Rearview Mirror

by B L Clark

“This is her home. You saw her at the show last night. This is where she belongs. And I belong with her. Plus, I can’t ask her to come back to that place. Not with all the memories of her father and brother. That would do more damage than good.”

  “Wow, I know I should have assumed this was going to happen, but I’m in shock.”

  “This is my room,” Amber said as they entered the master bedroom with the large attached bath.

  “Wow, that is a nice tub. I bet you and Nicole could have some fun in there,” Heather teased.

  “We have,” Amber said nonchalantly before turning and heading out the bedroom door as Jill and Heather stood there with their mouths agape.

  Amber then showed them her studio.

  “Amber, these paintings are amazing.” Jill looked at the various canvases in the room.

  “Thanks.”

  “Is this Old Miller’s Pond?” Heather held up a painting of a dock with the setting sun reflecting off the water and a tree in the background.

  “Yeah. I have a series of paintings from back home.”

  The group went back into the living room.

  “Hey, Nic,” Heather said. “Have you seen her paintings of back home?”

  “You have paintings of back home?” Nicole asked.

  “When I got homesick, I painted the things I remembered…the happy times.”

  “Why haven’t I seen them? I thought you showed me all your paintings.”

  “Um, I was scared to show them to you,” Amber said. “Most of them are places that made me remember times with you.”

  “Baby, you never have to be scared to show or tell me anything.”

  Nicole and Amber stared into each other’s eyes for a long minute before they were drawn together. They kissed softly, and the others averted their eyes, allowing them as much privacy as they could get with five other people in the room.

  After breakfast, Jessie and Zach excused themselves, leaving Amber and Nicole with their other friends.

  “So, what do you guys want to do?” Amber said.

  “Show us your life. We want to get to know the New York Amber,” Jill said.

  “Before we go out and do that, guys, I think you should know that Amber asked me to move in with her and I said yes. I’m going to be moving to New York soon,” Nicole announced as she cuddled closer to Amber.

  “Excuse me?” Jill looked between the two women and then at Erik. She was sure he’d be freaking out at this.

  “She told me earlier.” Erik shrugged, but his face revealed his true feelings.

  “That’s so cool. You two seem so happy,” Heather said encouragingly.

  “We are, Heather,” Nicole said before kissing Amber’s cheek.

  “Why don’t we go to the gallery, maybe Central Park, and then get something to eat,” Amber suggested, trying to avoid any more of the awkward silence.

  “Maybe we can go to the club tonight, too,” Nicole added.

  “That sounds like fun,” Heather said.

  “I suppose,” Erik said.

  “I’m game,” Jill said.

  “If you have better things to do, Erik, please don’t let me keep you from them,” Amber said coldly.

  “No, going out sounds fine.”

  “Can you guys excuse us for a minute?” Nicole motioned that she wanted to talk to Erik alone.

  “Sure.” Heather pulled Jill and Amber toward the door. “We’ll meet you both downstairs.”

  “What the hell is your problem, Erik?” Nicole said in an angry and hurt tone.

  “Simple, it’s dangerous here. I don’t want my best friend moving someplace that she can get hurt and I can’t be there to protect her.”

  “And back home is much better?”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “Think about what Amber went through for years. We weren’t able to help her.”

  “Had she told us, we could have helped her.”

  “Look at what happened to me at home.”

  “That was a rarity. That only happened—”

  “That only happened because some deranged lunatic came after me,” Nicole cut Erik off. “New York is no more dangerous than being home.”

  “You don’t know each other like you did before. You’re different people. Don’t throw away all that you’ve worked so hard to accomplish.”

  “I’m not throwing it away. I will still have my business, I’ll just be based out of New York instead. I’m hoping to still have my friends, but only if they’re going to be supportive of Amber and me. If you aren’t going to try to get to know who she is now and see what life she has built for herself here, just go home. I don’t want you here if you’re going to make her feel bad or if you aren’t going to realize this is my life to make my way in, and that includes me making my own mistakes.”

