Chapter 114: Let’s Stop This Jokes...

~~~~~~ Amelia’s POV ~~~~~

"Okay, if you’re done, let’s go inside and sleep. We have to go to school today," I said with a small smile.

Sylvia looked down at the laptop resting on her thighs.

She had been typing for so long that I could still see the faint tiredness around her eyes.

She finally sighed and closed the laptop.

"Okay, then."

She picked up the closed laptop and held it securely under her arm before reaching for my hand.

She lifted my fingers to her lips and placed a gentle kiss against my knuckles.

My heart immediately did that stupid little flutter it always did whenever she showed me affection so casually.

"You really like doing that," I murmured.

She smiled. "I do."

I shook my head, trying not to smile too much.

I opened the door beside her and stepped out of the car.

The cool night air immediately touched my face, and I breathed in slowly.

After sitting inside the warm car for so long, the outside air felt surprisingly cold against my skin. The compound was quiet, almost completely still. The only sounds were the faint rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of insects hiding somewhere in the darkness.

I closed my door and walked around the front of the car.

Sylvia was already stepping out of the driver’s side.

The moment she shut the door, she reached for me. Her hand found mine without hesitation.

Our fingers slipped together.

I looked down at our joined hands for a moment.

There was something comforting about the way she always did that.

Like holding my hand was no longer something she had to think about. It had simply become natural.

We walked toward the house together.

The light from the porch fell across the pavement as we approached the front door. Sylvia unlocked it and pushed it open.

Warm air greeted us.

The house was quiet. Everyone seemed to be asleep already.

Our footsteps sounded louder than they should have as we climbed the staircase before walking through the hallway.

I could hear the soft clicking of Sylvia’s laptop against her side whenever she moved.

I yawned.

Sylvia looked at me. "Tired?"

"Very."

"You should have gone inside earlier."

I gave her a look. "And leave you alone outside?"

She smiled. "You could have."

"I didn’t want to."

She smiled softly.

I was already thinking about my bed.

I wanted to wash my face, change into something comfortable, crawl beneath the blankets, and sleep.

But before we reached the top of the stairs, something caught my attention.

Someone was standing near the banister.

I looked up.

Janina.

She was leaning against the railing with her arms crossed over her chest.

Her face was calm, but the moment she saw Sylvia, she straightened and then pushed herself away from the banister.

"Sylvia."

My steps slowed, and Sylvia stopped too.

Janina looked at her. "Can I sleep in your room?"

My stomach tightened.

I looked at Sylvia.

She frowned slightly. "What are you doing here?"

Janina shrugged. "I was waiting for you."

"Why?"

Janina hesitated, and then she smiled. "I just want to sleep with you."

My heart stopped for a second.

I immediately looked away.

No.

Absolutely not.

I wasn’t going to react.

I knew Janina. I knew exactly what she was doing.

She wanted to make me jealous. I wasn’t going to give her that satisfaction.

I took a slow breath and stared at the wall instead.

Don’t react, Amelia. Don’t fall for it.

You trust Sylvia. You know Sylvia loves you. There was no reason to be jealous.

Still...

Hearing Janina say that made something uncomfortable twist inside my chest.

I hated it.

"I just want to sleep with you," Janina repeated.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

My head snapped toward her.

What?

She really had the nerve to say it again?

I stared at her.

What do you mean by sleep with her?

The words almost came out of my mouth, but I stopped myself and pressed my lips together.

No.

I wasn’t going to start this.

Sylvia, however, looked just as confused as I was.

"Sleep with me?" she repeated.

Janina’s eyes widened slightly. She suddenly realized how her words sounded.

"Uhmm..." She scratched the back of her neck. "I mean... I can’t sleep alone."

I nearly rolled my eyes.

That was the excuse she came up with?

Sylvia stared at her. "You have your own room."

"I know."

"Then why don’t you sleep there?"

Janina opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

I watched her closely.

She seemed to be searching for another excuse.

Before she could find one, Sylvia spoke.

"You know what, Janina..." Her voice was calm.

I glanced at her.

Something in her expression had changed.

She wasn’t confused anymore. She understood exactly what Janina was trying to do, and then I felt Sylvia’s hand tighten around mine.

She turned slightly toward me before looking at Janina. "I actually have a girlfriend."

My eyes widened as I looked at her.

"So there’s no need for all this." She lifted her free hand and gestured toward Janina.

"I love my girl."

My heart skipped.

Sylvia turned her eyes toward me and looked back at Janina. "I love her very much."

The tight feeling in my chest disappeared almost instantly, and warmth rushed through me instead.

I couldn’t stop the small smile that appeared on my lips.

Janina remained quiet.

Sylvia continued. "And I won’t look at anyone else." Her fingers squeezed mine again. "So let’s just stop these jokes, okay?"

