Romances de Amycee

Nicholas dropped me off, and when I walked into the house, it looked like Mason had just gotten in too.He turned at the sound of me. I told him he'd done well tonight, that the speech was great."Thank you," he said.We stood there looking at each other a moment too long before I made myself say goodnight and start up the stairs.Mason came up right behind me. I could feel his eyes on my back the whole way, heavy, and it threw me off, because just as I cleared the last step I missed my footing and went backward into him.He caught me fast, one hand at my back, the other gripping my waist, pulling me in to steady me. I ended up flush against him, his chest moving quick against mine.When I looked up, his face was too close, breath warm on my face. Neither of us pulled away. His gaze fell to my lips and lingered.He was the one who broke it. He steadied me on my feet, his voice quiet. "You okay?""Yes." My face was burning as I stepped out of his hold. "Thanks. For, um, catching me.”"

When we walked into the hall, Nicholas told me the event was a fundraiser for children with illnesses whose families couldn't cover the cost of care.Hearing that, I was glad I'd come. The cause hit closer to home than he could have known.The first stretch of the night was all moving through the room, greeting guests. I smiled so many polite smiles my cheeks started to ache. Then we ran into Nicholas's mother, who was there too, and my nerves shot straight up.She surprised me, her smile warm as she greeted me. "How are you finding the project?"I walked her through where things stood."I hope Nicholas is teaching you something worth knowing?""She's a natural, Mom," Nicholas said before I could answer.I blinked at him, not expecting that.She looked me over, then her mouth curved. "With Mr. Hayes behind you and Nicholas singing your praises, you won't have any trouble finding your footing here."She touched my arm. "Enjoy the rest of your night. I need to go say hello to someone."

Nicholas had gotten in my head.He had warned me Audrey would try me again, just like she did at that lunch. Throwing her little jabs, testing me. He believed I could handle her, but he still wanted me dressed to match her, level on every front, so she'd have nothing to work with.Which was how I ended up in a high-end store with him, hunting for the perfect dress.We worked the floor together, and I won't lie, the man had an eye. I'd walk an aisle and find nothing, then he would pass the same rack and pull out a gorgeous piece I had missed completely.He handed me a stack and I tried them on one after another. Every single one looked good, I'm not being modest, but Nicholas always had one note, one small thing wrong.Then I put on the royal blue.The slit ran high. The neckline showed a little more than I normally allowed. Not something I would reach for on an ordinary day, but I loved how bold I looked in it. Daring, almost.For one silly second, I wished it were Mason out there wai

"Where?" I asked, keeping my voice as low as his.Nicholas tipped his head at a table across the room.I waited a beat before I looked. Mason, Chase, and Bryan, sitting together, deep in talk. But Mason wasn't looking our way, not like Nicholas said. He was staring down into the liquid in his glass while Chase talked and Bryan wore that bored, faraway look.Then Mason lifted his eyes from the glass, and I pulled mine away before they could meet his."You're seeing things," I told Nicholas. "He's not looking over here."He shrugged. "If you say so."A little while later he got to his feet, saying he had an errand to run for his mother and that he'd leave Hannah and me to catch up. "Don't be a stranger," he told her, and then he was gone.His seat had barely gone cold before I turned to Hannah, a grin tugging at my mouth. "So. Tell me everything. How did it feel when Chase handed back the phone you forgot?"She groaned into her hands. "The most awkward moment of my entire life. But he's

Morning light woke me. I lay there a moment, not moving. Mason was asleep beside me. Then I remembered last night, and all I wanted was to be gone before he opened his eyes.I lifted the blanket and started to slide off the bed, quiet as I could. I barely made it an inch before his hand caught my wrist.I froze, then made myself turn to face him."I'm sorry." His voice was thick from sleep. "For letting it get this far. I heard you last night, and I'll respect what you want. I won't cross the line again."His thumb moved once over my wrist, then stopped. "But don't start hiding from me. I want you comfortable in this house. No more tiptoeing around like you're walking on eggshells." His grip loosened. "For Lior's sake. He'll pick up on it if there's something off between us.""Okay," I managed."Good morning, Mia.""Good morning."He gave a small, sad smile. "Let's start the day," he said, and got up from the bed.Showering, getting dressed, I felt low the whole time. This was what I

I followed Mason inside and up the stairs to his room. He pushed the door open and stood back to let me in.At the threshold I hesitated. Something about crossing it felt like agreeing to more than a conversation. He waited, one hand on the door, watching me, until I made my feet move and stepped past him. The door clicked shut behind me.He sat on the edge of the bed. I sat beside him, careful to leave space between us.He was quiet a long while before he let out a breath. "Why are you avoiding me?""I'm not.""I saw you this morning. Tiptoeing out of the house like a thief.""I was being careful not to wake Lior. It was early.""And coming back past midnight? How do you explain that one?""Nicholas and I lost track of time. That's all."A muscle ticked in his cheek. "Is he going to be a problem for us?""I don't understand the question. There's no us."He dragged a hand down his face. "Let me start with Naomi. There's nothing between us. She isn't my girlfriend, never was, never wil

