Fading Amber

by Jaime Reed

  I gave Caleb the lowdown on Angie’s plan to fake our bonding, and he seemed gung ho to try it. He pulled me into a not so private corner, giving Ruiz a peep show. When we saw him enter the bathroom, we deliberately planted ourselves by the door and made out. But all Ruiz did was roll his eyes, told us to get a room, and threatened to tell my mother, which put our antics to a halt for the time being.

  After coffee and what was left of Mom’s cake, it was gift time. The brothers gave Caleb a pair of silver daggers to add to his weapon collection. Angie gave me a gold bracelet to replace my old one. Unfortunately, Lilith’s name was not engraved on this one. Both Ruiz and Angie got Mom some bling along with a bunch of crystal knickknacks to clutter our house even more.

  As the evening wound down, Angie spent most of her time joking with Mom. Olivia read one of her new books in her room, Szymon and Mishka played video games, and Michael, who was roaring drunk by eight o’clock, played poker with Haden. With everyone preoccupied, it left Caleb and me plenty of time to have some privacy. We crept inside the study and closed the door.

  I sat on the oak desk and dangled a gift bag with my fingers. “All right, gimme gimme.”

  He leaned against the door and placed a hand over his heart, feigning innocence. “Oh, whatever do you mean?”

  “Don’t even try it, Mr. Baker. This is our first Christmas as a couple. There’s no way you’d come here empty handed if you intend us to remain a couple. You pulled me in here for a reason. Gimme gimme.” I held out my hand.

  “You first,” he said in a challenge. I didn’t expect anything less from him. We were always going toe-to-toe, even in our affections, and now we were in competition on outgiving each other.

  I handed him the bag, and you would think I’d bought him a new town house from his reaction.

  “Oh wow! The Blood Empire DVD box set! I have season one on my computer, but I missed the last two seasons. Thanks, Sam.” He cheered, bouncing up and down like a giddy toddler.

  “You’re welcome.” I enjoyed his enthusiasm. The hours of searching online and the bidding wars for his gift were worth it just to see him smile. “I can’t believe that’s all you wanted for Christmas, more weapons and a crappy TV show collection.”

  “Blood Empire is not a crappy show,” he said indignantly. “It’s badass and made of awesome. Vampires in Ancient Rome. Demons and gladiators. Zombies and chariot races . . .”

  “Excessive gore and gratuitous nudity,” I finished.

  “Hey, what do you expect? It’s cable.”

  Shaking my head, I conceded to the inescapable fact that Caleb Baker, Cambion and chick-magnet extraordinaire, was a complete nerd. I’ve known this for a while now, but I figured if I ignored it, it didn’t exist. Watching him drool over the poster that came with the box set, I knew there was no keeping that secret under wraps.

  Before he decided to run and find the nearest television, I dropped him back down to earth. “My turn. Hand it over.”

  “All right, all right.” He moved behind the desk and pulled out a wide, rectangular object under the chair. It was lumpy, and I could tell by how carefully Caleb placed the package on the desk it had some weight to it.

  I scooted next to him and admired the shiny wrapper and big bow. I wanted to shake it, but Caleb was firmly against that idea.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “A vacuum cleaner, so open it and get to work. You can start with your room,” he replied.

  I poked him with my elbow then began tearing at the wrapping. The gift was heavy, but fragile according to Caleb, so I peeled away the paper without disturbing the box.

  Once all the wrapping was off the top, I stopped moving. I stopped breathing. I stopped blinking. When I could function again, I covered my mouth to hold back the sob from breaking loose, but the tears flowed freely.

  Caleb stepped behind me and his hand held my waist, probably to keep me from fainting. “I had it specially ordered,” he whispered; his lips a playful ghost tickling the shell of my ear and the column of my neck. “It took forever to get here, but it arrived just in time. It even has your initials on the front of it. See?”

  I looked to where he pointed. There, engraved in the gold plate on the front clasp, were the letters SNM. My trembling fingers dragged over the soft material of a legal style briefcase. It was made of custom leather with a flap over the top, a shoulder strap, and multiple compartments.

