Lincoln
We got to the banquet hall and everyone was there to greet us. It was time to introduce our new updated hotel chain to the world. The overseas locations were still being built, but Amelia had stayed on top of things so well with the updates that they were done within two months once they got rolling. Not only that, but the her cancer treatment they first thought would take four months only took two, and she was already beginning to recuperate.
I was so fucking proud of her.
Drew embraced both of us the moment we came through the door. His wife wrapped her arms around Amelia’s neck, and one by one the members of the board came to congratulate her. She was all smiles and kept embracing people tightly, but all I could think about was how incredibly strong she was.
And how my heart soared whenever she smiled.
I took off for the stage and grabbed the microphone. It was time for me to give some sort of speech in order to usher in this new phase and victory for the hotel chain. I got up to the stage and saw Amelia’s eyes on me, and suddenly the speech I had prepared was no longer enough.
And as I began to talk, a new speech began to replace the one I’d written.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you all for being here. This hotel company was a passion project of mine, and I am so proud of where it’s come. As of now, all the U.S. locations of the hotel have been updated and renovated, and come tomorrow morning they will officially be open for business.”
There was an applause that rose from the banquet hall of individuals, but the only person I could focus on was Amelia. The black dress she had on accentuated every single curve I’d come to love about her. The sparkling jewelry she had on seemed dimmer compared to her smile, and I took a deep breath before I continued.
“This project would not have been possible without my best friend, Drew Lyons. But, the person who deserves the most credit for this is Amelia Wilson.”
I hooked my eyes onto her as I slowly saw her eyes light up. From now on, this speech was meant for her and only her, and I simply didn’t care who else heard it.
“Not only is Amelia a fabulous worker and a creative genius, she really knows how to work a room. She can get any person to bend to her will and keep anyone on a strict schedule. Had it not been for her perseverance and dedication, this project would have never kept this kind of timeline. Amelia Wilson is strong, passionate, and dedicated. Not only am I here toasting the success of her work, but I’m also here celebrating the success of her cancer treatment. I am happy to share with you that, as of this morning, she is once again in remission.”
A much louder applause erupted from the room while I watched tears slowly trickle down her cheeks.
“Not only am I proud of her for the impeccable job she’s done on this project, but I’m also so proud of her for fighting for her life. Amelia Wilson has quickly become the living breath of this company, the feminine presence my entire board needs to stay grounded, and, the love of my life. I raise my glass to you, Ames. Without you, absolutely none of this would have taken place. Thank you for fighting, thank you for staying dedicated, and thank you for keeping me at your side.”
I threw my drink back as the room erupted into cheers. I placed the microphone back in its place before I worked my way to Amelia, and by the time I got to her, tears were streaming down her face. She threw her arms around my neck and pulled me in for a wine-tainted kiss, and that’s when I heard it.
That’s when I heard those words finally fall from her lips.
“I love you, Lincoln,” she said.
“And I love you, Amelia.”
She ended up getting tired pretty early, so I decided to take her back to my place. Even though she was recuperated, she still had a long way to go in order to gain all her energy back and I didn’t want to push her any more than she’d already pushed herself. I placed my hand on her thigh as her dress began to ride up, feeling her warm skin underneath my fingertips. I saw her leg twitch with every circle my fingers drew on her skin, but I could tell by the look in her eye that her thoughts were elsewhere.
I slowly scooted my hand up her leg, wanting to make her shake. Instead, however, she placed her hand on top of mine to stop me.
“Linc.” Tears were in her eyes the moment she said my name, and suddenly my attention shifted. Something was wrong and I was ready to fix whatever it was. Wherever she needed to go and whatever she needed, I would find a way to make it happen.
“Ames. What’s wrong? Do you need to lean the seat back?” I asked.
“I love you so much,” she whispered.
“And I love you. Now, talk to me. What’s wrong?”
“How is this going to work with us over the years?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, where do you see yourself in two, three, or even five years? Are you going to be in a house or in The Avalon? Are you still going to love me? Will you still wanna be with me?”
“Ames, where is this coming from?” I pulled us over to the side of the road and stopped the car. She was shaking and it broke my heart, but the more she continued to talk the more worried I became.
Worried she was about to leave.
“Right now, all I can think about is us being together, but we all know the type of man you used to be. What if you get bored of me?”
“Ames. That’s never going to happen,” I said, squeezing her hand. “I left my womanizing ways behind me the moment I realized I couldn’t do any of this without you.”
“You know I wouldn’t leave, right? If we didn’t work out—if you wanted something I couldn’t give you—I’d still stay with the company. I promise.”
There it was. I could hear it. There was the insecurity. There was something she felt she couldn’t give me. Now, I just had to figure out what it was.
“Amelia. What’s going on? Has the doctor told you something I don’t know about? You are the woman I love. I’ve never felt for any woman the way I do for you. Not even close. That’s not changing, and I’m not going anywhere,” I said.
“What if you realize along down the road that y-you want another life? A white picket fence and a dog to run around with? What if you want a wife that stands in the kitchen and cooks for you and your ch-children?”
“Ames, look at me.”
“No,” she whispered, turning away.
“Amelia Wilson, you look at me right now.” The pain in her eyes when she slowly turned her head made me sick to my stomach.
“What did the doctor tell you?” I asked.
“I can’t have children, Linc,” she said, hiccupping. “The t-treatment. It—”
I unbuckled her seatbelt before I pulled her frail body into my lap. She sobbed into my shoulder while her entire body shook, and I tried to hold her as tightly as I could without bruising her skin.
“I’ve always dreamed about being a mother someday,” she said breathlessly.
“And you will be. To lots of children who’ve been born to this world without parents. If you really want to be a mother, then we’ll adopt. Right now, we need to be grateful that you’re alive, and cancer free. You have an incredible career at a company with a boss who’s actually pretty awesome, and when the point comes where we want children, we’ll adopt,” I said.
“You’ve already thought about this?” she asked.
“I’ve thought about everything with you,” I said. “I lay there in the mornings and think about what our future might look like together. I watch my world scroll through your eyes every single time you look at me. Every time you grant me access to your body, I see my future painted in the crevices of your body. I love you, Amelia Wilson. And we’re gonna have an awesome life together.”
“Oh my gosh. I love you, too, Linc.”
She pressed her lips to mine and I relished her salt-tainted kiss. I held her body in my arms, the tremors slowly subsiding with every undulation my lips made against hers. I didn’t want her to be sad, not tonight. Today had been filled with life-altering news for both the company and her existence, and I wasn’t going to let something like that squander our evening.
“How about we go back to my place so I can hold you while we look out at the skyline?” I asked.
“Are you sure you don’t just want to press me up against it?” she said, grinning.
“I think I just want to hold the love of my life in my arms and feel her heart beating against my chest,” I said.
“I think that sounds fantastic,” she whispered.