Ember Skies

by Nicky Crawford

  Before I could finish, Austin was out of his chair and standing in front of me, nose to nose. His jaw was tight, teeth clamped together, and his brows furrowed, making him look completely and insanely enraged. I took a step back, but he was quick to close the space between us.

  “You don’t get to talk to me like you just did. I provide for you and all you do is complain. You are an ungrateful bitch, Ember!”

  I need to defuse the situation, and fast. I want to argue, I want to tell him how much I hate him, but my words come with a price and I refuse to be a human punching bag. I took a deep breath and speak in a normal tone, “Austin, if you don’t want to be with me, then we need to get a divorce so we can go and find whatever or whomever is out there that will truly make us happy. Clearly neither of us have been happy for a very long time.”

  Austin turned and walked to the sink. Running his hand through his hair, he turned back to face me. While anger was still present on his face, he also looked conflicted. “You’re right. I haven’t been happy for a long time. I’m so damn unhappy that I started drinking and look how that’s affected us. The problem is, I enjoy drinking and we are not getting a divorce, ever.” He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly frustrated.

  “Austin?” He didn’t move or speak. “Austin? I cannot keep doing this. I’m so incredibly sick of being miserable.” No response. He kept his eyes closed, the only movement he made was lowering his chin to his chest. Clearly he is done with this conversation.

  I started to walk upstairs to get ready for my girl’s night with Harper. Before I made it to the first step, his hand grabbed onto the back of my shirt and he threw me into the wall, “You do not walk away from me!”

  “You stopped talking, I…”

  “Shut. The. Fuck. Up! Remember what I’ve told you time and time again? If you try to leave, or even think about leaving, I will make sure you never see Harlee again.” He walked back into the kitchen, grabbed the keys to his truck, and left. I ran upstairs to get dressed.

  Tears rolled in heavy waves down my cheeks as I got ready. I needed to leave quickly, in case he came back. Ten minutes later Dalton sent me a text message telling me Austin is at the gym, so I relaxed a bit and finished getting ready.

  Harper and I have dinner reservations at 8:00 p.m. That gives us an hour and a half to do something girly. We decide to head to the salon to get our nails done. As we pull into the parking lot, we notice that there are a lot of people inside.

  Harper looks at me and shrugs, “Why are there so many people here?”

  I park my truck and we make our way inside. We are greeted by a slew of people, mostly students from the beauty college. I’m fairly certain we have hit the jackpot.

  We both sit side by side at the nail booth. While our nails are getting done, our feet soak in a beautifully hot tub of Epsom salts and students from the college stand behind us, working effortlessly to style our hair to perfection.

  I turn to Harper. Her eyes are closed and she is obviously enjoying the pampering, “Harp, do you think this is what it’s like to be famous?”

  She wrinkled her nose, something she does when she is happy, and smiled, “I don’t know girl, but if this is how they live, then I’m going to audition for a movie.”

  By the time we were done, we looked amazing. Our toes and nails were painted bright colors, our hair looked perfect, and they even did our makeup. I was worried that they would make me look like a cracked out hooker, but when I looked in the mirror, I was astounded at how elegant they did my makeup.

  Harper put her arm around my shoulder and held her phone out, “Girl, we look HOT! Selfie!” She snapped a picture and texted it to my phone. Harper is the queen of selfies. She never misses an opportunity to take a picture of herself, especially if someone is in the picture with her.

  We make it to the restaurant just in time to make our reservation. Millie Vota is a fancy Latin style restaurant. I have been here twice before and the food is to die for. After taking our seats and ordering, my phone vibrates.

  “Are you going to answer your phone, Em?”

  “It’s just a text message. If it’s from Austin, I don’t even want to look at it, so I’m not going to.”

  Harper snatches my phone and slides it open. She sucks in a breath as she says, “Aww,” and places her hand over her heart. “Ember, he’s so sweet. Talk to that poor boy. Dalton really cares about you.”

  Dalton? I first thought she was talking about Austin. If that would have been the case, I would be having her committed tonight. Padded rooms, straitjackets, and endless medication. I would have spared no expense. Grabbing my phone from her, I read the message.

