I looked at Amber as I answered. “Yeah, I’m staying with Amber for the summer. My family has a ranch there, and I’m lending a hand during the off season.”
“How did you meet my daughter?”
I reached under the table and touched her knee, because I knew I was going against what she’d planned. “She’s friends with my cousin. She set us up.”
“I played a little football myself back in the day. I remember how fond the ladies were with the star quarterback. Is it still that way?”
What the hell was up with this guy?
I shrugged. “Sure. I get followers. None of them are girlfriend material though.” I squeezed Amber’s knee to let her know I was still in this with her. “I only have eyes for one girl, sir.”
“My daughter won’t be in any position to travel in the upcoming years. Once she transfers back to Ohio for medical school, she won’t have time for anything else. A summer romance is always nice, but I recommend that you both keep it at that. She has one more semester left, and it’s important she stays focused.”
“Daddy, please don’t start this already. I brought Jax because I thought you’d like him. I told you I wanted to be happy again. Jax makes me feel that way. He knows about Meg.”
I heard her mother gasp before the sound of a glass hit the hard concrete ground. In that instant I knew this family was in dire need of therapy. Amber jumped out of her seat and started picking up the broken pieces that had shattered. “I’m sorry, mom. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Her mother crouched down and began helping her. “It’s not your fault. I should have been prepared. It’s the reason I asked you here.”
“Enough already. We’ve talked about this, dear. Now go on inside and take your medication. I told you it wasn’t a good idea to go without it.”
I got down on my knees and started helping out Amber. “Go ahead inside. I’ll help get this mess cleaned up. By the time you come back out we can start over fresh.”
Her mother smiled and darted inside the house. A moment later her father stood up. “Excuse me for a second.” He followed his wife and they exchanged words inside that we were unable to make out. Amber was already a mess. Tears fell from her eyes as she continued cleaning up the glass. I reached over and touched her arm.
“Hey, it’s going to be alright.”
“I’m sorry, Jax. They hate me.”
“Well I hate them. They’re both assholes, who clearly have sticks up their ass if they can’t see how much you need them. Say the word and we can get the hell out of here.”
Amber smiled, but shook her head. “I can’t. If I don’t stay my mom will throw all of Meg’s things away. I need to go through her stuff, so I can have something to remember her by.”
I leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “I won’t let them keep treating you like this. Something’s got to give, babe.”
“Thanks for being here.” She could barely say it without sobbing. “It means so much to me, Jax.”
I smiled, even though I felt horrible for her. “You don’t have to thank me. I’m addicted to being close to you. I don’t think you could get rid of me if you tried. By the way, don’t listen to your douche of a dad. I’m not going anywhere.”
“It’s fine.” She shook her head and looked away. “It’s only been a week. After a while you’ll get tired of me. It’s not like I have anything to offer you. My dad’s right. As soon as the first semester is over I’ll have to leave Kentucky.”
My stomach turned thinking about her being so far away from me. I knew I had it bad for this girl. It terrified me. This wasn’t like being with Reese. Amber was broken. She was tormented by demons from her past. Not only did I want to be her hero, but there was something else about her. The gleam in her eyes every time we were close kept me curious, and the way it felt when she touched me lifted me up when I was down. Amber being fragile gave me a reason to take my time, but it wasn’t what was keeping me around. Our chemistry was electrifying, and I knew I’d never experienced anyone like her before. “Let’s not think about it right now. We’ve got plenty of time to figure things out.”
I literally had about four months to figure out what the hell was happening between us, and if this was what I thought it was, how I would convince her to stay.
Chapter 28
Amber
I was a basket case.
This visit was going exactly how I thought it would.
When my parents came back outside they had alcoholic beverages in their hands. It was obvious my mother had taken a valium. She was dopey and relaxed, almost too much. Maggie carried out our food, serving us each large plates. Jax never took his hand off of my knee. Being overwhelmed was one way to put all of the things going through my head at once, though I was determined to see this through. For the first time since Meg’s death, I wasn’t alone. There was a beautiful man next to me, shielding me with his adoration. He was learning the darkest parts of my life; the ones I kept hidden from everyone else, because they were honestly too embarrassing to admit. For some reason I didn’t feel regret about letting Jax into my life. He was my hero, already, after such a short amount of time. I never could have imagined it after what happened in that hotel room with Reese, and my part in it all. Had it not been for me he may have never gotten into that room. Perhaps the outcome would have ended differently.
My father did the talking at lunch, pushing once more about my continued education. “It’s a shame you took time off that semester. You could already be preparing for medical school.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, well I never planned on getting pregnant and losing my baby.”
My flip comment made my father alarmed. He peered over at Jax, as if to question if he knew about it.
“Jax knows everything, dad.”
My father took a bite of pasta salad and chewed it before replying. “I see.” He wiped his face with a napkin, even though there was nothing there. “Did your mother tell you we’re taking out the boat tomorrow?”
I nodded. “She did.”
“The weather is supposed to be clear. It will make for a smooth ride. I’m thinking of staying out at sea overnight, but the cabin will be tight, as there are only two bedrooms.”
