After adjusting her clothes, Amy stepped outside of the beach house and was immediately soaked in the sun.
It was a little early into the afternoon, but the beach was steadily getting busier by the minute. Luckily, Sonic booked a more secluded area for them with fewer people around and she sighed pleasantly at how quiet it was. The sand hugged her feet and the shore wasn't too far off for a cold dip.
She had taken a while to get ready and dressed. Truth be told, Amy couldn't remember the last time she wore a bikini. Or… did she ever? It was coloured red and she decided to top it over with a short white see-through dress that she found buried in her closet back home.
Ever since she had Dash, she'd been more reserved about her body. While some of her stretch marks faded, there were still scars she was insecure about. Giving birth had not been easy for her and even with the support she had back then from Sonic, it wasn't enough for her not to grimace whilst remembering it.
Yet, it was a blessing as she gave life to a beautiful baby boy and the feeling of pain and dread quickly went away once she held Dash in her arms for the first time. She remembered his green eyes staring back at her in fascination, his baby hands so small and cute trying to reach her face.
One memory that would stick in her mind forever was when she let Sonic carry him for the first time. He was nervous, she could tell. His typical confident and cheery demeanour wavered as she remembered him looking down at Dash with awe. Regardless of what their relationship had been like back then, Amy adored how the blue hedgehog lit up with such vulnerability and excitement when he stared at their son. She noticed how his eyes were watering, but he quickly turned his head away, thinking she didn't catch it before he turned back at their son in his arms, cooing and cradling him.
It was the only time, at that exact moment, she knew something in him was changing.
She just refused to admit it.
Amy smiled as she watched Dash run around with Sonic playing catch with the beach ball, their imprints being left in the sand. Just now, the ball had bounced into the water and of course, Dash had to be the one to retrieve it, as Sonic stood ten feet away, wanting to be dry and not wet. She rolled her eyes at the scene but laughed as she headed toward them.
Sonic heard her the moment she was nearing him and turned around, flashing her a bright charismatic grin once he saw her. Carefully, she watched as his grin shifted and his gaze turned pensive once he dropped his eyes down at her swimwear.
Maybe it was the thrill starting to build up in her body, but she very much enjoyed whenever he seemed to be at a loss for words whenever he saw her, particularly when she wore something a little more revealing than usual. She couldn't forget how his eyes roamed her with little to no shame at the dress she wore for the Gala.
It was nice to know she could fight back the effect he had on her with the effect she had on him.
Their silent moment was interrupted as Sonic was hit in the head by the beach ball Dash had thrown at him. "Oof!"
"Oops! Sorry, Dad!" Dash apologised.
Amy stifled out a laugh. "Nice aim, Dash!"
He grinned, beaming. "I learned from the best, Mom!"
Sonic seemed to have recovered from the initial hit as he straightened up and rubbed his head. "You definitely got that throw from your Mom, buddy!" He said, throwing her a squint, "Mooost definitely."
Amy responded to him with a cunning grin of her own. "I used to play volleyball in High School, remember?" With half-lidded eyes, she leaned closer to him, "Besides, you should've been paying more attention to the ball instead of… me, no?"
Something in his eyes changed, and that playful tint glazed over them for a second, like a challenge had been set between them. He saw through her in a second, and Amy couldn't help but smile in small victory. That reaction from him was everything she wanted.
"Huh," Sonic, never one to back down, flashed her a mischievous grin, "Got me figured all out, don't you?"
Amy tilted her head slightly, maintaining her coy expression. "Maybe I do," she said, walking past him with her hands behind her back before winking, "Maybe I don't."
Taking the ball, she broke her gaze off of him and stepped into the water to join Dash, but she could still feel his look on her. It was just playful teasing on her part, but Amy wanted to relish the memory of the pink dusting against his cheeks just a moment ago. She liked catching him off guard like that, especially after all those unforgivable times he did the same to her.
Tossing the ball up, Amy intertwined her hands together and hit it towards Dash, who promptly did the same and hit it back to her. Whenever the weather was great, she'd practice her volleyball skills with Dash in their garden, just so she wasn't getting rusty with her favourite sport. It also meant that Dash was already a genius at it, among other sports for his age.
Well, if your dad was Sonic the Hedgehog, who excelled in a lot of sports due to his agility, then it wasn't too much of a surprise, was it?
Amy laughed along with Dash as they played and passed the ball to each other. At one moment, Dash tripped and dragged her along with him as they both landed on the water, causing a huge splash between them.
