Closer Than Ever
1053 Words
Chapter 18
The rumors should have made things awkward.
At least that was what Amelia expected.
After all, it was difficult to return to normal when half the city seemed convinced she was secretly involved with Xavier Knight.
Unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately—things didn’t become awkward.
They became worse.
Because somehow, despite all the gossip, Amelia and Xavier grew even closer.
Two weeks after the gala, Knight Manor had settled back into its usual rhythm.
The articles slowly lost momentum.
New scandals replaced old ones.
The media moved on.
Yet something remained.
The awareness between Amelia and Xavier.
The quiet understanding.
The comfort they had developed around each other.
And neither seemed capable of stopping it.
One afternoon, Amelia was in the library when Xavier entered carrying a stack of documents.
Without even looking up from her book, she spoke.
“Long day?”
A pause followed.
Then Xavier answered.
“How did you know it was me?”
Amelia finally looked up.
A smile tugged at her lips.
“You walk differently than everyone else.”
His eyebrow lifted.
“That’s surprisingly specific.”
“It’s true.”
She pointed toward the door.
“Mrs. Hawthorne walks like she’s constantly judging the floor.”
Xavier almost smiled.
“Clara practically bounces.”
A pause.
“And me?”
Amelia immediately regretted answering.
Because now she had to think about him.
Again.
“You walk like you’re planning three business mergers and a hostile takeover.”
To her surprise, Xavier laughed.
A real laugh.
The sound made something warm bloom inside her chest.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“It is not.”
“It absolutely is.”
Amelia grinned.
And for several moments, the library felt lighter than usual.
Neither noticed Sophia standing outside the door.
Watching.
The younger Knight sighed dramatically.
“They’re hopeless.”
Then she walked away before either could catch her.
Over the next several days, the pattern continued.
Amelia and Xavier found reasons to spend time together.
Not intentionally.
At least that was what they claimed.
If Amelia was reading in the library, Xavier somehow appeared.
If Xavier worked late, Amelia mysteriously found herself awake too.
If one took a walk through the gardens, the other often arrived shortly afterward.
Coincidences.
Endless coincidences.
Sophia wasn’t buying it.
Neither was Mrs. Hawthorne.
Even the staff had started noticing.
One morning, Clara sat beside Amelia during breakfast.
“You know.”
Amelia immediately became suspicious.
“What?”
“You smile more now.”
The statement caught her off guard.
“I do not.”
“You do.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Amelia groaned.
Why was everyone suddenly obsessed with her emotional state?
Clara laughed.
Then leaned closer.
“It’s because of him.”
Amelia nearly dropped her coffee.
“No.”
Clara’s grin widened.
“Oh, definitely yes.”
The conversation ended only because Amelia escaped.
Literally.
She fled the dining room.
Clara’s laughter followed her down the hallway.
Unfortunately, her escape led directly into another problem.
Xavier.
Naturally.
She rounded a corner too quickly.
And collided directly with him.
Everything happened at once.
The papers in Xavier’s hands scattered.
Amelia lost her balance.
And before she could fall, strong arms caught her.
The world seemed to stop.
For one impossible moment, neither moved.
Neither breathed.
Amelia looked up.
Xavier looked down.
They were far too close.
Dangerously close.
Close enough for her to notice tiny details.
The faint scent of his cologne.
The tiny scar near his jaw.
The unusual softness hidden behind his normally guarded eyes.
Her heart immediately forgot how to function.
“Amelia.”
Her name sounded different when he said it.
Warmer.
More personal.
And somehow that made everything worse.
“We should probably move.”
His voice sounded rougher than usual.
She nodded immediately.
Neither moved.
Another second passed.
Then another.
Finally, they stepped apart.
Far too quickly.
As though both had suddenly remembered reality.
The silence became awkward.
Very awkward.
“Sorry.”
They spoke simultaneously.
Then stopped.
Then laughed.
The tension eased slightly.
But not completely.
Because the feeling remained.
The awareness.
The attraction.
Growing stronger every day.
That evening, Amelia found herself unable to focus.
The collision replayed repeatedly in her mind.
His arms around her.
His voice.
The way he looked at her.
It was becoming increasingly difficult to pretend her feelings weren’t real.
Meanwhile, Xavier wasn’t doing much better.
He sat alone in his office.
Attempting to review financial reports.
Attempting being the important word.
Because every few minutes, his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Back to the hallway.
Back to Amelia.
Back to the moment she had been standing in his arms.
The realization was becoming impossible to ignore.
He cared about her.
Far more than he should.
Far more than was wise.
And perhaps the most dangerous part?
He didn’t want it to stop.
Several days later, Sophia organized a small movie night in the manor’s private theater.
Her motives were suspicious.
Extremely suspicious.
Amelia suspected a setup.
She was correct.
The moment she entered, Sophia suddenly stood.
“Oh no.”
Amelia narrowed her eyes.
“What?”
“I just remembered I have something important to do.”
“You absolutely do not.”
“I absolutely do.”
Then Sophia vanished.
Leaving Amelia alone.
With Xavier.
The silence that followed was almost comical.
“You know she planned this.”
Xavier nodded.
“Without question.”
Amelia laughed.
And somehow the evening turned out surprisingly enjoyable.
They watched the movie.
Shared commentary.
Mocked ridiculous scenes.
Argued over plot decisions.
And somewhere during the laughter, something shifted again.
Because neither felt uncomfortable anymore.
The nervousness remained.
The attraction remained.
But beneath those emotions was something stronger.
Trust.
Friendship.
Understanding.
The foundation of something real.
By the end of the night, Amelia realized she couldn’t imagine Knight Manor without Xavier anymore.
The thought should have frightened her.
Instead, it felt natural.
And that realization was perhaps the most dangerous one yet.
Because they were no longer simply becoming closer.
They were becoming important to each other.
Essential.
And soon, those growing feelings would face their first true test.
Because for the first time, jealousy was about to enter the picture.
And neither Amelia nor Xavier was prepared for what that would reveal.
- Writer