He was hinting about sleeping arrangements, and I was prepared to nix them immediately. “Jax and I live together, dad. He can share a bed with me.”
“Not under my roof. There are still rules here. Unless you’re married it’s not happening.”
I put my finger up to address him, but Jax pulled it back down. “It’s fine, sir. I understand your feelings about it. I’ll be glad to sleep wherever there is a spot. I’m not picky. I just appreciate being included.”
Jax knew I was angry. He winked to try to calm me down. This was a disaster. “I don’t know how you found this one, but he’s a keeper.” My father said as he pointed his fork at Jax. “Are you still living at the same place, Amber?”
“Yes. I’m doing quite well with school and work. It keeps me focused.”
“Good, good.”
My gaze left my father when I noticed my mom wasn’t saying anything. She sat next to him sipping on her vodka tonic. “Have you had any help packing up the house?”
“Maggie has been assisting. She’s trying to stay with us for as long a she can.”
“She’s been with our family for as long as I can remember. I’m sure it’s tough for her to imagine saying goodbye to this house. I know it’s hard for me.”
“You said goodbye to this house years ago, Amber. This house has been dead since the night your sister left us. It’s nothing but an empty shell.”
Her cold response left me speechless. I couldn’t even break a smile when I looked over at Jax.
He cleared his voice before speaking. “I’d be glad to help you out while we’re here.”
“Don’t say that too loud. My wife will have you emptying out the attic.”
I found a reason to avoid my parents. “We’ll do it. There’s all sort
of memories up there. I’d love to go through them.”
“Have at it.” My mother announced. “It all needs to be brought down to the garage for donations.”
“Everything?” I was stunned. “You’re not saving anything up there?”
“We won’t have the room, besides, it’s not like it can be used. We don’t foresee having grandchildren. You’ve got your whole life planned out, and after the last fiasco with the miscarriage, I’m sure you’ve learned your lesson. There’s no room for a child in your career path, not for many years.”
That was the last straw. It wasn’t like I wanted to have a child, but they were basically making choices for me that they had no right to do. I was sick of it.
I stood up from the table and looked over at both of my parents. “This is my life. I’m a grown woman, who can make her own choices. I may have made mistakes, but I’m still your daughter. Don’t treat me like my opinion doesn’t matter.” I grabbed Jax by the arm and pulled him out of his seat. “Come on, Jax. Let’s go start on the attic.”
By the time we made it in the house I was already a mess. He pulled me into his strong arms and rubbed my back while I cried softly. “They’re brutal, Amber. I don’t think we should stay. Let’s go through Meg’s things so you can take what you want, and we can get back on the road. I’ll pay for a fucking hotel before I let you sleep in the house with those monsters.”
I nodded, unable to fathom that it was time to walk away from them, and everything they stood for. Once I’d calmed down enough, I led Jax up to my sister’s room. Decorated the same as the day she’d died, I became anxious. I could feel my body shaking, my heart pounding, and a dizzy spell hitting me. Jax noticed right away that I wasn’t okay. He sat me down on her bed and crouched down in front of me. “What’s going on?”
“I feel like I can’t breathe. I’m having a panic attack.” I was waving my hand as if I was hot. “I think I might pass out.”
“What can I do?” He seemed so worried.
“There’s medicine in my purse. It’s the only bottle.” He was out of the room before I finished the sentence, coming back in with an open bottle and single pill in his hand.
“Do you need water?”
I placed the pill on my tongue and swallowed, shaking my head as I did it. “No. It works fast. I’ll calm down in minute.”
Jax pulled me into his arms, placing tender kisses on my head until I stopped crying. After a few minutes the room was silent and he released his hold. “Better?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Thanks.”
“Dude, this shit is fucked up. We need to get you out of here.”
“I know. I stood up and started rummaging through Meg’s things, collecting every photo album, every memory we shared, and even some items she’d kept that were special to her. We’d piled them all up on the bed in a huge mountain. Jax smiled and kissed me quickly before taking the whole blanket and making it a sack. He tossed it over his shoulder and stood at the door. “I’m going to put this in the trunk of the car. Stay put until I get back. This could get ugly.”
I watched out the window to see if he made it outside without getting caught by my parents. Once he was successful, he looked in my direction and gave me a thumbs up. A few seconds later he was back upstairs, ready to conquer the attic.
I led him to the door and we climbed the stairs single file. The attic was well organized, and I knew just where to look for some of my things. I pointed to four boxes. “There. I want all those.” Jax walked over and picked everything up at once. I could tell they were heavy, because his face turned red. “Jax, you don’t have to do it all at once.”
“The sooner we get the fuck out of here, the better. Grab as much as you can, so we can go. I’m going to put this in the backseat and then get our bags from your room.”
I kept searching the boxes until I saw Meg’s name. Two of them were hard to carry, but I was determined to manage it in one trip. By the time I hit the second floor landing Jax was already back upstairs. He took the boxes from me, and smiled. “I saw you eying up that rocking chair. Go get it. We’ll make room.”
