by C. A. Rene
“You want him.” I hear Travis say with a sneer.
“Doesn’t matter, Ember will kill me.” Adri replies.
“That’s the only reason huh?”
I decide to pull the door open at that exact moment and stand in front of them with my arms crossed. “What the fuck is the actual problem here?” I snap.
“He’s being a jealous freak.” Adri pouts.
“And you’re being a bitch.” Travis says as he pushes by me into the house.
“Hold up.” I say as I grab his arm, “I will not have this shit in my house today. Am I understood? Emmett has no intention of dealing with Adri and I want him to have fun.”
“Yeah, I hear you.” He says and pulls his arm out of my hand.
“And you,” I turn to Adri, “stop pitting them against each other, I already told you once, lay off.”
“Ember…”
“No, I’m fucking serious. Whatever game you are trying to play go back to using Danny and leave my fucking brother out of it.” I cut her off. Fuck it, I know I’m being short but I see what she’s doing.
“I wouldn’t do that.” She says with her brow crinkled.
I turn around and head out to the backyard, all three guys are huddled around the table and going over the sketch Vin is doing. Travis has lost the hostile energy and actually joined in on their conversation. I go and sit down on my lawn chair and Adri sits beside me.
“I’m sorry.” She whispers.
“I know,” I say, “but you need to stop commenting about Emmett, I would never approve.”
“Never?” She looks shocked.
“Yeah, never.” I look her in the eye. She gives me a quick nod and lays back in her lawn chair. I’m not having a good friend of mine going after my brother because my bestie has hormonal issues. It’s just not happening. I am squashing that right here and now.
A few hours later we exit the tattoo parlour with our new tattoos. Vin designed us simple feather yin and yang and we changed our minds and placed it on our wrists. That way, when we touch our arms side to side the yin and yang become whole. The wrist didn’t hurt at all for the tattoo but my side and over my ribs was excruciating. They were both so worth the pain, and both tattoos mean a hell of a lot to me.
We all head back to my house, have a barbeque and hang out poolside. I’m kind of panicking because I still need to come up with a believable scenario for finding Emmett.
“Listen, you could say Juan found me and we looked so much alike he dug around and learned I was adopted and recently my adoptive parents died.” Emmett says sitting beside me. It’s like he knew exactly what I was thinking about at the exact moment.
“That’s not half bad.” I tap my chin.
“Yeah, we can iron it out over this week and maybe you take a trip to New York to see me next weekend.”
“Okay, that sounds like a deal.”
“I don’t like being apart, Ember.” He says as he looks down to his shoes. “I’ve never had a real family, sure I had Carm but he was absent a lot.”
“We’ll get you here, I promise.”
The next morning, I am awoken to Vin’s annoying ringtone. We both groan and I flip the blankets over my head.
“It’s my mom.” He rasps.
“What’s up Ma?” He picks up sounding a bit annoyed.
“Wait… slow down…”
I sit up in bed because the panic in his voice sounds like there may be something terrible happening. “Oh my God...” He mumbles, his eyes finding mine. “When?”
“What is it?” I whisper to him.
“I need to talk to Em, Ma.” He says, “okay, I will call you back.” He hangs up the phone and looks at me.
“Vincent, what is it?” I ask sternly.
“We need to get to a hospital right now.” He jumps out of bed, “there’s been an accident.”
“Wait… what?” I shake my head.
“Your parents, Em!” He yells, “let’s go. They are at the hospital.”
“Hospital…?” My body grows heavy and cold all at once. I can’t go through this again.
“Ember,” Vin grabs my face, “we need to leave.”
“Vin, I can’t move. I’m so scared.”
“Baby, I will be with you, through everything. But we have to leave now.” He lifts me out of bed and brings me into my closet. I don’t even know what he’s dressed me in and he leaves me to brush my teeth and to tell the others what’s going on. I head downstairs and see Emmett sitting at the bottom.
“Should I stay?” He looks up at me with sad eyes. “Will you need me?”
I don’t say anything and sit on the stair behind him to wrap my arms around his neck and push my face into his hair.
“Stay.” Vin says, “I don’t know when we will be back.”
“Okay.” He nods and his hair brushes along my cheek. He turns around on the stair and hugs me back. “I’ll be here when you get back.”
I nod and stand up; Vin is at my side in an instant and picking me up. I don’t fight him because I don’t have the strength to move.
26
The hospital they are in is about an hour away and near the spa. My mother is already on her way there to meet us. Ember has had her head back against the rest and her eyes closed this whole time. I know she isn’t sleeping because I hear a slight hitch in her voice every now and then.
My mother said the spa called her since they knew she frequents there with Ember’s Ma but they didn’t provide her with much information only that it was a boating accident. That could mean so many things and I can’t let my mind run away with me. I have to be strong for Ember but I can’t help this nagging feeling I am getting in the pit of my stomach. What the fuck actually happened? Scott is good on a boat, actually he’s better than good. He has taken our speed boat out at the cottage numerous times.