Benita finally moved to the States and into our house.She slotted into the family so naturally that within weeks it felt like she had always been there. It felt like I had gained a sister while my parents gained another daughter.I noticed there was still something going on between her and Uncle Jason, but all my energy was on Aunt Sophia and the baby. Whenever I wasn't at work or with Adrian, I was at Aunt Sophia's house bothering her constantly and speaking to her stomach like the baby could fully understand me already."You are a girl," I would say while rubbing her bump. "Do not disappoint me.""You know the baby can't hear you yet." Aunt Sophia would tease."She can feel the energy,” I replied without looking up.She always laughed and said I reminded her of Mom when she was pregnant with me because she had been just as desperate for a girl.The moment anybody mentioned the possibility of the baby being a boy I instantly became defensive before later sitting somewhere sad about

Starting the vacation as boyfriend and girlfriend only to become Adrian's fiancée a few hours into it changed the vibe of the entire trip.We decided not to tell anyone until we got back home, but that didn't stop him from acting like the happiest man alive every single day.I would catch him randomly staring at me smiling. Other times I would catch him staring at the ring on my finger smiling like he still couldn't believe I said yes.He wanted everyone around us to know. Restaurant staff, hotel concierge, strangers in passing. He always found a way to work it in.One afternoon in Italy we were already halfway to our reservation when Adrian suddenly looked down at my hand. "Where's your ring?"I stared at my empty finger and gasped. "It should be on the nightstand, I pulled it out—"Before I finished he had already turned the car around. Drove all the way back, went up to the room, came back down and slid it onto my finger himself.I rolled my eyes. "I could have put it on after lunc

After spending days trying to separate Benita from Uncle Jason only for her to ignore every warning I gave, I finally gave up.At some point, I realized there was no point forcing it anymore. Benita was going to keep seeing him regardless of what I said, and maybe the only way she would truly understand why I had been so against it was by experiencing Uncle Jason for herself.Still, a tiny part of me secretly prayed that if Uncle Jason eventually broke her heart, it wouldn’t destroy her too badly.For what Adrian did helping Uncle Jason arrange that lunch date behind my back, I tried staying angry, but Adrian made it impossible.He kept showing up at my parents’ house carrying gifts and smiles until my irritation slowly disappeared on its own. Besides, I couldn’t even afford to stay mad for long because we were busy preparing for our vacation together.A few days before the trip, Mom was helping me pack even though Adrian specifically warned me not to bring too much.“Mom, it’s enough

I stormed downstairs ready for war only to find Uncle Jason waiting at the bottom of the stairs with a smile already on his face.“Stay away from Benita.""Sophia—""She's not for you. Find someone else.""I'm only trying to make her feel welcome.”“Your version of welcome has a body count.”Just then Mom and Dad walked into the house holding hands. I hurriedly walked to Dad. “Dad, please tell your brother to leave our house right now.”"Hold on." Dad raised a hand. "This is Uncle Jason. What exactly am I walking into?”"I know," I muttered. "I know I usually love when he's here. But not anymore.”Mom laughed. “I’m guessing this is about Benita?”“Exactly, Mom. He wants to make her one of his little situationships.”“Situationships?” Uncle Jason repeated. “Sophia, have you considered the possibility that I might actually be serious about her?”“I don’t care if you’re serious this time. Find somebody else to be serious with.”“You know she could be the love of my life and you’re the on

Once both our families accepted the relationship, everything in my life started falling beautifully into place.Adrian’s family publicly cleared up the entire engagement situation and officially denied every rumor linking him romantically to Zoey. It later came out that Zoey’s parents had been drowning financially for a while, which explained why they had been so desperate to tie her permanently to Adrian.The scandal became messy online for a few days before people eventually moved on to the next thing to gossip about.Thankfully, Adrian handled the public narrative perfectly.Things also changed for good within the Valecrest family after everything that happened. Adrian even admitted that my parents had influenced his parents in ways he was genuinely grateful for.“They’re actually trying now,” he told me one evening while we lay in bed together. “It feels strange finally getting the whole parent experience at this age, but I guess better late than never.”I understood exactly what

I didn’t realize how serious Adrian had been about changing his surname until Sunday afternoon.I had just woken up from a nap and was heading downstairs for lunch when I heard voices coming from the living room.One of them belonged to Adrian.That alone surprised me because he hadn’t told me he was coming over. Curious, I walked toward the living room only to stop halfway when I saw him sitting across from my parents.Mom smiled the second she noticed me. “Oh, you’re finally awake. Come join us.”I walked over slowly, still confused, before sitting beside Mom and finally paying attention to the conversation. That was when I realized Adrian had been discussing the surname issue with my parents.Dad looked surprised even though he was trying not to show it. “You’re seriously willing to do that?” he asked Adrian. “Do you even understand what you’re saying?”“Yes, sir.”The confidence in Adrian’s voice made Mom and Dad exchange looks.“You’re willing to walk away from your identity beca

