“Amelia!” I yelled, but she kept on walking, her back to me. I pushed my chair aside and stood up, nearly falling over in the process. I ran after her, my heart pounding in my chest. “Amelia, I'm your boss!” I yelled, my voice strained. “You have to listen to me!” She stopped and turned to face me, her eyes flashing with anger. “Just because you're my boss doesn't mean you can control my life. I have a fucking life to live!” she yelled,
Greyson’s POV.“A gun?” I asked, my voice disbelieving. “What on earth would you be doing with a gun?” “Well, I almost escaped a… a…,” she struggled to find the words, “an attempted sexual assault, so the police gave me a gun for safety reasons.” My mind reeled. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. “What?” I yelled, my voice ringing through the room. She rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed with me. “Why are you so surprised? It's not like I'm a criminal or something.”“Oh my God, Amelia,” I said, my voice trembling. “You used that gun in front of my son?” “No,” she said quickly, “I'm not that dumb. I made sure Jayden was in the car. I put some cartoons on my phone for him to watch while I went to deal with the car that was following us. When we were almost home, I stepped out and shot the man through the car window, hitting him in the left eye.” I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I felt a rush of emotions: relief, fear, disbelief. "Thank you, but that doesn’t mean, I still a
Amelia’s POV.“Yes, Mr. Greyson, your girlfriend really helped in the bully case.” The head teacher's words hung in the air, a chilling mist enveloping me. I swallowed hard, a knot of dread tightening in my chest. “Girlfriend?” Mr. Greyson echoed, his voice a low murmur as his eyebrows furrowed confused.I could feel the blood draining from my face, my hands clammy with fear. Holy shit, I'm dead, I thought, my mind racing through potential escape routes. But there was no escape—the truth was out, and I was left standing. How do I explain to him that I was the one who made the head teacher think we were in a relationship?Greyson's eyes lingered on me like a predator stalking its prey, his gaze a palpable force that made my skin crawl. My fingers twitched nervously, twisting strands of hair as I tried to ignore the head teacher's prying question.“Isn't she your girlfriend?” she prodded, her voice a grating reminder of my predicament. My blood boiled, my nails digging into my palm as
Greyson’s POV.My eyes darted between Jayden and Amelia, my mind spinning. "What's going on?" I asked, my voice shaking with confusion. "Nothing," Jayden replied, his face betraying no emotion. He ran off to the bathroom, and Amelia let out a laugh, shaking her head. I stood there, feeling like I was missing something important. "Jayden!" I called out, but he didn't respond. “Jayden!” "Papa, I'm late for school!" I heard him shout from the bathroom, and I couldn't help but chuckle.I was so curious about what Jayden had been about to say before he ran off. I knew that the only way to get him to talk would be to offer him something he loved - chocolate. I watched as he interacted with Amelia, a warm feeling filling my heart. Jayden was usually so reserved, but with Amelia, he was different. He seemed to be more open and comfortable, and it melted my heart to see how well they got along. I wanted to know what it was about her that made him so different, but I knew I would have to be
Amelia’s POV.Just then, the door to my room burst open. I spun around, startled, to see Greyson standing in the doorway, a sheepish smile on his face. I blushed at the memory of our kiss, my face heating up like a furnace. I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes, so I looked away, my heart racing. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," he said, his voice soft and apologetic. "It's okay," I managed to say, my voice sounding small and far away. "I just wanted to check on you," he said. "Are you okay?" I swallowed hard, my heart still pounding in my chest. "I'm... I'm okay," I said, still not meeting his gaze. I felt like a silly schoolgirl, unable to control my emotions. "Are you sure?" he asked, his tone gentle and caring. I took a deep breath and forced myself to look at him. I knew I shouldn't have looked into his eyes. It was like diving headfirst into an ocean of emotion, and I was drowning. His eyes were so intense, so full of feeling, that I could hardly breathe. I let o
Greyson’s POV."Are you okay?" I asked, looking at her with concern. She nodded, but her eyes were still watery. I patted her back and offered her a tissue. I couldn't help but wonder why she had started choking. I thought back to the question I had asked her, about whether or not she had a boyfriend. Has it been a sensitive subject for her? I decided to ask again, gently. "Do you mind if I ask, do you have a boyfriend?" I said, trying to keep my tone neutral. She looked at me with a skeptical expression, as if she was trying to decide if she should speak or not."No, I don't," she blurted out, her cheeks turning red. I gave her a sly smile, and she rolled her eyes. "How would a pretty girl like you not have a boyfriend?" I teased, gently taking her hand and caressing it. She shrugged. "The pretty girl has spent most of her time babysitting your son," she said, her tone light and joking. I feigned hurt, clutching my heart and groaning, "Ouch! That stings." She let out a laugh a