“We’re here.” I tell her softly as we pull into the emergency parking lot of the hospital. As soon as I park Ember flies through the door and across the parking lot. I run to catch up to her as she reaches the emergency entrance.
“Ember! Vin!” My mother shouts from the front desk. “Over here.”
We run to join my mother who is looking very irate with the woman behind the counter. Ember leans over and looks the woman in the eye with her very intimidating self.
“Where are my parents?” She grits out.
“They won’t tell me any information.” My mother says to me, “I’m not immediate family.”
“Well, she’ll get it.” I nod to Ember.
“The doctor is on his way out. He will speak to you shortly. Could you please follow me to the waiting area for family?” The nurse says to Ember.
“They come too.” She points at us. It looks like the nurse wants to argue but as soon as she sees Ember’s face she agrees. Smart lady.
This is bad, you don’t go wait in a family room if there are minor injuries. Both are strong swimmers and I can’t see them almost drowning, so what type of accident was this? We get to the waiting room and I sit beside my mother while Ember paces back and forth. I know she’s getting the rush of energy adrenalin brings her and this is her only option of draining it right now.
“If he is not here in five minutes, I am going to get in that nurse’s face.” She grounds out.
“Geeze,” my mother breathes, “she’s a force.”
“You have no idea.”
About four minutes later a doctor enters the room, I breathe a sigh of relief for the nurse escaping Ember’s wrath. He looks to each of us and sits down in a chair.
“There has been a serious accident involving both Scott and Debra very early this morning.” He begins, “they took a speed boat out onto the water and collided with the side of a cliff causing the motor to explode on impact.”
“Collided with a cliff?” Ember looks confused, “how?”
“I don’t have details as the police are investigating, but we did do a toxic
ology test. It will be back soon.”
“I need to see them.” Ember says.
“There’s more,” he scrubs his hand down his face. “Scott was killed on impact but Debra did survive the crash. She was pulled out of the water by another passing boat.”
Ember sinks to the ground burying her face in her hands. I rush and crouch down beside her to wrap my arms around her. Her body is shaking and I can’t even process exactly what I’m feeling right now. My mother starts wailing and crying out Scott’s name.
“I’m sorry, but there’s more.” The doctor crouches down in front of Ember and places his hand on her head. “Debra was brought here and we performed all life saving measures but she succumbed to her injuries.”
Oh fuck, both… they both passed away. Ember is now orphaned for the second time in less than a year. She hasn’t made a single noise since the doctor broke the news nor has she moved save for the trembling throughout her body. My mother’s wails increase when she hears her lifelong best friend is gone.
“I will give you a few minutes.” The doctor rises up and with a backwards glance leaves the room.
“Em?” I whisper in her ear.
“Yeah?” She answers with a small voice.
“What do you need right now?”
“I need to find out how this happened.” Fuck, her voice sounds so broken.
“Ma, please calm down.” I look to my sobbing mother. I get it, she lost lifelong friends but Ember is going through this for the second time. My mother holds her hand over her face and whimpers but nods to me.
At that moment the door opens again and in walks two detectives, one female and one male. Both have faces filled with sympathy as their gazes meet Ember still kneeling on the floor. The woman has a makeup free stern face, her hair pulled back into a tight bun and standing at around Ember’s height of 5’8”. The guy is a little on the pudgy side, around the same height as the female and with a balding head.
“Sorry miss,” the male starts, “you are the niece?”
“I am the daughter.” Ember answers shortly.
“Oh right, yes. Sorry.” The man shakes his head, “I was hoping you could answer a few questions?”
“Like what? I wasn’t there.”
“We know that,” the female moves to take the seat the doctor vacated. “We were hoping you could give us an insight into your parents life.”
“Okay…” Ember looks up at her.
“These are routine questions,” the male states. “Just answer as best you can.”
“Did your parents partake in alcohol on a regular basis?” The female asks.
“Regular basis?” Ember repeats. “Maybe a glass of wine with dinner, not much more than that. On weekends my dad would have a beer while he watched sports.”
“How about any prescription drugs?”
“I have no idea if they had prescriptions.” Ember shakes her head.
“No,” my mother chimes up, “they were not on any prescribed medication.”
“You are?” The male asks my mother.
“Sharla Germaine. I was very close to Scott and Debra.”
“Thank you for that.” The female nods, “that’s all we need for right now. I do need an identity confirmation on the bodies.”
“I will do it.” My mother stands up.
“Okay, great.” The male nods, “we will follow up with you Ember, regarding any new information we get.”
Ember and I both watch the three of them exit the room and her shaking starts up again. I pull her into my chest and try to figure out what we are going to do.
“I need to get out of here.” Ember says, her voice shaking.
“Let’s go,” I stand up, “I’ll text my mom we’re leaving.”
I lead her out of the room and we pass the same nurse sitting at the front desk for emergency. I don’t miss the look of pity she sends Ember and thank God Ember doesn’t see it because I’m not sure how she’d react to that right now. I’m actually not sure at all what’s happening to Ember, I really don’t know how she grieves and if this is it. I see her emotions rippling under the surface but they just haven’t broken out yet and I don’t have a fucking clue if they even will.