  Dalton: Please do not feel obligated to reply. I just wanted you to know I am thinking about you. I hope you and Harp are having a great time. Be safe. If you need me, say the word and I’m there.

  I looked at Harper, then back down at my phone. I pulled up my photos and sent him the selfie that Harp took of us tonight. Moments later he replied.

  Dalton: Wow! You both look so beautiful.

  Me: Thank you.

  “Girl, that man has it bad for you. How long are you going to make him suffer?”

  I put my phone in my purse and pick up the drink menu. Harper clears her throat while impatiently waiting for a reply. “I need wine. Something white and sweet.”

  “Like Dalton?”

  “I’m married, Harp. I can’t have my cake and eat it too.” Great, now I want cake. I wonder what kind of desserts they have here.

  “Ember Madison Mills, you are married to a sociopath. You can have your fucking cake and eat it too, especially when the cake is hot and delicious.” Oh snap, she used my full name. Shit just got real.

  “I know. I’m miserable with Austin. So. Damn. Miserable! But no matter how awful my relationship is, I am not a cheater, Harp. You know that.”

  Harper sighs and takes the drink menu from me. When the waitress returns with our food, we each order two different kinds of wine. I’m in the mood to sample everything and I will appear as less of a lush if Harper and I both order two glasses, instead of me ordering four.

  “What are you going to do, Ember? Are you just going to keep getting abused by Austin while an amazing man who actually cares about you sits on the sidelines?”

  I don’t want to talk about Austin and if we talk about Dalton, my heart will just break a little more with every word. Confliction is just as much of a bitch as karma is.

  “Honestly, Harp…” I let out a heavy sigh and took a sip of wine, “I’m so lost. I’ve been out of love with Austin for so long. He doesn’t love me either and I don’t understand why he puts up such a fuss at the thought of getting a divorce. He gets some sick thrill out of controlling me. When I’m with Dalton, I’m happy. I can be myself for the first time in years and he is so amazing… Ugg.”

  Harper reached across the table and took my hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze, “I love you and I want you to be happy. Life is short, Honey. You can’t keep this up. You’re strong, Em. You seem to forget that.”

  “I seem to have forgotten a lot about who I am lately, Harp. It’s just that…” The sound of my phone ringing in my purse interrupts our conversation. I pull it out and see that it’s my mom. “Hey Mom. How are…”

  The sound of sobbing on the other end of the line instantly makes me feel sick. “Honey, it’s… It’s your dad. He was in an accident and...”

  No, please God no. I look at Harper, the fear in her eyes mirroring my own. She stands up and pays the waitress, ensuring we can leave quickly.

  I cannot understand what my mother is saying through her sobs and I feel like I may pass out. “Mom, mom I’m leaving tonight. I’ll be there.”

  “Harper, Dad was in an accident. I don’t have any details. I can’t handle this, not him, not Dad.”

  Harper wrapped her arms around me, holding me tight. When she let go, she hooked her arm in mine and lead me outside. “I’m so sorry, honey. I’l
l drive home while you see what flights you can get tonight or tomorrow.”

  I browsed every airline I could and there was not a single ticket available for the next two days. “Nothing! There’s nothing. I’ll have to drive, Harp.” I picked up my phone and called Austin. He didn’t answer so I called two more times before he finally picked up.

  “What?”

  I almost hung up. He’ll figure out what happened when I don’t come home for a few days, but I decide that isn’t the best option because for one, I need someone to drive me, “Austin, my Dad was in an accident. I have to get to him. There are no flights for two days. I’ll have to drive.”

  He was silent for a minute, which only added to the anxiety I was feeling. It’s a seven-hour drive, so if I can leave in the next hour, I will be there by sunrise. When he finally replied, his voice reeked of annoyance, “Is Harper riding with you?”

  “No, she has to work. I was hoping you would take me.”

  “I have to work too, Ember. You don’t expect Harper to take off, but you expect me to? I have priorities here. I can’t just pack up and leave for who knows how long.”

  I don’t know what to do. I can’t drive myself. I’m in no frame of mind to drive that far alone, and all night no less. I’m on the verge of screaming or crying, possibly both.