Her son broke out into a giggle. "Are you okay, Mom?"
"Yeah I'm okay, baby," Amy chuckled, splashing a bit of water at Dash in playful retaliation. She shook the water away from her hair before pushing some of it away from her face. "Oh look! Aren't those some of the seashells you were looking for?"
"Oh yeah, they are!" Dash quickly grabbed his bucket and started gathering some of the shells that were scattered under the water. He eagerly picked up a particularly colourful one and handed it to Amy. "This one is so cool, Mom!"
She took it, admiring how vibrant it was. "Oooh! This one is beautiful. Maybe if you collect a few more shells, you could use them to decorate the sandcastle your dad is gonna build, yeah?"
Amy looked ahead and saw Sonic getting started on the sandcastle he promised he'd do. He was working on the base of it, not even breaking a sweat as he began doing the next layer. Dash already ran up to him with some of the shells in hand, sitting down next to him to help.
Shaking off some of the water in her hair, Amy made her way back to the shore and slipped her feet back into her sandals. "Starting to look in shape, huh?" She said to Sonic as she walked over.
Sonic turned his head to her as he smiled. "You talking about me or the sandcastle?"
Almost instantly, Amy felt her cheeks flush with a rosy hue. She tried to send him a mockingly offended glare but failed. "Th-The sandcastle, obviously!"
The look he gave her concluded that he was satisfied with her reaction, even chuckling like he had won this round of their… flirting, before his eyes settled down on her further.
She wasn't… exactly looking pleasant right now. She was drenched from the water and her dress had been practically clinging to her skin. Yet again, his stare lingered on her body and that same thrill came back.
She was right to think that the beach was a dangerous place to be.
Focus, Amy, Focus!
Sonic leaned against the partially built sandcastle, a smirk playing on his lips. "Well, if that's the effect the sandcastle has on you, maybe I should work on it a bit more."
Remembering that Dash was here with them, Amy just rolled her eyes and attempted to regain her composure. "Don't get ahead of yourself. The sandcastle is just fine."
"Sure, Ames," Sonic said, his tone teasing. "You say that… but your eyes tell me a different story. Like you think something else is fine."
She blinked at him as if caught red-handed, and that rush of heat that was on her face had cycled its way down the rest of her body. Clenching her fists beside her, Amy had to press her lips to suppress the squealed gasp of embarrassment that threatened to escape her mouth at his comment.
Such an infuriating hedgehog.
He winked at her and then continued to engross himself in building the castle with Dash, who had been paying no mind to their conversation just now.
Even though she wanted to get back at him again, even if it would be playful, it would've been inappropriate to continue, especially in front of their son. Whatever… tension, this was- even though it was clearly obvious, it would have to be dealt with later.
With a defeated sigh, Amy ventured off to one of the beach chairs that was set up for them and sat down, enjoying the shade the umbrella was providing her as she dried herself off with a towel. She then grabbed her sunglasses and put them on, taking a refreshing sip of her lemonade. She was a good distance away from Sonic and Dash as she watched them progress on their sandcastle and decided to bring out her phone, taking a video and a few pictures of them with a smile.
Amy got out a book from her bag and began reading it. She barely had any sort of time to go through her huge backlog of… romance books, but whenever she did, she would underestimate herself at how badly she'd get sucked into them. She would look up from her book from time to time, just to eye at how the boys were doing with their castle before going back to dive herself into her book.
When she was getting to the exciting part of the story, her train of reading was interrupted by someone saying her name.
"Amy Rose?"
Amy blinked up from her book and was greeted by a male red hedgehog standing before her.
He had a wide smile on his face and Amy had to take a moment to place where she had seen him before. As her memory caught up, she realized it was someone she knew.
"Jace?" Amy exclaimed and sat up, setting her book aside, "Oh, wow! I haven't seen you in so long."
"Yeah, it's been a while," Jace said, nodding at her with ease, "Sorry. I haven't made time to come into your diner. Things have been busy with the company."
Amy smiled, waving off his apology. "No worries. I understand how it goes these days."
Like Sonic, Jace was also part of the high-end industry in the financial market, with his family running one of the biggest stock exchanges in the world. It was impressive, actually. He was extremely humble and when she first saw him walk into her diner, she truly wouldn't have thought he was part of that business at all.