  “You need something professional for the courtroom, Miss Marshall.” I heard the smile in his tone. His hands slid down either side of my arms in a gentle tickle. “Aren’t you gonna see what’s inside?”

  I swallowed hard then opened the clasp closure, exposing the mesh interior. I now understood why the thing was so heavy. If I had to guess, there had to be over fifty dollars’ worth of quarters inside. Two hundred I love you’s that he meant, but wouldn’t say out loud. I thought I’d choke. Air was all around me and I couldn’t breathe a single bit of it. Myriad emotions came at me at once, overtaking me in joy and girly gushiness. This was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me and in that moment, I was too through.

  The polls had come in and the votes had been counted. My future had played out in front of me in a vivid dream sequence, complete with a soundtrack and celebrity voice-over. I was going to marry this boy and have a million biracial, sugar-addicted, Cambion mutant babies—simple as that.

  It wasn’t because of the gift, or the money he chucked out to get it, but his wordless support. He believed in my dream to be a lawyer and this gift only made me want to work harder to reach that goal. I would do whatever it took to return the favor. Whether it be music or some other field, his dream in life would be mine too.

  “Sam? Are you okay?” he asked.

  “No, I’m not okay!” I was straight up sobbing now. My mascara was running and I didn’t care. He’d earned the privilege of seeing me do the nasty cry. “You give me the best gift ever and I got you a lousy DVD box set!” I wailed.

  He looked genuinely confused, but held me anyway. He wasn’t the emotional type, so I wasn’t offended when he started timidly patting my head like I was a dog. “Um, okay. But I really wanted that DVD set. I couldn’t find it anywhere in the store. I told you before, Sam, I’m pretty low maintenance. Doesn’t take much to make me happy.”

  I just cried against his ugly sweater. “I love you, Caleb. I love you.”

  Since the beginning, those three words were difficult for us to say, but I didn’t have that problem now. The words rolled off my tongue like a powerful incantation. Raw, honest truth poured into each syllable with enough conviction to crumble the walls around us. I had no regret or hesitation, just a need boiling in my stomach, channeling up my windpipe, and flying out of my mouth into blinding daylight. “I love you!”

  “I know,” he answered, all cocky and sure of himself. “I can taste it. It’s hard to describe. It’s sweeter than chocolate, stronger than liquor, better than any life I’ve tasted. Just because it’s yours.”

  Everything was a blur of hands and lips after that. I didn’t remember how Caleb wound up in the cushy desk chair or how I’d gotten on his lap, but there we were, trying our best to suck each other’s faces off. Mouthwatering energy passed from his body to mine, and nothing else mattered but the wonders within our private universe. Through the haze, the only object left in focus was him, sharp and in high definition.

  “Are you two done in here? I need to use the fax machine,” a voice called from somewhere inside the room.

  Once it occurred to us that we weren’t alone anymore, Caleb and I looked up at the same time. I halted all movement—still parked on Caleb’s lap with his bottom lip wedged between my teeth.

  Detective Ruiz stood by the door, holding a manila folder in his hand. He didn’t seem surprised at our compromising position, and a tiny smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. His presence was the cold shower we desperately needed, because if he hadn’t come in, we wouldn’t need to fake being bonded anym
ore.

  11

  New Year’s Eve was under way.

  Mom and Angie decided to have a girl’s night in the Petrovsky suite, and Ruiz tagged along to play love-sick puppy. Haden and Michael stayed in their room to watch the ball drop on TV, while Caleb and I celebrated the only way we knew how.

  “Sammy, my caramel candy goddess! I could simply eat you alive.” Robbie Ford greeted me at his front door, dressed as the Monopoly guy, including the top hat and monocle over his eye. One could’ve mistaken him for a gentleman were it not for the string of mistletoe hanging from his crotch.

  We pecked cheeks before I stepped inside.

  “There’s something different about you.” Robbie squinted and adjusted his lens for a better look. “When did you get green contacts? They’re hot.”

  I batted my lashes and placed a dainty hand over my heart. “Oh, these old things? I’ve had them a while now. Catch up, Robbie, you’re behind on the times.”

