Amelia nodded. “I agree.”
“I just don’t know what this is anymore. We agreed this couldn’t go anywhere, but the way I’m feeling and the things I’m doing…I mean, last night was?—”
“Intimate,” Amelia offered gently.
“Yeah,” Jo breathed out. “Exactly. It was intimate.”
They sat in the quiet for a moment with the truth hanging between them.
“I want to talk, but this week is chaos. I’ve got two viewings on Tuesday, I need to be at the architect’s office for extension plans on Wednesday, and I have a final inspection at a property on Thursday.”
Jo laughed. “I get it. I work all week, too.”
“Friday? I could do Friday.”
Jo groaned. “I’m at the studio all day on Friday, but I could come by after. Unless you’re at Satin…”
“No.” She would rather do this away from Satin. Being there only seemed to get them into trouble. “No, I’ll be home. Come here. We’ll talk, uninterrupted.”
“Okay. I’ll come over on Friday.”
That silence descended again, but it didn’t feel like it usually did. It seemed loaded with a multitude of feelings and emotions.
Amelia toyed with the string on her hoodie, hoping they could smooth this all out and move on. “I meant what I said about not being angry, Jo.”
“I know, but it’s still a lot.”
“It is.” Amelia allowed herself a small smile. “But maybe it’s time we both admitted that it’s been a lot for a while now.”
Jo laughed softly, and something in Amelia’s chest relaxed at the sound of it. No matter what, they would be okay. Because if nothing else, they careddeeplyabout one another.
“Thanks for picking up last night,” Jo said, the hesitancy in her voice less obvious the longer she remained on the line. “Even if it was…you know?”
“Unexpectedly orgasmic?”
“For the love of God! I’m never going to live that down, am I?”
Amelia smirked as she said, “Oh, not a chance.”
They stayed on the line for a few more seconds, the comfort they often found in one another returning in waves.
And then Jo was the one who took the lead in ending the call. “I’ll see you Friday, then?”
“You will. Absolutely.” Amelia would love to see Jo sooner, even if it wasn’t to talk but to simply be what they’d always been to one another. A steady presence of support. “If anything changes, let me know.”
“I will…and Amelia?”
Amelia’s brows lifted a little. “Mm?”
“I don’t regret it.”
Oh, you have to find a way to make this work. Amelia’s pulse picked up a little. “I’m glad. I don’t regret being the one on the call with you.”
As the call ended, Amelia placed her phone down and took a breath. She had no idea what was coming, but she knew Friday couldn’t come soon enough.
Amelia sether cutlery down on her plate, her appetite fading as the quiet of her house grew louder around her. The simple yet comforting pasta she’d made had barely been touched, and her glass of red wine was almost full. She didn’t feel like drinking tonight. Not with her head already this clouded.
The call with Jo had gone better than she’d expected it would. Honest and clear…even a little more normal by the end. But still, the conversation echoed in her mind. It wasn’t whathadbeen said that lingered. It was what hadn’t.