Although, Amy didn't really dive into those things in the media unless it involved Sonic so…
And, well, because Sonic and Jace were in the same industry- there was no such thing as a friendly rivalry between them. No, no. The media always seemed to make it out that they were enemies and for once, they were right.
Amy couldn't help but sneak back a glance at where Sonic was and to her surprise, he'd been already looking at her. His eyes met hers, and there was a subtle change in his expression like he wasn't impressed with what was going on. Dash quickly brought him back to his senses, nudging him to place one of his seashells on top of their castle.
Jace, unaware of the silent exchange, continued. "So how's things going on with you? Everything good with business?"
"Yeah, things are going well. The diner is thriving, and, you know, keeping up with the demands," Amy returned her attention to Jace, offering a warm smile as she tried not to let her discomfort show.
Unexpectedly, the red hedgehog sat down and leaned in closer to her. "Oh, yeah? That's not surprising considering it's got an amazing owner in its hands."
The sentiment was appreciated. However, Amy had to lean away just a tad bit. She already wasn't wearing much and she was always… aware, of the interest Jace had for her. Tikal knew it, sometimes even Dash knew it much to his dislike. Amy didn't harbour the same interest or feelings back. He was a great guy, down-to-earth and all around very sweet, but the first time she met him- she had just broken up with Sonic and she had been practically done with dating and wanted to focus on herself for once. She understood Jace's hints perfectly, the business cards he'd give her, the sliding in his number with his change- she saw and knew it all.
But now Amy knew where her heart lied and who it would always belong to and…
It was best to make that clear to him.
Slowly, she stood up and opened her mouth-
"The owner makes the best chilli-dogs too," A voice said from behind, making her stop and turn around to see Sonic standing beside her. He gave her a side glance, a small look of 'I'm sorry, but I just had to butt in' plastering over his face before he finally looked at Jace, "Ames's home cooking at its finest. Not everyone has experienced that luxury though."
Amy shot the blue hedgehog a look. Really?
Jace looked at Sonic as he stood up, his smile not faltering. If he was surprised to see him here, then he did a good job of hiding it. "Well, it's a shame I haven't had the chance to try them yet," he said, his gaze suddenly flashing with a challenge before it faded, "You know, busy securing the higher deals n' all."
Oh dear.
Sonic's grin didn't fade either as he pocketed his hands, but Amy knew better, noticing how crooked his lips were looking right now- like he was forcing himself not to bite back at the other hedgehog's jab at his company.
"Huh," Sonic pretended to mull over the remark, "Well, that's a shame. Guess it's easier to fall for bribery than having to put the work in for those deals."
Amy's jaw dropped. He did not.
She swallowed, suddenly feeling very, very awkward.
Even then, both their smiles hadn't wavered. Instead, they were both grinning at each other, eyes closed as if everything was all dilly-dally shilly-shally between them.
Chaos. They both seemed like absolute psychopaths right now.
"Seems like Hedgehog Holdings is doing well then," Jace said, extending his hand towards Sonic, "Congratulations on the merger."
And with the most overly cheery voice she had ever heard from him, Sonic shook his hand. "Thank you!"
Amy stared down at their hands. They hadn't let go of each other's grip yet… and it seemed like it was getting tighter and tighter before they finally pulled away.
Inwardly, she sighed. It felt like she was dealing with two children. It was like watching two alpha animals sizing each other up, each trying to assert dominance in their own way. She wondered if they even realized how ridiculous they looked. Especially Sonic.
Eventually, Jace excused himself, claiming he had some business calls to attend to. He had given Amy a knowing look. It was kind but… she had a feeling that she wouldn't see him for a while. Though she couldn't help but feel a wave of relief as he walked away. She turned to Sonic with a raised eye. "What the heck was that?"
As if innocent, Sonic tore his gaze away from Jace's retreating figure and blinked at her. "What was what?"
Amy gave him a light smack on his arm. "Don't play dumb with me, Mister! That crap with Jace!"
"I dunno what you're talking about," Sonic said, rubbing his arm where she smacked him with a grin. Amy shot him a sceptical look, crossing her arms in front of her, clearly unimpressed with the whole sudden fiasco that just occurred.
Despite being frustrated with him, she suddenly leaned in closer with a smirk. "Were you jealous?"
"Yeah."
His quick admission caught Amy off-guard as she uncrossed her arms, studying his face for any signs of deception. There weren't any and it made her… blush in slight embarrassment. "O-Oh…" Amy mumbled, trying to process Sonic's straightforward response. She wasn't used to him admitting jealousy so openly. It was a rare vulnerability, one that made her heart flutter unexpectedly. The playful banter and teasing between them had taken a turn into uncharted territory.