Amelia’s POV.“Ami, please can you dance with my papa,” he pouted and I stared at him, my jaw dropped. How on earth can I dance with Greyson?“No,” I replied, shaking my head, but then Greyson spoke which made me more confused.Greyson's eyes pleaded with me as he asked me to dance with his son. "Come on," he said, his voice soft. "It would be fun, and it would make Jayden so happy." But I just couldn't do it. The thought of dancing in front of a crowd of people made me feel like I was going to faint, and with Greyson? I doubt if I would have any atom of self control. I shook my head, my hands trembling as I backed away. "No, no, I can't," I said, panic rising in my chest. "Please don't make me do this." But Jayden wasn't giving up. He came up to me, giving me his puppy eyes.“Please Ami, I want to show my classmate how my weekend went,” he pouted. "Ami, please," Greyson said, his voice pleading. "Jayden really wants you to dance. And it would only be for a few minutes. I know it'
Amelia’s POV.“Please, Amelia,” he pouted, his lower lip quivering. I couldn't say no to that face. “Okay,” I said, surrendering with a sigh. “Yay!” he exclaimed, jumping up and down. I laughed, his enthusiasm contagious. “Let's go get ready,” he said, running off to his room. I shook my head, a smile playing on my lips. I may have been having doubts about this carnival trip, but it was impossible to resist Jayden’s enthusiasm. I stood up and followed him to his room.I helped him select an outfit and dress him, while I headed to my room to get ready. I took a hot shower, the steam filling the room and relaxing my muscles. I got out, wrapping a towel around myself. I put on my favorite pair of blue jeans and a black crop top that showed off my cleavage and accentuated my toned stomach. I knew I looked good, and I had to admit that a part of me was hoping to catch Greyson's eye. I smiled, a mischievous glint in my eyes.I curled my hair, letting it fall down my back in soft waves.
Amelia’s POV.“Aren't I invited to join you for breakfast?” Greyson asked, folding his arms across his chest. He looked almost… insulted. I felt a twinge of guilt. “I'm sorry, Mr. Jarvis,” I stammered. “I just assumed you wouldn't be interested. You always skip breakfast.” “Well, maybe I would have been interested today,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “And besides, I told you to call me Greyson.” I felt a blush creep up my cheeks. “Sorry, Greyson. I'll remember next time.” He smiled, and I let out a sigh of relief. "It's fine, and I am not angry,” he said, raising his hands in the air, and I gave him a smile.Greyson strolled over to us, a smile on his face. He leaned down and placed a kiss on Jayden's forehead, making my heart flutter. Then, he turned to me. “Good morning, champ,” he said, his eyes twinkling as he leaned and kissed Jayden’s cheek. I couldn’t help but wish I was the one getting those kisses. Jayden looked up from his pancakes and beamed. “Good morning, papa!” he
Amelia’s POV.At first, I thought he was going to ignore my embrace, but then I felt his hands on my back, pulling me closer. His cologne filled my nose, and I felt my heart racing. I wanted nothing more than to bury my face in his neck, to feel his lips on mine. But I resisted the urge, knowing it would be inappropriate. I simply rested my head against his chest, taking in the warmth of his body, trying to steady my breath.“Ahem,” he cleared his throat, and I quickly pulled away from him, my face flushed with embarrassment. The room felt suddenly awkward and tense. I could feel my heart beating faster, my breath quickening. I began to fidget with my hair, unable to meet his gaze. “I should go check on Jayden,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “Good night, Mr. Jarvis,” I mumbled, my voice trembling. He nodded, his expression unreadable, but he didn’t move. “You can call me Greyson,” he said, and I turned to look at him, a faint blush spreading across my cheeks. The urge to to
Greyson’s POV.“A gun?” I asked, my voice disbelieving. “What on earth would you be doing with a gun?” “Well, I almost escaped a… a…,” she struggled to find the words, “an attempted sexual assault, so the police gave me a gun for safety reasons.” My mind reeled. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. “What?” I yelled, my voice ringing through the room. She rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed with me. “Why are you so surprised? It's not like I'm a criminal or something.”“Oh my God, Amelia,” I said, my voice trembling. “You used that gun in front of my son?” “No,” she said quickly, “I'm not that dumb. I made sure Jayden was in the car. I put some cartoons on my phone for him to watch while I went to deal with the car that was following us. When we were almost home, I stepped out and shot the man through the car window, hitting him in the left eye.” I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I felt a rush of emotions: relief, fear, disbelief. "Thank you, but that doesn’t mean, I still a