Page 24

Amber

E veryone gathers around the table. Laughter rolls in the cool breeze as the night progresses. The food tastes like heaven but I had no doubt it would. The only thing—well, someone, who is sulking in her chair, is mom. At least she tries to pretend to have a good time when Tiffany smiles at her.

A shiver surges up my spine and I squish my hands together between my thighs. Just the thought of going upstairs to get something warm after all the food I ate makes my knees quiver.

“I’m going to smoke in the driveway, want to join?” Bradley asks as he pushes to stand, holding out his hand.

I jerk myself up immediately. “Yes.” I take it and snatch another bite of Dad’s pecan pie.

I can’t turn it down.

I swear I can feel Mom’s eyes piercing my back all the way inside.

As we cross the house Ronnie and Cole are on our heels, holding the front door as we exit. Bradley already sears the tip of his cigarette, sparking it to life. I bounce on my shoes a little and a fluffy blanket drops around my shoulders.

Lips press my ear. “I would’ve devoured you to get you warmed up.” Ronnie kisses my temple, flashing that killer smile as I tuck the blanket closer to my body.

It’s safe to say my heart rate is already climbing.

He brings his hand up along with his phone. A playlist is open. “Pick a song, I owe you a dance.”

I scan the names on the screen and go with Something Real by Black Atlass. He spins me to face him. A giggle slips from me but I choke on it when my stomach meets his solid front. My arms come up, wrapping around his neck and pressing to where his pulse ticks wildly. His hands find my waist under the blanket, tenderly rocking us from side to side.

“So what is the deal between all of you?” Cole asks, taking the cigarette from Bradley’s hand.

“Not your business.” Bradley dances in place, shaking his booty against Cole’s side.

“Come on, where can I find me an Amber?” He pretends to plead, pressing his palms together.

“She found us,” Ronnie remarks, staring at me with that softness I can’t get enough of. “At the club.”

I did, didn’t I? It was me who found them. Yet they held onto me and never let go once since.

“Then I should come to your club as soon as possible.” Tendrils of smoke slowly escape Cole’s mouth.

“You’re always welcome,” Ronnie winks, “You’ll get VIP treatment.”

“What is this talk about VIP treatment?” Dad strides towards us, lighting his own cigarette. “I have a gig in the city next month. A family hired me for a week so I will visit you as much as you want.” His eyes land on me.

Closing the gap between us, he catches my hand and twirls me in place before I press myself to him and Dad brings his arm around me. “I look forward to it,” I say with a smile.

“Do you know the story about Amber’s purple dress?” I can already hear the laughter in his voice. “It’s time for embarrassing stories about your childhood everyone needs to participate.”

“Dad, come on not this.” I peer up at him through my lashes, begging him to drop this.

“Shh, it’s going to be okay.” He rubs my back and I sigh as the soft music stops.

“Please elaborate,” Bradley encourages.

“I got a call from Amber’s teacher saying she refuses to return to class because she tore her purple dress. I told her she had spare clothes in her bag but nope. Amber refuses to wear anything but that dress. She held on to it for dear life, refusing to throw it away because it was the first dress she picked herself. I had to stitch it several times because she always tore it in the same spot when she climbed to the roof with me.”

I have so many photos with that dress it’s ridiculous, someone would think I didn’t have anything else to wear. Dad tells that story holding his head up high. Though, I loved that dress for a particular reason.

“Amber, can you feel her?” Mom places my hand on her belly and my little sister kicks against it. “Can you feel your sister?” I fist my purple dress in my free hand as I concentrate.

My eyes go up to her and I nod with parted lips, completely immersed in that moment.

That’s the little I remember from that time. I keep it locked in my vault up here. It was the first time I felt her, brewing in Mom’s belly, and I knew I would protect her because I already loved her from that moment.

“I have one,” Tiffany jogs to us with her contagious evil laugh, “Bradley got drunk once as a teen. It was late at night. Everyone was sleeping but he didn’t want to wake us so he decided to sleep in the driveway.”