…What uncharted territory?
She was jealous of Mariko, or every other woman that would drape themselves over him. Yet, she had a hard time telling him that she hated it and that she was jealous. And then here he was, just easily telling her about his feelings.
Stupid, Amy. So stupid.
Sonic, on the other hand, seemed to realise the weight of his admission. He scratched his head. "Yeah, I guess I was. Didn't like the idea of someone else trying to... you know."
Amy pressed her lips together before her teeth gnawed at the corner of her bottom lip as she mulled over what he was trying to say. It was… reassuring to know that he was jealous. It meant that he was taking their situation seriously.
She reached out and gently placed her hand on his arm, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Yeah," she couldn't help but smile at him, "I know."
"Mom, Dad! Look!"
They turned their attention towards Dash, who was standing proudly next to the sandcastle that looked more like a sand fortress. It had turrets, a moat, and even a drawbridge made of seashells. "Ta-daaaaaa!"
"Nice job, buddy!" Sonic grinned, walking over to the creation before ruffling his son's hair, "You practically just made a kingdom!"
"Daaad, you helped me out too!" Dash said, basking in his affection before he looked at her, "Do you like it, Mom?'
Amy joined them, her eyes marvelling at the castle. "Like it? I love it!" She knelt down in front of Dash and peppered a sweet kiss on his cheek, "It's amazing! You and your Dad did a great job."
Dash beamed with pride and pulled on her hand along with Sonic's. "Let's take a picture with it together!"
They gathered around the sand castle posing for a picture with Sonic getting his camera ready. Dash, always energetic, struck a superhero pose, and Sonic threw in a peace sign as Amy simply smiled.
After a couple of photos were snapped, Amy sneakily took a video of Sonic and Dash as they rammed into the sand castle, making a mess of everything. She stifled a laugh behind her hand before shaking her head, citing that they would both need to have a shower after this.
Later, they were at Sonic's beach house as the beach slowly became vacant and the sun began to set. After having dinner and bathing Dash, Amy carried him up to his room and put him into bed. He'd been completely knocked out from today's activities and wanted nothing more than to sleep. Smiling, she left a soft kiss against his head and quietly made her way out of his room and into the shower so she could clean up.
She emerged from the shower, drying her hair off and got comfortable in her yellow night dress. As she walked, her eyes scanned for Sonic around the house but he wasn't in any of the rooms. Curious, Amy headed towards the front and sure enough, the blue hedgehog was there on the porch, sitting with one pen in his hand and his phone with the other, talking into it.
For a moment, Amy stood there contemplating whether she should join him. Whatever he seemed to be talking about looked like it was important, and it would feel out of place for her to interrupt him.
But…
This was meant to be a break from work for him, right? He should be relaxing. The weekend wasn't long and she would be damned if she hadn't used this opportunity to just… be with him and talk.
Chewing on the corner of her lip, Amy groaned at herself for even having second thoughts. She mustered up the courage and quietly slid the glass door open, padding her way out to the porch.
Sonic glanced back when he heard her and smiled lightly, his eyes following her as he continued talking on the phone when she sat beside him.
"Yeah, sure. Just send the reports to me on Monday," Sonic said, wrapping up the conversation and ending the call before turning his attention to her.
Amy smiled. "Hi."
"Hey yourself," he put his phone down on the table and immediately swept his gaze on her outfit, "Nice dress."
"Thanks." It was still warm outside, despite being late into the night. There was a cool momentary breeze which felt welcomed, hitting her skin nicely. "...Everything okay at work?"
"Yeah, just some last-minute stuff to take care of. You know how it is. But it's done now. I'm all yours for the rest of the night," Sonic teased.
Amy just rolled her eyes at that but laughed nonetheless. "Lucky me."
They sat in comfortable silence, both enjoying the sounds of the waves and the distant seagulls. The summer night was clear as the wind began picking up again, and Amy leaned back against her chair with a pleasant sigh.
She needed this.
If Amy was kinder to herself, she would have more breaks like this. She loved summer, she loved the beach and looking out to the ocean. It was beautiful, sunlit and therapeutic. She wanted to experience it again and again.
…And she could. Maybe she should.
Her ears twitched when she heard a 'click' and she opened her eyes to realise that Sonic had taken a sneaky picture of her without her noticing. "What was that for?"