  Harper squeezes my hand and gives me a questioning look, but I just shake my head and take a few deep breaths, “Austin, what am I supposed to do? Can’t you just drive me there and fly back? Do you really have that much work to do?”

  “I don’t have time, Ember. I’ll have one of my guys take you. He will be staying with you the entire time so you don’t try and pull some shit.”

  “Wh… what are you talking about?” Pull some shit? My father was just in an accident and all I want to do is be there for him and my family. What kind of shit could I get into?

  “Cut the bullshit. Was there even an accident or are you just trying to run home to mommy and daddy? You can’t run from me, you should realize that by now.”

  I am far past the point of being sad. I am so livid I can hardly see straight. “You know what, Austin…”

  Before I can finish he cuts me off, “I don’t want to hear it. I’ll have one of my guys at the front door in about an hour. He will drive you there and drive you back. End of discussion.” And with that, he hung up.

  After relaying the conversation to Harper, I needed to find out what exactly happened to my Dad. I called my mom again, but she didn’t pick up. I pull up my brother’s number and FaceTime him. It rang numerous times with no answer. “Harp, I’m freaking out. Mom won’t answer and neither did Alex. Oh God.”

  The tears stayed away up until this point. I put my face in my hands and began sobbing uncontrollably. Harper handed me a tissue packet as my phone rang. When my brother’s face popped up on the screen, I shouted, “Alex!” Why I shouted I’ll never know. My brother is deaf, hence needing to video chat with him.

  Using sign language he says, “Sis, he’s hurt really bad. They have him in a medically induced coma while they run tests on his brain. They don’t know if he’ll make it. Mom’s with him and I’m home with Harlee. It was a drunk driver, Ember. He hit Dad head on.”

  The phone slipped from my grasp and landed in my lap as the tears poured from my eyes. Harper grabbed the phone and set it on the dash so she could talk to Alex with one hand while driving with the other. I didn’t look at her to see what they were talking about, but she told me that she let him know I was coming. Harper’s sign language is perfect, but she had to have kept the conversation simple because most signs require both hands.

  We pulled up to my house moments later. Harper gave me a hug, said she would call later, and I ran inside. I stripped my clothes off and put on something comfortable for the drive. There was no sign of Austin anywhere, but when I looked on the bed, my suitcase was laying on top of it with a note:

  He cared enough to find a travel buddy for me, but doesn’t give two shits about my Dad. The thing is my Dad hates Austin. By hate I mean, he loathes his existence. My father is very intuitive and he has always sensed something about Austin was, off I guess.

  I threw his note in the trash and rushed around my room, packing as quickly as I could. When the doorbell rang, I zipped up my suitcase and headed downstairs. I turned the knob and gasped, “Dalton!”

  His arms flew around me as he pressed my body against his chest.

  I managed to keep my composure while packing, but being in Dalton’s arms broke me all over again. “Wha... What are you do… doing here?”

  He released me from his arms and cupped my face, placing a soft kiss on my forehead, “I’m driving you, baby. You are not facing this alone.” If I thought I had a meltdown before, I was so very wrong. I sunk to the floor, put my face in my hands, and sobbed.

  “Em, baby. It’s okay. I’m here, Em. It’s okay. I’m going to put your suitcase in my truck and then we need to leave.” Dalton grabbed my bag and went outside. When he came back in, he picked me up, somehow managed to shut and lock my front door, and carried me to his truck.

  After putting me in the passenger’s seat, he buckled my seatbelt, handed me a box of tissues, and kissed my check. Seconds later he was on the driver’s side and behind the wheel. As Dalton backed out of my driveway, he grabbed my hand and laced our fingers together. He pulled my hand to his lips, placed a lingering kiss on my knuckles, and headed toward the highway.

  We sat in silence for a while, exchanging cautious glances. My head was spinning and the need to expel everything I drank at Millie Vota was becoming a real possibility. Dalton let go of my hand and reached into the backseat. He pulled out a bottle of pink lemonade and set it in the cup holder on my side. I smiled at him and took a swig.

  “How… I… Did Austin call you?” Smooth Ember. Obviously Austin called him.