  As usual, the house was packed with kids from all walks of life: jocks, stoners, townies, and a lot of scantily clad girls. By the sound of it, Caleb was already doing his thing. He had definitely found his element, and I was instantly swept away by the beat and the fast, flowing stream of energy. This spell caster, this pied piper controlled all who entered with hard bass and electronic refrain.

  He stood at the deejay booth, rocking out under his headphones, but he almost scratched his album when he saw what I was wearing.

  My smooth complexion was my only vanity, so I put as much of it as I could on display, with a glittery silver tank top and a mini skirt to cover up the naughty bits. And even in my most scandalous ensemble yet, I looked ready for Bible study compared to half the girls there. Heading the march to this burlesque show was Mia, who rushed to my side in her drawers and a sheer T-shirt posing as a dress.

  I was happy to see her; however, I wasn’t too thrilled with what she’d been doing before I showed up. “Okay, how much have you been drinking?”

  “Just this. Robbie made it for me.” She waved a Styrofoam cup in front of my face. The alcohol content that wafted off the cup burned the hairs in my nostrils. That was a red flag. Robbie’s concoctions had people passed out by the second sip.

  As to declare our grand arrival, deejay Cake Boy grabbed the mic and yelled, “Give it up for the hottest ladies in the building: my sexy girlfriend, Samara, and her BFF, Mia!”

  Hoots and cheers followed as Mia and I stopped in the middle of the floor and struck a pose, letting everyone know the party could now begin with us on the scene. In school, I had to watch everything I said and did, but in a house full of drunk kids from six different school zones, I could be someone else for one night, and right now, I was diva!

  After that warm welcome, we spent the next hour dancing badly and gossiping about people and their choice in outfits, as if we had room to talk. It was like old times.

  “I’ve seen her before. Who is that?” Mia pointed across the room.

  I groaned on sight of the tall blonde who had Dougie’s undivided attention. Oh, that was no one, just the only reason I was even allowed to come to the party. Olivia was dying to experience the American teen nightlife, and having hired muscle as a chaperone granted us the green light. I saw Gunner’s bulky frame lurking in the corner of the room. His icy blue eyes were steadily scanning the area for anything sketchy; though the only thing out of place around here was him.

  “Mia, relax. You guys aren’t together anymore. He’s entitled to move on,” I said.

  “Do you think she’s prettier than me?” she asked.

  I said what any friend would say. “No! No way. She’s all skinny and tall and she talks funny. She doesn’t have a thing on you.”

  Mia tried to smile, but it withered before it could truly bloom. At the same time, a short guy with a curly red afro walked by us, holding a Dixie cup of something green and likely flammable. Mia snatched the cup from him and shoved him away. It could have been mouthwash or antifreeze for all she knew, but she took it to the head like a pro.

  Still dancing, I said, “You know drinking is not gonna solve your problem. It’s just gonna be there when you sober up along with a headache. What’s up with you? We used to talk about everything.”

  “Yeah, used to, but you seem to prefer secrets.” She tossed the cup behind her then took my hand. “What happened to your bracelet? Did you get it fixed?”

  Instinctively, I pulled my hand away and covered my wrist. “Yeah, I got a new one for Christmas.”

  “Oh. I always see you wearing that bracelet, so it must mean something to you. I don’t understand why you had to cut it off instead of just unhooking the clasp.”

  It could’ve been the noise or the atmosphere, but I had to lean in to make sure I heard her correctly. “Excuse me?”

  The music changed to a slow bump-and-grind, “I’m gonna get you pregnant on the dance floor” song, and howls filled the room.

  “Oh, this’s my jam!” Mia cheered and rubbed up on some fat kid in the corner who looked terrified. Maybe he was scared because a complete stranger had started humping his back or maybe it was because Mia had the dance moves of a mental patient.

  Before she got low, I pulled her away from the traumatized boy. “You said something about my bracelet.”

  Already she seemed bored with the conversation and started searching for more liquor. “You left it in the parking lot when you left school.”

  I followed her to the dining room, past the keg and some half naked guy covered in mustard. “You found my bracelet?”