It hadn’t just been mine. It was also Meg’s. I darted back up the stairs and fetched it. My mother stopped me at the front door. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“It’s mine and I’m taking it. I won’t let someone else have my memories. You may want to pretend that Meg never existed, but she’s the reason I’m determined to make something of my life. She wouldn’t want us to be like this, mother.”
“Don’t you dare speak to me as if I’ve destroyed this family. You’ve single handedly done that yourself.”
I sat the chair down and slapped my mother in the face. “How dare you? I’m your daughter, your flesh and blood, yet you cast me out. I lost her too. She was my best friend.”
“Your carelessness took her away from us.”
Jax and my father appeared out of different directions. “Amber, don’t speak to your mother in that tone.”
“I’ll speak to her how I see fit, being that you both treat me like I’m nothing but a burden. You wish it was me that died in that accident don’t you? Just admit it.”
“You have no idea what we’ve been through. Don’t assume that we feel that way.”
“No idea what you’ve been through?” I was ready to explode. “Not only did I lose my sister, and my baby, but I was raped. Someone I loved raped me and I was all alone. I had no one to call and support me. You stopped being my parents the day Meg died.”
“Raped?” My mother asked.
“Your daughter is very brave. I think she deserves a little respect at the least.” Jax was speaking for me.
“Stay out of this, son,” my father replied.
Jax began to laugh, catching all of our attention. “Son?” He hunched over cackling louder. “If you were the last fucking person on earth I wouldn’t call you dad. My father loves his children, even with their flaws. It’s what real parents do with their kids. You cast your own out to fend for herself, and when she was attacked she had nowhere to turn. She’s been through hell, and it’s a miracle she’s still focused on anything. You should be ashamed of yourselves, both of you.”
Never in my life had I ever felt such an overwhelming adoration to someone as I did in that very moment.
“Amber and I are leaving. Take your fucking boat ride and shove it up your shallow asses. I won’t let you mistreat her. This shit stops right now!”
The last time I’d seen Jax’s temper he was trying to kill his brother. This time he was protecting me. How could it not impress me?
Jax took my hand and pulled me along, rocking chair and all. My parents never came outside to argue. They simple let us leave without an apology or even a fuck you. I was dead to them, and for the first time it felt like I was free.
Chapter 29
Amber
There weren’t going to treat me like shit again. I wouldn’t stand for it. As broken hearted as I was to leave the gated community where I’d once called home, I knew it was necessary. In the seat beside me Jax clenched his jaw out of frustration. I was surprised that he said more to my parents, after they’d disregarded me like the trash. My fear was that I wouldn’t be able to go on without their help. For now I just needed to be as far away from them as humanly possible.
Jax drove for nearly thirty minutes before pulling over at an expensive hotel. I remembered trying to get a room there before I turned twenty-one and they hadn’t let me. He left me alone in the vehicle to see if they had any vacancies where we could stay for the night. I felt terrible for dragging him along, only to have this occur. He must have thought of me as a lost cause. I’d never met someone with the problems that I carried.
My cell phone began to ring before I spotted him exiting the establishment. On the other end of the call was my irate father, and he wasted no time giving me a piece of his mind. “Listen here young lady, I don’t care what you have to do, but you get rid of that loud mouthed kid and return to t
his house.”
“I’m not coming back. There’s nothing you can say to make that happen.” I was standing my ground, mostly because I knew I had backup.
Jax saw me on the phone and seemed not too thrilled about it.
“Amber, are you doing this to hurt us?”
“No, you listen to me. I’m not someone you can shit on. I’m a human being with feelings. You can’t treat me like an imbecile. I have feelings. You didn’t kill your best friend that night. I loved her more than anything. That accident killed me too.”
“You’re still alive. It’s your sister’s life that was taken. Don’t be dramatic.”
“Goodbye, dad.” I tossed the phone back in my purse and looked up at Jax with tear-filled eyes. I was so sick of crying in front of him, as if I was weak. I’d spent too much time learning how to be strong, only to lose my shit when something bad happened.
“They won’t let it go,” I explained.
“Fuck them. Come on. Let’s bring our bags to the room. You can take a relaxing bath in the Jacuzzi tub, or nap and calm down before we go out for pancakes.”
I had to smile through the pain. He knew just what to say to make me feel cared about. “That sounds nice.”
Jax grabbed our things out of the car and locked it up. Then he took my hand and led me inside to the elevator. Once we were moving up to our floor, he stepped closer and wiped a new set of tears from my eyes. “You don’t deserve to be treated like that. I hope you’re not mad me for taking you out of there. It wasn’t healthy.”
“I’m not mad, Jax. I’m grateful. You’re a godsend, and I don’t deserve you, especially now that you know my future is set in stone. I don’t have a choice. As much as I want to think I can manage it on my own, I know I won’t be able to afford the rest of school. Even after what went down, they’ll still offer to pay for my school. It’s already been arranged. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to walk away from this. If I was in your shoes, I’d think I was a basket case.”
Jax Mitchell Page 19