He only grinned. "Just capturing the moment. You looked so peaceful, couldn't resist."
Amy couldn't help but smile at his response. "Well, next time, at least warn me. I might have posed or something."
"Nah," He clicked at his phone again, "You look better when you're caught off-guard."
"Wha-? Hey!" She quickly sat up and leaned over to try and grab his phone, "Give me that!"
Sonic leaned away, practically predicting her movements as he stood up and backed away, but not before taking another snap. "No way!"
"Sonic!" Amy got up and began chasing after him as they ran out of the porch and into the sand where the shore started. She didn't want to be too far away from the beach house because of Dash, but this cheeky blue hedgehog was too fast for her own good!
Sonic, being the speedster he was, easily kept his distance, occasionally glancing back with his annoying grin. Amy, determined not to let him get away with those candid photos, pushed herself to catch up. He was obviously holding his speed back for her, which made her even more bent on catching him.
"Sonic the Hedgehog, get back here!" She yelled.
He didn't even break a sweat. "You're too slow, Ames!"
"You may be fast, but you can't escape forever!"
"Heh. Try me!"
As they reached the edge of the water, Sonic skidded to a stop, sending a spray of sand behind him. Not anticipating the sudden halt, Amy stumbled but managed to regain her balance. She narrowed her eyes at Sonic before jumping, trying to reach for his phone.
"Sonic!" Amy protested and went on her tip-toes, "You're so annoying! Give me your phone, you doofus!"
"Nuh-uh!" He playfully wagged his finger at her, "You think I'm gonna let you delete those pretty pictures?"
She huffed, biting the inside of her cheek. His comment annoyingly made her heart skip a beat, and she made no attempt to hide how hot her face had gotten.
So… So impossible he was!
But then, as if a light bulb flickered on top of her head, the idea came as quickly as it happened.
They were inches away from the water, so…
Sonic noticed her expression changing into a sly one… making him raise an eye in question. "...Ames?"
With a grin, she brought her hands out and began tickling him. Straight away, she was relentless and made it her mission to catch him off-guard at all costs. Oh, she was going to show him all right!
"Amy!" He burst out laughing as her tickling assault proved effective. It was all going to plan. The blue hedgehog tried to dodge and squirm away, but Amy wasn't going to let that happen as her fingers were persistent. "C'mon, Ames. Stop!"
Slowly, they were edging near the water.
"Nope!" Amy giggled and kept pushing him back, making him unaware that their feet had been touching the wet sand, "You should've known better than to mess with me, Hedgehog!"
Suddenly, his eyes widened when he finally realised what she was about to do. "Wait, wait-!"
Before he could escape, Amy locked him in her arms and then pushed the both of them down as they tumbled into the water. The waves had just washed towards their path in time, soaking them all around.
Sonic quickly emerged from the water, coughing and shaking his head to get rid of the droplets from his quills. "Amy!" He whined, less than impressed with what happened, "That was so not cool!"
Amy pushed her wet hair away from her face, grinning triumphantly. "Well, maybe next time you'll think twice before snapping sneaky pictures!"
He shook his head, still attempting to get the water out of his ears. "You're ruthless, you know that?"
"Sometimes you gotta be!" She retorted back, tone playful. Her fit of laughter finally died down as Sonic rolled his eyes, squeezing some of the water from his quills.
Her eyes settled on him properly for a second. He was drenched, his shirt and beach shorts soaked and clinging to his skin. It was shameless to stare, she knew that, and she wouldn't hear the end of it from him if she continued to do so but… The sight of him was just so captivating- especially with the moon behind them reflecting every ounce of his body.
He was beautiful.
Amy pressed her lips together into a smile, daringly leaning over to him. "Finally got you wet."
She wanted to laugh again, wanted to make a comment on how they both needed to take a shower again, and then probably wanted to splash some water on him and say he overcame his fear of the ocean.
When Sonic looked at her, all those thoughts came to a screeching halt.
He wasn't smiling, nor did he crack a joke at her teasing like he always would.
He was giving his undivided attention to her, his green eyes roaming her body.
It was like earlier but only… Amy had really felt his stare grazing on her this time.
Suddenly, she was back in his car from the night at the Gala.
Ever so slowly, disregarding the picked-up waves from the water, Sonic leaned closer. The distance between them seemed to vanish, and Amy felt a mixture of anticipation and nervousness building within her.