  “So, if I asked you to choose between Amber and me, you’re going to choose her?”

  “Yes. I love her and want to build a future with her. I’ve always wanted that. We lost ten years of our lives together, I’m not willing to lose any more time. It’s your choice. Either you stay and get to see Amber’s life and what my life will contain or you go home. I’m not saying our friendship is over, but if you aren’t supportive, I don’t want you here.”

  “I guess I’ll see you when you come back home,” Erik said, and he turned and walked out, leaving Nicole stunned.

  “I don’t want to come between them,” Amber said as she sat in front of the brownstone with Heather and Jill.

  “You can only come between them if they let it.” Heather sat next to her.

  “Squirt’s right. If Erik chooses to not support Nicole staying here, that’s his choice. The last time Nicole was this happy was before you left ten years ago.” Jill put a hand on Amber’s shoulder.

  “Amber?” came a woman’s voice behind her.

  “Mrs. Phelps, good morning.”

  “Is everything okay, dear?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’d like you to meet two of my good friends from back home. This is Heather and Jill Woods. Guys, this is Mrs. Phelps. She and her husband have looked after me for so many years.”

  “It’s so nice to meet you,” Jill said, shaking Mrs. Phelps’s hand.

  “Thank you for taking care of Amber.” Heather hugged the older woman.

  “It’s nice to meet you both. And taking care of Amber is easy. She’s such a sweet and amazing woman. Nicole has truly brought her out of her shell and opened her up.”

  “They’ve always been like that together,” Jill said as Amber blushed.

  “Erik?” Amber said as he exited the brownstone and made his way toward a cab that was stopped at the end of the block.

  “Well, it was nice to meet you both. Amber, I know something is up, you know where to find me when you’re ready to talk.”

  “Thank you,” Amber said, nodding absently.

  Mrs. Phelps went inside, and Amber watched as Erik got in a cab and the cab drove away. Nicole came out of the front door and joined the three standing out front.

  “What happened?” Jill asked

  “I told him if he couldn’t be supportive of my choices, I didn’t want him here. He chose to leave. I’m not going to let Erik Harrison ruin today. He made his choice, and he can live with it. Now, where are we starting?”

  “Sweetie.” Amber ran her hand through Nicole’s hair. “Are you sure about this?”

  “I am. I love you, and I want us to build the life we were meant to have together but were robbed of.”

  “Okay, then let’s get this tour started,” Heather said.

  Amber hailed a cab, and the four women made their way to the art gallery where she worked. After giving Jill and Heather a tour, the group went out for lunch, then headed to Central Park. Amber showed them the fountains she liked to sit by, the bridges she found especially inspiring, and then they walked through the zoo. Nicole tried to hide how much it bothered her that Erik had left, but everyone knew.

  “Sweetie, I think I know what will help yo
u feel better.” Amber wrapped her arms around Nicole’s waist.

  “What’s that?” Nicole asked skeptically.

  “Let’s go show Heather and Jill the gym.” Amber smirked.

  “Really? You think Trina can help with this?”

  “I know she can. She has some very good techniques.”

  “Plus, you need to check in with her,” Nicole said.

  “That too.”

  “So, who is this Trina and what is this gym thing?” Jill asked as the four of them got into a cab and Amber gave the driver the address.

  “Trina is my—well, our—personal trainer,” Amber said.

  “Wait, what does she train you in?” Heather asked as the cab stopped outside the gym.

  The women got out and headed inside. They saw Trina standing outside her office.

  “Amber, are you here for your session? You missed the last rehab session,” Trina said as she made her way to the group.

  “I’m not, but Nicole could use some workout time.”

  “Amber, really?” Nicole said.

  “It helps, sweetie.”

  “Nicole is going to work out? Isn’t that dangerous for anyone in the area?” Jill teased, trying to lighten the mood.