  “Yeah, that’s why I left it at your front door, duh,” she said this as if it were common knowledge. “I knocked, but I guess you weren’t home.”

  “Oh, I was home,” I said in my head, as I recalled waking up on the ceiling.

  “I didn’t tell anybody. I might’ve been mad, but I didn’t want you to get into trouble. And then when the police found Malik’s truck, I didn’t know what to think. Maybe he dropped you off at home before his crash or what.”

  I stared at her, not believing what I was hearing. “Can you tell me everything you saw that day? What time did we leave?”

  Finding what she was looking for, she plucked another cup of green poison from the kitchen counter. “I don’t wanna talk about this now. I wanna dance.”

  I blocked her path to the doorway. “In a second. What did you see?”

  She rolled her eyes and scooted past me. “You don’t remember anything that happened? Did he drug you?” When I shook my head, she said, “Um, I don’t know, around lunch sometime. I was cramping really bad so I went to the nurse. I got a note to go home early and I saw you walking to his truck when I was leaving. You dropped something on the ground and when you took off I went to pick it up.”

  I followed her through the party as the commotion went on around us without disturbance. “What? I cut my bracelet off?”

  “Either you or Malik. Who’s Lilith anyway? I saw the name on the bracelet. I’ve never heard you mention her before. I thought she was like a relative and that’s why you wear the bracelet all the time. Did she die or something?”

  “Something like that,” I mumbled. Anger boiled up inside me so hot that I wanted to cry. The room began to grow small and the walls bent together in a colorless blob. Though my vision was impaired, my brain was still on duty.

  “Sam, what’s going on with you? Did Malik do something to you? I didn’t say anything, but you need to tell the police what you know. Everyone’s worried about him. Sam? Sam!”

  “Huh? Yeah, I’m fine,” I said. “Is this why you’ve been acting weird around me? You think I had something to do with his disappearance?”

  “No. I don’t think you kidnapped him, but I really don’t know what to think these days. You’ve been acting weird all year, and I’d see you two together in the hall and it would just get under my skin. Malik is cute and all, but I’ve never been into him like that, you know? I just went crazy.”

  “You and hal
f the school,” I grumbled.

  “I’m sorry for being so bitchy, but I couldn’t help it. I . . . I thought you were cheating on Caleb and you know how I feel about that shit. I mean, if you don’t want somebody; just leave. Don’t stick around, come home at three A.M. with a lame excuse—just divorce her.”

  I didn’t ignore the use in pronoun, and I suspected that her Freudian must’ve slipped. I knew Mia had some family issues that leaked into her own relationships. The Moralez family had more drama than all the daytime soaps combined, but with a better story line. They were their own reality show, ringing truth to that old adage, “More money; more problems.” For that reason, Mia always dreaded going to her house and spent most of her time at mine.

  She needed to find another way to cope or else she’d ruin any future with Dougie, but I couldn’t play shrink tonight, not after she dropped this bomb on me.

  “I gotta go get some air. I’ll be back. I promise.”

  “Sam, I wish you would talk to me. Did Malik do something to you?” she whined and stomped her foot. “You’re freaking me out! Stop it. I’m sick of these secrets. You can tell me anything, you know that, right?”

  “I know. There’s something I gotta straighten out right now, but I promise I’ll tell you everything, okay?”

  She nodded, satisfied for the moment, but the concern on her face was still there. “Honest promise?”

  “Honest promise,” I said and I meant it. I would tell her everything from beginning to end, back my U-Haul of drama right up to her front door, just as soon as I figured it out myself. I owed it to her.

  The party was too loud and I couldn’t hear myself think, but I did my best to tally up the facts. I was in Malik’s truck during the blackout. Tobias was taking me somewhere that day, and Lilith went with him willingly. Was I the cause of the accident? Was that what Lilith was trying to keep from me? I let my imagination fill in the gaps. Jason Lao said Malik’s truck was run off the road. Maybe Lilith freaked out and took control of the wheel. The car might’ve swerved and landed in the ditch. But if that was the case, how did I get home?