We sit in the Hummer and I sit back in the driver’s seat, my head hitting the headrest. I have been so focused on Em that I haven’t given any thought to myself. These people helped raise me when my father ditched out, Scott was the only father figure I had and Debra made sure I had a full three meals when my mother worked all day and night. I’ve never lost anyone before. My circle is small and no one had died before today and in the span of a few hours, I’ve lost two.
“Vin?” Ember breathes beside me.
“Yeah?” I look to her and she lifts her hand to wipe the tear from my right cheek. I didn’t even realize I was crying.
“Oh God,” she covers her mouth with both hands as a sob breaks through.
“Come here.” I grab her and pull her over the console between us. Her knees fall to either side of my waist and her body quakes as she sobs uncontrollably in my arms. “I will always be here.”
“What’s going to happen now?” She hiccups.
“Doesn’t matter.” I shake my head as my tears drip off my jaws. “We’ll deal with it together.”
She buries her face back into my neck and continues to sob for her aunt and uncle. For the two strangers that took her in without a second thought and then adopted her to be her parents. After what feels like hours, Ember pulls away and wipes her face. She’s red and puffy but still so fucking beautiful.
“Emmett,” her chin begins to tremble again, “he’ll never know his mother’s family.”
“Yes, he will. He has you, the most important family he has.”
“I have to call him.” She grabs her phone out of her hoodie pocket. I open the door and move her to sit in the driver’s seat while I walk outside, giving her privacy to talk to her brother.
“Vin!” I hear my mother and turn to see her exiting the hospital. I wave her over to me.
“It’s them.” Her face looks ashen and her eyes are bloodshot.
“Yeah,” I nod.
“Ember can come stay with us, maybe I can hold off social services.” My heart drops. I didn’t even fucking think of that. Ember is still just seventeen, not yet an adult in the eyes of the law. She could be put into foster care until she comes of age. “She is going to be coming into a lot of money as well. Not just Scott and Debra’s but also her grandparent’s money. We will have to speak to Deb and Scott’s lawyer.”
“She will have to Ma, not us. All of this is Ember’s say.”
“Yes, of course.” She nods.
“I am going to get her home and we will talk to you after.”
“Okay.” She waves to Em inside the Hummer and walks over to her car.
We drive home and Ember finally passes out from exhaustion. I watch as her slim shoulders move with each breath and my heart jerks in my chest. I need to remember, as strong as she is, she is still human and I know her heart is completely broken.
27
I am laying on a bed in a darkened room. I look around and recognize the room Emmett took when he came to visit. I sit up in bed and my heart starts beating frantically, where are Vin and Emmett?
“Ember, chill.” Emmett’s sleepy voice says from beside me on the king-sized bed.
“Why am I here?”
“You were crying in your sleep and asking for me.” He says, “so I laid down with you.”
“Where’s Vin?”
“At his house, talking to his mother. I believe he is trying to figure out how to get you to stay with them, since you’re still a minor.” He sits up beside me, “I think you need to contact your aunt and uncle’s lawyer and get emancipated.”
“Emancipated?”
“Yes Ember, you could be put into the system for another year. Deal with it, push the grief down and contact the lawyer. When all is
done and secure, grieve.”
He’s right, I should be contacting the lawyer. This house, the cars in the garage and businesses need to be taken care of. I’m the only family here and it is my responsibility. I jump out of bed and head downstairs to my dad’s office with Emmett close behind me. He had to have the family lawyer information put in here somewhere. I sit down at his large oak desk and start going through the rolodex, so old school. Emmett sits in a chair across from me and scrolls through his phone.
“I tried texting Carm, he hasn’t answered me yet.” He says.
“He is expecting you home today, right?”
“Yeah, usually he’s on my ass when I’m riding the bike. But he hasn’t messaged me once.”
“Huh.” I nod, “that is weird. Call one of his minions and see what the fuck is up.”
He nods and rises from the chair to take the call outside. I proceed through the rolodex until I come across a Dean, Cole and Associates. Might as well start there. As I am punching the numbers into my cellphone a call comes through from an unknown number.
“Hello?” I pick up.
“Emberlise Craven?” A man with a terrible nasally voice asks.
“This is she.”
“My name is Anderson, I am a lawyer with Dean, Cole and Associates.”
“Wow.”
“Excuse me?”
“Sorry, I was just calling you.”
“We received a call regarding Debra and Scott today, I am so sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you.” I whisper.
“I have their last will and testament here. As you probably know they’ve left everything to you.”
“How would I know that?” I ask, “we never discussed that.”
“I see.” He pauses, “you are seventeen currently, do you have any other family?”
“No, but I was reaching out to you for emancipation papers.” I state, “is that possible?”
“Yes, of course. I was your family lawyer so therefore I am your lawyer as well. I will get working on those papers and I am sending over my assistant with the will document.”