  “He called and told me about your Dad, before he even asked me if I would drive you, I was in my room packing my bags.”

  Why of all people would Austin ask Dalton to drive me? Nothing makes sense to me right now. Nothing. “What about work? I’m not sure how long we are going to be there and I’m keeping you from all your priorities, not to mention…”

  He took my hand again, lacing our fingers together just like they were before, “Ember, you are my priority. I’m going to take leave and we will stay in Alabama for as long as you need to. The only thing you need to focus on is your dad.”

  “Thank you. You’re pretty amazing, you know that?”

  Laughing, he pulled my hand to his lips and whispered, “You haven’t seen anything yet, sweetheart.”

  “Ember, wake up.” Startled, I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings. We were pulled up to a gas pump at a truck stop. “I’m going to fill the truck up, and then we can head inside to use the bathroom and get snacks if you’re hungry. I don’t want you to go in without me, for safety reasons.”

  I nodded as he started putting gas into the truck. I have no idea where we are or when I feel asleep. I knew I was exhausted from all the crying, but I didn’t realize I would actually fall asleep. I feel terrible for sleeping while Dalton had to stay awake and drive. He must be exhausted.

  I opened the door and stepped out. The air was a little cooler than it normally is this time of year, and the breeze caused goosebumps to rise on my arms. Dalton was quick to notice. Opening the door, he dug in his bag for a sweatshirt and helped me put it on.

  I pulled the neck of his sweatshirt over my nose and breathed in the scent of him that lingered in the fabric. When I looked at Dalton, I realized I was caught in the act.

  “Are you smelling my sweatshirt?”

  I put my chin to my chest, trying to hide my embarrassment.

  He placed his hand under my chin and lifted my face to meet his. After placing a kiss on my forehead, he whispered, “I don’t want you to ever feel embarrassed around me.”

  After using the restroom, I stared at myself in the mirror. My hair was a disaster and my m
ascara was everywhere but on my eyelashes. Luckily the bathroom had actual paper towels and not just an electric hand dryer. I rinsed my face with cool water and scrubbed as much makeup off as I could. When I left the restroom, Dalton was propped against the wall waiting for me.

  I needed something to snack on otherwise I would surely fall asleep again. After scanning the candy aisle, I came across my favorite travel snack, sour patch kids. I grabbed a few other snacks and a fresh drink.

  “Are you all set, Em?”

  I looked up at Dalton and smiled. His arms were full of chips and beef jerky. Placing our items on the counter, I reached in my purse for my wallet. When I opened it to pull out money, Dalton gently pulled it from my hand, closed it, and put it back into my purse. Without saying a word, he placed his hand under my chin and titled my face to look at him. His eyes held so much hope and I was beginning to imagine what life would be like if we were a couple. Kissing my forehead, he handed his credit card to the cashier.

  “Gracious. You two are just the most adorable couple I have eva seen. Lordy, what I wouldn’t give to be young and in love again. I love my Hank, but we ain’t young no more. You take good care of her.”

  My cheeks flushed at her words. Looking over at Dalton, he had the biggest smile on his face.

  “Yes ma’am, I’ll take great care of her.” If the smile on her face told me anything, it was that she was pleased with his response.

  When she winked at me, I added, “Thank you so much. Have a great night!”

  Walking back to the truck, I couldn’t help but feel guilty for how I was feeling toward Dalton. It’s been so long since someone has cared about me the way I think he does. Every time his hand slips under my chin to lift my face to his, or when his lips gently press against my forehead, I feel more in those few moments than I have in years. I just don’t know what to do.

  When Austin called to tell me about Ember’s dad, I knew I needed to be there for her. Besides everything going on with her dad, something happened with Austin before she went out with Harper, and I want to know what it was. I was pretty shocked that he called me in the first place, but he made his reasons for not going himself very apparent when he said, “Hey Bates. Ember’s dad got into a bad accident. He dislikes me enough to prevent me from wanting to go, plus Ember and I sort of had a disagreement earlier. Nothing big though. Besides that, I have a pile of paperwork on my desk and too many other things to handle this weekend. Can you go with her? She trusts you, man.” I was more than willing to take her, so I packed as quickly as I could and headed out the door.