Sonic's hand brushed a wet strand of hair away from Amy's face, his touch sending shivers down her spine. She hated yet loved how it was so easy for him to gain a reaction like that out of her. His eyes held a certain intensity, and she refused to look away.
"Yeah…" He spoke in a softer tone, his hand going down to rest against her cheek, "Yeah, you did."
Amy's heart raced, her mind remembering their last kiss.
Their lips were inches apart and Sonic's eyes flickered between hers, searching for any sign of hesitation, like he was asking her for permission to continue as their breaths mingled.
They lingered on the edge of something unspoken. The tension was hot. It was as if the universe itself held its breath, waiting for them to take the next step. Amy's mind raced with conflicting thoughts and emotions and the vulnerability in Sonic's gaze made her heart ache.
She wanted to speak but she couldn't. Instead, she kept her eyes locked on him, as if pleading him to just… do it. To make the first move, to stop her from pushing him down and initiating it again.
He seemed to have understood then.
Sonic closed the remaining distance, and their lips met in a soft, gentle kiss. The world around them seemed to disappear as the warmth of the moment enveloped them. Amy's hand instinctively found its way to Sonic's wet quills, and she could feel the gentle rhythm of his heartbeat beneath his soaked shirt.
Amy responded eagerly, letting him know she wanted this. She wrapped her arms around his neck, reeling him in. His hands found their way to her waist, his grip on her tightening unhurriedly and gently, but still gave the implication that he wasn't letting her go.
For Amy, time was losing its meaning. The sensation of the cool ocean breeze and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore created a serene backdrop to their intimate moment. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't do anything else but deepen the kiss.
It felt good. She felt good.
Sonic broke the kiss first, and before she could pull him back in for another one, he pushed her down against the splashing shore and reconnected their lips again. Amy gasped against his lips, not expecting his bold movement but immediately welcomed how feverish the kiss had gotten now.
His hands wandered down her hips until they reached her legs. He pulled on them, having them wrapped around his waist as his fingers crawled underneath the lace of her dress, bunching it up. Amy had to refrain from completely losing herself when his hand rubbed and then squeezed her thigh.
Oh, Chaos. She wanted more. More, more, more…
Her nails had suddenly dug into his back, and he groaned quietly into her mouth- indicating he knew what she was asking, just before his fingers inched across and pulled at the lace of her panties.
Amy wanted nothing more than to succumb to all of his touches.
…And then his phone rang.
The both of them jumped and their kiss broke off abruptly. Sonic seemed to have snapped out of the moment, his eyes widening as he reached into his wet shorts to retrieve his phone. The sudden intrusion brought Amy back to reality, and she found herself breathless and disoriented.
Slowly, she sat up and noticed the puzzled expression on his face when he looked down at his phone. "What's wrong?"
Sonic sent her a reluctant look, which raised her suspicions immediately. "Sorry," he muttered as he began to stand up, "I need to take this."
"What?" Amy was more awake and alert now, the semi-drunken state she was in completely whisked away when she also stood up, "Who is it?"
She quickly leaned in to see the caller ID and froze.
Mariko.
Something shifted in the air between them and just like that, the intimate moment they shared just moments ago now felt like a distant memory, replaced by the reality of the situation.
Amy suddenly couldn't breathe.
She glanced away from his phone and locked her eyes with him as his phone kept ringing. She looked at him and almost dared him to answer it as her gaze couldn't help but mentally challenge him.
Even though she knew it'd be fruitless.
His eyes flickered between her and the phone, and a conflicted expression played on his face.
And Amy seized up from it, that spike of irritation making its way down her shaking balled fists.
Me… or her?
Sonic tore gaze eyes away from her, clearly having lost the battle of their intensive stare-down as he swiped his phone and answered it.
When he turned away, Amy felt her stomach drop.
She felt sick. She felt frustrated. She felt angry.
She felt hurt.
She felt the tears brimming in her eyes. But she refused to let him see them.
Amy turned away, swallowing the lump in her throat as she stared out into the vastness of the ocean. She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself, but the ache in her chest persisted.
Sonic's conversation with Mariko became background noise, indistinct murmurs that only fueled Amy's internal turmoil. She couldn't shake off the feeling of being on the sidelines, a temporary distraction from his real life.
She hated this. She hated it.
It had been minutes, but it felt like hours and he still wasn't done talking with her. In fact, he kept walking further and further away and by then, she could barely hear him.
And for Amy, it became evidently clear that their time together tonight had reached its end.