“Oh, yeah, so considerate of me.”

“Only I got a call in the morning from our neighbor that my son is sleeping in their car. He was so drunk and tired that he went to the wrong driveway.” Tiffany laughs her ass off. “God, I laughed so hard at his stupid drunk ass. You’re lucky he didn’t drive with you inside his car.”

Bradley palms his face. “What was I thinking? Out of everyone it had to be the Morrison’s.”

“Cole on the other hand,” Tiffney eyebrows hike up.

“I’m an angel .“ He points to his face. “Innocent.”

“Innocent my ass. I got a call from school. The teacher’s voice was filled with terror. His entire shirt was covered in a red substance.” She waves her hands around, telling the story with so much passion. “In the morning before he went out, he used to pocket ketchup packs for school because he refused to eat without them. It exploded in his pocket during the day. He didn’t notice that until he returned to class. But the panic in his teacher’s voice was priceless. Cole thought he was bleeding out. I told her to tell him to taste it and he realized it was ketchup.”

“I think I almost gave her a heart attack.”

“Not so innocent after all,” She replies with a sly grin.

My shoulders shake as stories keep piling up.

“What about you Ronnie?” Dad asks.

“I… walked once to the wrong apartment. I accidentally pushed the wrong button in the elevator. I was so tired I ended up in someone else’s house because they kept the door open. It took me several seconds to notice and I snuck out before they did.” He chuckles. “Another one was when I went with my mom to a shop, I think I was six. She ordered something and I looked around but when I returned to where she was and slid my hand in hers, another woman looked down at me in surprise.”

“Oh no, you poor thing.” Bradley purses his lips together, trying to hold his laugh with pinched eyebrows. “I think she was surprised as well.”

“She was in complete shock.”

“My dad took me to the beach once.” Tiffany starts. “I don’t know why he only had a towel and a skewer. I seriously can’t remember why. But he started doing magic tricks with the skewer as a wand… I was four, I think, and very eager to try it myself. So I took the skewer, did the magic spell while I waved it, and pushed it straight into my dad’s nose.”

“Oh, no!” Bradley immediately covers his mouth. Dad and I die laughing, Ronnie does too.

“Was he bleeding?” Cole’s eyes widen.

“Of course. Good thing he had a towel.” She burst out laughing.

After a few more rounds of stories, Cole and Tiffany go back to the house. Bradley lights another cigarette, getting a scowl from Ronnie.

“Amber was always independent.” Dad continues to reminisce. “She was like ‘Look at me Daddy’ and I was paralyzed. I had no words except ‘Look at my baby girl’ she’s fearless. Nothing will stop her.” He tilts his gaze down at me. “Even when you fell, you stood up quicker than you went down.”

I pull him closer one more time.

“I’ll go to have a dance with your sister and mom if she’d be persuaded.” He kisses the top of my head and walks inside.

Ronnie snatches Bradley’s cigarette and dips it in the glass of water Cole left behind.

Bradley’s eyes follow his movements carefully, and he smirks when their eyes meet. “Why do you hate them so much?”

“Because I want to smell you. Your cologne—my cologne, your sweat, your fucking attitude not those damn cigarettes.”

He grabs Ronnie’s face and pulls him in for a passionate kiss that stirs every emotion in me. They ink each other’s hearts with all the enchanting colors they possess. “God, I love it when you fight me.” He crushes their mouths again.

Smiling from ear to ear, I start walking toward the house but two hands land on either side of my arms, stopping me and pulling me back between them. “Come here, you yellow vision.”

Ronnie’s hands are on my belly and inside my hair, tugging it gently down. Bradley grabs my throat firmly. Something in me calms when they hold me like this.

Music starts playing again and we sway gently.

“Kiss us, Little Bear.”

Soft words are whispered in my ears before my lips are guided to Ronnie—comfort, trust, and acceptance roll on our tongues with each kiss. The same force and passion crushes against my lips when I kiss Bradley.