Six months later.Sometimes I sit quietly and wonder how life managed to change so completely.For so long, everything had felt uncertain and fragile, like happiness was something that could disappear if I held it too tightly.But now…Everything felt beautiful. Perfect, if perfection even existed.Six months had passed since the wedding and our honeymoon, and somehow those months had gone by faster than I expected. Every day seemed to move with its own quiet rhythm as Cade and I continued building the life we had once struggled so hard to reach.And if there was one thing I had learned about being Cade’s wife, it was this: that man loved to spoil me.Not just in the loud, showy ways people could see.Cade covered every version of pampering – the loud, the quiet, the soft, and the deeply personal. He made sure my coffee was exactly how I liked it every morning. He never forgot the small things that mattered to me. And sometimes I caught him looking at me like he still couldn’t believe

“Wake up. You’re getting married today.”Romi’s voice woke me as she tapped my shoulder.I peeled one eye open and stared at her.“That sounds important.”“It is very important, and if I let you sleep through your own wedding, Cade is going to have my head.”I laughed.That was how my wedding morning began.The day passed in a blur after that. Shower. Skincare. Hair. Makeup. Dresses being steamed. Voices in every room. Someone was always looking for pins, perfume, earrings, or something that had apparently vanished in the middle of the chaos.Through all of it, Romi stayed glued to my side, somehow managing to help me get ready while also texting furiously on her phone every few minutes and rolling her eyes so hard I thought they might stay that way.“What’s wrong?” I asked while the makeup artist finished the final touch on my face.She looked up from her phone and groaned.“Your man is disturbing me.”I smiled immediately. “Cade?”“Who else? Of course it’s him. He wants to see you.”

Friday night started quietly, but it quickly turned into something much bigger than we had planned.At first, the plan had been simple. We would host a small gathering for the people closest to us before the wedding, let everyone relax, laugh, and enjoy themselves.But once everyone started arriving, the energy changed. The house came alive in a way that made it feel less like an event and more like a memory being made in real time.Noah was with my parents for the night, which gave the rest of us the freedom to stay out late without worrying about bedtime routines. Cade had arranged for most of the guests to stay at one of his other properties nearby, so no one had to stress about driving home or cutting the night short.A few of my old college friends flew in. Some people from my modeling days came too, the ones I had stayed cordial with over the years. Drew and Lauren arrived with their usual loud, familiar energy. Jesse and Chanel came together, which made me privately smile. Romi

Moving into the new house felt strangely unreal at first. For the first few days, I wasn’t sure whether Noah or Cade was the one more excited about it.They both couldn’t seem to get enough of each other. Noah even slept in our room with us most nights. On the days I insisted he sleep in his own room, I would still wake up in the middle of the night to find him in our bed. Cade would quietly go and carry him in from his room while I was asleep.That wasn’t all. Getting Cade to go to work became the real challenge.“Cade,” I said one morning, standing by the door with my bag, “you do remember you have a company to run, right?”“I know.”“You haven’t been there in two days. Your employees might start thinking you’ve disappeared.”He shrugged lazily. “I trust them to do their jobs well without my presence. That’s why I pay them.”I gave him the I’m serious look.“Get dressed. You’re going to work today.”He sighed. “Fine.”Later that afternoon, I realized I had forgotten something at hom

The Instagram post did exactly what I expected. It exploded.My phone had barely survived the first fifteen minutes before the notifications started pouring in. Messages. Mentions. Comments. Old contacts suddenly remembering I existed.But the one message that made me laugh out loud came from Drew.Send me your number immediately.I stared at the screen for a second, already knowing what was coming. Then I sent him my number.My phone rang less than ten seconds later. The moment I picked up, Drew started yelling.“Are you kidding me right now, Mira?”I laughed.“You disappear for years,” he continued dramatically, “and the first thing I find out is that you’re engaged through Instagram?”“I’m sorry,” I said between laughs. “I’m sorry.”“You shut me out!”“I know.”“You vanished!”“I know!”“You have been a very bad girl.”“I said I’m sorry,” I repeated, still laughing.There was a long pause, then Drew sighed loudly.“Send me your address.”Before I could say anything else, he hung up

Noah and I were still buzzing with excitement by the time Cade dropped us back at my parents’ house. The entire drive home had been filled with Noah talking nonstop about the new house.By the time the car stopped in the driveway, he was practically vibrating with energy.“Go tell Grandma,” Cade said with a laugh as Noah jumped out before the engine had fully stopped.He ran toward the house, already bursting to share the news.Cade glanced at me from the driver’s seat, his expression soft.“Tomorrow,” he said.“Tomorrow,” I repeated.There was something comforting about that word now. Tomorrow meant the house and building a home together.I leaned over and kissed his cheek before stepping out of the car. The sight in the living room made me pause. Max was sitting on the couch, and beside him was Romi.Noah barely noticed them as he rushed past.“Grandma!” he shouted, already heading down the hallway.Max looked up and smiled when he saw me.“Mira.”“Max,” I said, genuinely surprised.