There was no anger in her voice.

She didn’t need to raise her voice. She didn’t need to argue.

Her words were enough.

She had made her choice clear.

Me.

Only me.

I looked at Janina.

For the first time that night, she didn’t seem to know what to say.

Her lips parted slightly before she closed them again.

I almost felt sorry for her.

Sylvia turned away from her.

"Come on." She gently pulled my hand, and I followed her.

We walked past Janina. I could feel her eyes on our backs, but I refused to turn around.

My lips were already fighting a smile.

Once we had moved far enough away, Sylvia glanced at me. "Why are you smiling?"

"I’m not."

She raised an eyebrow. "Amelia."

I bit my lower lip to keep myself from laughing. "What?"

"You liked what I said."

I looked away immediately. "I didn’t say that."

"You didn’t have to," she said and laughed softly.

I could hear the amusement in her voice.

"I meant every word, you know."

I looked back at her, and her smile had disappeared.

She was serious now.

"I know," I whispered.

We continued walking. For a few seconds, neither of us spoke and then I stopped.

Sylvia took another step before realizing I wasn’t moving.

She turned. "What happened?"

I looked at her. There were so many things I wanted to say.

Instead, I stepped closer. "Thank you."

Her eyebrows pulled together. "For what?"

"For choosing me."

Her expression softened immediately.

"Minnie..."

"I know you didn’t have to explain anything to her," I said quietly. "But you did."

I looked down at our hands. "And hearing you say you love me..." I swallowed. "It made me happy."

Sylvia moved closer. She lifted our joined hands and kissed the back of mine.

"You never have to question where I stand."

Her voice was soft. "I’m with you."

My eyes met hers. "Only me?"

She smiled. "Only you."

A small laugh escaped me. "Okay."

She leaned closer. "And now we really need to sleep."

I nodded. "Yes."

We continued toward my room. But this time, I walked closer to her.

My shoulder brushed against hers with every step.

I couldn’t help smiling.

Janina had tried to make me jealous.

Instead, she had reminded me of just how much Sylvia loved me.

And honestly?

I wasn’t complaining.

When we reached my bedroom door, Sylvia opened it.

I stepped inside, and she followed me and closed the door behind her.

I turned around, and she looked at me. "What?"

I smiled. "Nothing."

She lifted her eyebrows. "You’re doing that thing again."

"What thing?"

"That smile."

I laughed softly. "Maybe I just have a beautiful girlfriend."

Sylvia shook her head. "You are impossible."

"And you’re stuck with me," I said, still laughing.

She smiled. "I know."

She closed the door behind us.

This time, when her hand found mine, I held it tighter.

I didn’t care about Janina anymore because Sylvia had already made one thing perfectly clear.

She was mine.

And more importantly...

I was hers.

I loosened my fingers from Sylvia’s and climbed onto the bed.

The mattress sank softly beneath me.

I moved toward the middle of the bed and tapped the empty space beside me, silently gesturing for her to join me.

Sylvia smiled.

"I’ll switch off the light first."

I nodded.

She walked toward the switch beside the door and turned it off.

The room immediately fell into darkness.

For a moment, everything disappeared into blackness.

I reached toward the bedside table, feeling around until my fingers found the small lamp and switched it on.

A warm, yellow glow spread across the room.

It wasn’t bright enough to light everything. The corners of the room remained covered in soft shadows, but it was enough to make the darkness feel less heavy.

Sylvia walked back to the bed, climbed onto the mattress, and lay down beside me.

The bed shifted slightly beneath her weight.

She turned toward me and opened her arms.

I didn’t hesitate.

I moved closer and settled against her, resting my head comfortably against her chest.

The warmth of her body immediately wrapped around me.

Sylvia wrapped both arms around me and pulled me closer, holding me against her.

I could hear her heartbeat beneath my ear.

She lowered her face and buried it gently in my hair. Her warm breath brushed against the top of my head, making me smile.

"Good night, Babe," Sylvia muttered softly against my hair.

A small smile spread across my lips. "Good night."

I closed my eyes.

I could still feel her fingers resting gently against my back, moving slightly whenever she breathed.

My body slowly relaxed.

The tiredness I had been fighting all evening finally caught up with me.

But just before sleep completely took over, one thought suddenly crossed my mind.

Let’s see what trouble tomorrow at school will bring.

I almost laughed quietly at myself.

If only I knew how much trouble was already waiting for me.

I opened my eyes for a second and stared at the warm glow coming from the bedside lamp.

Whatever happened tomorrow, I would deal with it when the time came.

I took one last slow breath, feeling Sylvia’s warmth against me.

I closed my eyes, and immediately, sleep claimed me.