  “When she first started a couple of weeks ago, I would agree with you, but now, she’s pretty good,” Trina said.

  “Trina, this is Jill and Heather, friends of ours from home. Jill, Heather, this is Trina, our personal trainer.”

  The three shook hands. Trina turned and Nicole told her she would go get changed. When Nicole returned, she and Trina went to work on some kickboxing as Amber, Heather, and Jill watched. After an hour of working out, Nicole showered and got dressed and joined the others.

  “Thank you, Trina,” Nicole said.

  “You’re welcome. Remind your girlfriend that the only way her shoulder is going to get better is if she comes in and works out with me.”

  “I will,” Nicole said. “She is rather stubborn and hard-headed at times.”

  “Hello, I’m standing right here,” Amber said.

  “Yes, but you appear to listen to Nicole more than me.” Trina stuck her tongue out.

  “Fine, I’ll be in this week,” Amber conceded. “Happy?”

  “Thank you.” Trina hugged Nicole and Amber before heading over to a group of women who were preparing for a training session.

  “So, you both do kickboxing?” Heather asked.

  “Kickboxing and Krav Maga,” Nicole said.

  “Seriously?” Jill said, surprised. “Wow. Erik better watch what he says around you two.”

  The group left the gym and went back to Nicole and Amber’s.

  “Hey, Zach, it’s Erik,” Erik said as he rounded the corner after leaving the brownstone.

  “Hey, what’s up? I didn’t think you’d be calling me so soon.”

  “Nicole and I sort of had a falling out, and she told me if I couldn’t support her, she didn’t want me here. So, I need to get my stuff, so I can head home.”

  “Dude, are you sure you want to do that? I know Nicole means a lot to you.”

  “She does, but I can’t support her being here. New York is too dangerous.”

  “There’s so much that you don’t understand about Nicole and Amber’s life here. Let’s talk before you head home. There are some things you should know before you jump to too many conclusions and ruin your friendship with Nicole and Amber.”

  “Fine,” Erik said.

  Zach gave Erik directions on how to get to Central Park and where he was having coffee.

  When Erik arrived, Zach explained to him that yes, it seemed as though there was a lot of crime in New York, but that needed to be taking in perspective; this was a very large city, and if he looked at the full picture, there really was no more crime here than any other city. The two walked around Central Park. As they were walking around, they spotted Nicole, Amber, Heather, and Jill. Zach kept his distance, but he and Erik followed the women. Erik was amazed at how comfortable Amber seemed navigating the park. They followed the women to the gym and while staying out of sight watched as Nicole worked out her frustration kickboxing.

  “She could have kicked my ass into next week earlier,” Erik said.

  “Oh, kickboxing isn’t all they do.” Zach pointed toward a Krav Maga class that was just starting. He heard Erik audibly gulp when he saw the women attacking the man in the protective suit. “As I said, kickboxing isn’t all they do.”

  “You’re trying to show me that they can defend themselves, aren’t you?”

  “Yep. I’m also going to show you that they aren’t alone and that they have people who care a lot about them. They’re going to the club soon. We need to go get changed and get there before they do.”

  They made their way back to Zach’s apartment and got changed and headed to the club to wait for the girls.

  “Amber, are you sure I look okay?” Heather asked for what felt like the hundredth time.

  “You look gorgeous. Stop worrying.”

  The four women entered the club, and after getting drinks, they found an out-of-the-way table.

  “Wow, this place is awesome. Do you come here often?”

  “No, she doesn’t, and I’m starting to think she’s cheating on me,” a male voice said from behind them.

  “I would never cheat on you,” Amber said as she stood and hugged the man. “Trevor, this is Heather and her sister, Jill. Guys, this is Trevor, he owns the club.”

  “It’s very nice to meet you ladies. Nicole? No hug?”

  Nicole jumped up and hugged Trevor tight.

  “Girl, you better get off my man,” Tony said in his best girly voice as he joined the group.

