She, however, in no way shape or form, turned to address Amber. She was saving face to her son, and her son alone.
Amber stared at her glass now, not quite sure what to do. She wanted to get out of this place. She could tell she wasn’t as welcome as they let on. Charles was merely trying to force his parents to approve of everything without giving them time to adjust. It was understandable his mother felt threatened, but something told her it wasn’t entirely the reasons she played off.
Racking her brain to think of an excuse to leave, Amber placed her head in her hands. “Dear,” she grabbed Charles’ leg. “I don’t feel so well. I think I’m going to head home and take a nap.” Faking the good old migraine always worked in desperate situations.
Charles nodded unconvincingly, seeing through her lie. “Okay. Do you want me to walk you home?” He made no effort to stall her.
“Oh no. No need to,” Amber stood up and put down the napkin. “Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Livingston, for the great hospitality,” she said almost through gritted teeth. “I look forward to spending more time together.” She smiled and then turned to leave.
Chapter11
Later that night after lying in bed, she decided to get up and enjoy the fresh air. It was obvious she wasn’t going to sleep with everything going on.
Stepping outside in nothing but her new bikini, she looked up at the moon in the distance. The soft glow scattered on her skin like milk, bathing her in the luminescence. The air’s hush tones blew comfortingly against her skin.
She sighed. “What do I do?” she asked the heavens, staring up while looking for an answer. “Am I getting too ahead of myself in this whole marriage thing? Should I even bother to help my brother out of his own stupidity? Where do I draw the line?” She shuddered at the suffering he would do if she didn’t get the money to him. But she failed to see how it was her problem. Drug dealers were no walk in the park. They would get what they wanted or drain every last drop of blood from his body. It wasn’t a matter of question. But what did she owe him? Would her ex-boyfriend come after her to settle the debt even afterwards? That was the only thing hanging in the balance of her decision.
Stepping her toes into the sand from off the patio, she took in nature’s raw beauty. The ocean spread wide and magnificent before her, its waters softly brushing land. Palm trees swung their branches effortlessly in the wind, but refused to bend to its command. They stood straight, proud, and tall.
The patio she stood on was large; its wooden smooth planks caressing the bottom of her feet. Behind her the bungalow gave off only an ounce of light.
She held her phone in hand, thinking about texting Sasha. She missed her. They hadn’t spent much time together in a while, but she was happy that at least her friend was living each day to the most. She had baby Abel with her now, which somewhat helped to fill that empty spot in her heart.
Snapping a photo of the beautiful scene before her, she tagged Sasha and Melanie. It gave her slight satisfaction to make them jealous for a change. She left out the part where her fiancé’s parents totally hated her. It wasn’t necessary to share with them quite yet. She just needed time to sort through everything.
After setting her phone down on the railing, her toes met the cool beckoning water. She wanted to sink in its cool grasp and let the numbness fill her.
The void welcomed her in its calm wake, hugging her legs, her breasts, and finally her entire body. She sank into it willingly, letting it devour her. And in return, it comfortingly washed away her fears until there was nothing left inside her but emptiness.
Her ears were tucked below the surface. She didn’t hear the tap of the patio door swinging, or the sound of oncoming footsteps in the sand. Everything was pure bliss.
When something did brush her hair, she started, almost jumping out of her skin. Swinging around, she laid eyes on the oncoming shadow.
There he stood, tall, naked, and reeking of masculinity. She gawked at him. “Where are your clothes?”
He shrugged his shoulders, now waist deep in water. The moon shone on his large back, casting shadows from the palm trees. “I’ve come to claim what’s mine,” he spoke erotically, his deep tone playing arpeggios on her skin. “Because despite everything, you’re what I want. I don’t care whether my parents approve or not.”
“They don’t like me,” she pouted, casting her eyes downward. “I didn’t realize it could be such a big deal with family. Like they’re polite but…I can tell your mom doesn’t like me at all. It’s because I’m black isn’t it?” She dared to play the racist card. But his parents were Caucasian and didn’t seem like the type to welcome other cultures and races into their family.