AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Amber let me skip school and we've been watching movies all day.”
I told her that she was not very good at keeping a secret. It wasn't a secret, of course, but Alice thought it was the funniest thing ever. It was good to see her smiling, especially when she had bumped her arm earlier and tears had sprung to her eyes. I had held her softly and told her that everything was going to be okay. There was just something about Alice and how she pulled at my heartstrings.
“I'm glad to see that you guys had a good day.”
I looked at Frank and I could see very clearly that he had not. Alice needed to use the bathroom and I asked him what was going on after she had left.
“I think we need to talk, Amber.”
Something inside of me shuddered. Why did he sound like that? It sounded like something very terrible was about to be told to me and I was quite sure that I didn't want to hear it. Why couldn't we have peace just a little bit longer? It seemed like we had just found each other and now something was going to drive us apart.
I was overreacting to his expression, demeanor, and tone. I was worried about what it all meant, what was going through his mind. Whatever it was, I braced myself for it. This was the other shoe, I was sure of it.
28
Frank
Iwasn't actually going to bring it up, especially because Tommy was a bad subject for the two of us. I didn't want to talk about her boyfriend, and I certainly didn't want to come clean about how it was all making me feel. I hated the idea of her with another man, but I hated the idea more of that man being in my house. I had to say something, even though it was going to take the smile from her face. The more I thought about it though, the more I knew that I had to say something.
“What do you want to talk about?”
“We need to talk about Tommy.”
Amber did not look happy that I brought up Tommy and I wished that I didn't have to. I didn't know what was going on between the two of them, she said that she had broken up with him, but I needed to know that he wasn't going to be at my house anymore. I had Alice to think about. I was honestly worried that Tommy wasn't going to take the news of the two of them breaking up so well. If I was completely honest, I didn't think that I would have taken it very well at all either. I knew that Amber was raised differently, she had grown up in foster care, which meant that she was around a different type of person. I didn't want to be that guy, the one that held what another person did in the past over them, but at the same time, I couldn't have that sort of person around my family. Especially not when he had so many reasons to make things more complicated.
“Why do you want to talk about Tommy? I told you that we broke up. What else is there to know?”
“I want to talk about the fact that he was here in the house.”
Amber was not expecting that. She pressed her lips together and looked away from me. It was definitely something that I wasn't okay with, and I think she knew that. Why wouldn't she? There was also another look from her, that made me feel bad for even saying anything. I was sorry about that, but it couldn't be stopped.
“He was. He just kind of showed up and I’m not even really sure why. He had texted me, but I was busy, so I told him I would talk to him later. Next thing I know, Tommy is at the front door, inviting himself in.”
She wanted to ask me how I knew, but she didn’t, and I didn't ask for anything. I could see that whatever had brought Tommy to my house, it wasn’t because Amber invited him over. I could tell that she had not expected him to show up. She expected less for me to find out about it.
“Well, I need you to promise me that he won't come back.”
She said that he wouldn’t, and it was honestly just as ugly as I thought it would be. She was offended and I didn't know if I even really got my point across. In the end, I think I just came across as a jealous man.
Why did it have to be difficult like this? Why did I still feel this jealousy for a man that I never even met, because he had a woman that I presently had? I had stolen her away and maybe that was part of what was bothering me. I was afraid that he was going to do what I had done to him. He was going to take her and then where would that leave me? I would be lost without Amber. I knew as much, even though I hadn’t even realized that I was lost before. I was. Amber had made me see that.
“Like I said, he was never supposed to be here to begin with, so there is no reason for him to come back.”
“Well, all I know is that there's some things missing[SS1] , and I know that you had nothing to do with it, but I'm pretty sure that your boyfriend did. I wouldn’t bring it up…”
“He's not my boyfriend.”
I wasn't going to argue with her, and I liked her answer, but at the same time, I was still worried about losing her. Why did it all have to be so complicated? Why couldn’t I have just let it go?
“I know that he's not, but he was in my house because of you.”
“Whatever it is that he took, I will replace. Just take it out of my check.”
She said the last part, reminding us both that I was her boss and she worked underneath me. It wasn't a time where I would have wanted that reminder. I didn't know if I ever wanted that reminder again, but there was some truth to her words. She was an employee, and I should be careful if I didn't want to lose her altogether.
“It's not like that. I would like my watch back, but I don't want you to have to go get it. It might be easier if I just call the police. It’s not something that can be replaced so easily.”
She looked stricken for a moment, and I wondered why that was. What sort of feelings did she still have for Tommy? She kept saying that she would fix it, and I wanted my watch, but I didn’t want Amber anywhere near Tommy.