  “Honey, I’m leaving you for the redhead,” Trevor teased.

  “Then I’m taking the blonde,” Tony said, picking Amber up.

  “Put me down,” Amber said. Once Tony had set her down, she introduced Jill and Heather to him.

  “Beware, Beth is roaming around here,” Trevor warned.

  “Thanks, Trev,” Nicole said.

  “Who’s Beth?” Jill asked.

  “Someone who doesn’t understand how repulsive she is and who won’t leave Amber alone,” Nicole answered.

  “Well, well, if it isn’t Blondie and Red.” Beth walked up to the table. “Who are these lovely women you brought with you?”

  “Leave, Beth.” Amber growled.

  “Nope, I don’t want to. You see, I’m thinking there are four of you, and even if you say you only want the redhead, that leaves two for me.”

  “No, they’re family and therefore off-limits to you,” Nicole snapped.

  Beth moved over to stand between Jill and Heather. She asked if either would like to dance. They both declined and asked her to leave. When Beth made no move to leave, Amber motioned for Tony, and he came over and escorted Beth to the door.

  “Thanks, Tony,” Amber said when he returned.

  “My pleasure, love. You enjoy your evening.”

  “Amber has her own bodyguards, interesting,” Jill said.

  “Time to dance.” Amber grabbed Nicole and Heather’s hands.

  The four made their way to the dance floor and started to dance, laugh, open up, and shine. They never noticed Zach and Erik sitting off to the side.

  “Wow, that isn’t the Amber I know.” Erik watched the group dance.

  “Nope, and you’re throwing that friendship away over your own stupid pride. Tony and Trevor adore Nicole and Amber. They keep a close eye on them. There are rumors that Trevor is in the mob, but nothing confirmed, and nobody is going to mess with them.”

  “Why didn’t they ever tell me about the gym and this place?”

  “Would you have listened if they had?”

  “No, I guess not. I was a jackass earlier. It’s what you’ve been proving to me, correct?”

  “Yep! Now do you want to go apologize, or do you still want to go home?”

  “I think I should apologize,” Erik said, an
d they made their way toward Nicole and Amber.

  “Freeze,” the burly man said.

  “Hey, Trevor. We’re just going to talk to Nicole and Amber,” Zach said.

  “I see, well, next time say hi when you get here.” Trevor shook Zach’s hand, and Erik flinched seeing Trevor’s one hand engulf Zach’s.

  “I promise.”

  Zach and Erik made their way over to the table holding the four women.

  “Hi,” Erik said sheepishly.

  “Erik,” Amber said coldly as she saw Nicole lower her head and stare at the table.

  “I’m a big old jackass. I’m sorry for earlier, Nic. I was being selfish and childish. I love you, and I love how happy you are with Amber. I just don’t want you to move here and forget about me.”

  “Yeah, like that could happen.” Nicole glanced up to see the sincerity in his eyes.

  “Will you all forgive me? Zach helped me see the error of my ways.”

  “I just showed you how to stalk four women, I did nothing more,” Zach joked.

  Erik bought the next two rounds of drinks before they called it a night. They agreed that Erik, Jill, and Heather would stay with Nicole and Amber. They stopped by Zach’s apartment and got their stuff before making themselves comfortable in the brownstone.

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Rearview Mirror

  Amber spent the next several days showing everyone around New York and her favorite places to visit. Erik and Jill had to admit that Amber had changed and that she was nothing like the girl they knew back in school. Heather enjoyed her time with Amber. She knew she had missed Amber in her life, but this proved it. She knew that no matter what, she was not going to let her out of her life again.

  “I wish we didn’t have to go back,” Jill said on their last night. “I think I’m finally starting to understand the appeal of this place.”

  “It’s a great city to live in,” Amber said, cuddling closer to Nicole.

  “So, I hate to be a downer, but—” Erik started.

  “Then don’t be,” Heather interrupted, receiving a glare from him.