My Heart's Always With You

Alyce’s idea of running away to Hawaii was starting to sound better and better to Amber as the days past. It was all driving her insane now. Aaron was practically living at her house when ever her dad was home, her dad was discussing why she should be seeing Aaron, and Lisa was making goo-goo eyes at the asshole. She wasn’t sure how much more she could take.

At the moment she was flipping through an issue of Hit Parader trying to find an article about Metallica. She knew it was in there somewhere. On the couch next to her sat Aaron, who kept trying to get his arm around her. He didn’t know how close he was to getting that said arm chopped off.

“You know Amber, girls really shouldn’t listen to music like that.” Aaron commented making Anthony smile. They both believed that Amber wasn’t feminine enough.

“Oh bite me.” She flipped the page again and found it.

“I also think that you should dress a little more feminine.”

“Aaron stick you opinion just as far up your sorry ass as it will possibly go.” She turned and fake smiled at him. “And stick your head up there while you’re at it.” She then went back to reading the article. Anthony had discovered it was better if he stayed out of it.

“I also think that you should stay away from that Matt Sanders at the parties and dinners.” Amber had had enough for one day. She lifted her leg and kicked him hard in the shin, making him grab where she had hit and howl out in pain.

Satisfied with the sight of Aaron in pain Amber stood up and went into the kitchen. She took a seat in one of the bar stools at the high bar, sat the magazine down, and continued reading. “Why did you kick him?” Lisa asked angrily as she walked into the kitchen and to the freezer.

“He pissed me off?” Amber didn’t bother looking up from the article to see what her sister was getting from the freezer. “And what are you getting?”

“I heard him when you kicked him and so I’m getting him some ice.”

“I went easy on him.”

“What is your problem with him Amber?” Lisa was now looking at Amber with her hands on the counter by the sink, which was on the other side of the high bar.

“How many times do I have to say it? He is an asshole. Would you like me to spell it out for you this time?”

“He’s not the asshole, you are.” Lisa grabbed the icepack and stormed out of the kitchen.

Amber shrugged off her sister’s comment and went back to reading. It was stuff like this that was making her rethink Alyce’s suggestion. At least with that option they wouldn’t have to hide and Amber wouldn’t have to deal with the asshole.

By the time Amber had finished reading the article about Metallica and every other band she liked that was mentioned Aaron was still in the living room talking to Anthony. She was in a hurry for them to at least move so she could leave without being asked where she was going. She quickly glanced at the clock again and realized that she couldn’t wait much longer.

She went and threw the magazine in her room and grabbed her keys. She’d just say that she was going to Alyce’s house. “Where are you going kiddo?” Anthony asked as soon as he saw Amber heading for the front door.

“Yeah Amber where are you going?” Aaron chimed in.

“Aaron open your mouth again, I dare you. Because I will personally shove your own fist into it.” Amber snarled at him.

“Why wouldn’t you shove your fist into it?”

“Because I don’t want any germs from you.”

“Amber where are you going?” Anthony cleared his through trying to break up the argument between his daughter and Aaron.

“I’m going to Alyce’s house.” And with that she left the house. It was too hard for her to restrain from either beating the crap out of Aaron or calling Matt and having him beat the crap out of Aaron.

She drove to the restaurant where she was meeting Matt for dinner before they found something else to do for the night. He was already waiting by his car when she pulled up and parked/ “Trouble getting away?” He asked as she got out of her car.

“Aaron is there and I almost got into another fight with him.” She answered wrapping her arms around his neck as he kissed her.

“Mark my words, someday I’ll find him alone and he is going to pay.”

“So you’ve told me.”

“Can you blame me for saying it again?”

“No not really.”

“Come on let’s go inside.”

“Okay.” After they ordered Matt decided to tell Amber his suspicions.

“Uh Amber?”

“Yeah?”

“I think there is a possibility that my dad might have figured out what is going on.”

“Did he say something?”

“No, but he is like one of my best friends. We’ve always been close.”

“What will happen if he knows?”

“I’m guessing nothing. If he knows he hasn’t said anything which is a good sign.”

“If this blows up in our faces and my dad find out will it keep you away from me?”

“Amber nothing is going to keep me away from you. I promise.”

“Just making sure.”

“Will it keep you away from me?”

“Are you crazy? Nothing is going to keep me away from you.”

“Like you said, just making sure.” Amber laughed and rolled her eyes. She should have saw that one coming from a mile away. Amber wasn’t sure exactly how they ended up at the beach later that night but she wasn’t complaining.

Amber allowed herself to rest against Matt’s side as his arm wrapped around her shoulders. She didn’t care what time it was or the fact that it was completely dark outside now. She just wanted to spend some time with Matt. “You know Alyce said that we should run away to Hawaii and just hide out there for a while.”

“Do you think we should?” This made Matt wonder if it was what Amber wanted.

“I think that would be letting them win. They’d be driving us away.”

“I agree.” Then Amber’s phone went off. It was her mom, and it was a phone call instead of a text message.
“Hey mom.” She answered confused at to what was going on.

“Amber where are you?” Esme sounded almost panicked and Amber knew something bad was about to happen.

“I’m at the beach. With Matt. Mom what is it?”

“Leave. Now.”

“Okay but Mom, why?”

“Lisa and Aaron! Why else! They are going to look for you! They said they were going to check the beach first. They left 5 minutes ago so you have about what 5 to 10 minutes to get the hell out of there?”

“Yeah. I’ve gotta go.”

“Okay.” As soon as she hung up she looked at Matt and he knew that something was up.

“Amber what is it?”

“We’ve gotta leave, Lisa and Aaron are coming here to find me. Now.”

“Okay. Call me later. Are you going to leave?”

“Yeah. I said I was at Alyce’s place.”

“Okay well I’ll see you soon. I love you.” He leaned over to give her a kiss.

“See you soon. I love you too.” And with that they went their own ways. Amber was completely pissed that the night had been basically ruined because the asshole and Lisa had decided it was time to check up on her.

That night she was sitting on her bed waiting when Lisa came home. Amber waited for her to come into her room and ask her where she’d been. And she was right. “Where were you Amber?” Lisa asked.

“Alyce’s house. Why?”

“Aaron thinks you were lying.”

“So you were checking up on me then?”

“Well yeah. Aaron cares about you, and I do too.”

“Don’t lie. You care about what makes Aaron happy. And Aaron doesn’t care about anyone except himself. Remember that when you find out the hard way.”

“You don’t know him.”

“And you do?”

“I know him better than you!”

“Really? That is funny.”

“Where were you tonight anyway?”

“It is none of your damn business Lisa!”

“What are you doing behind our backs?”

“Nothing. Aaron just thinks that there is someone else because I don’t want him.”

“He never said he thought there was someone else. I’m the one who thinks there is someone else you are seeing. Why else wouldn’t you want him?”

“I don’t want him because I hate his guts! You don’t know what he has done to people in the past!”

“So there is someone!”

“There isn’t anyone!” Amber stood and she and Lisa were now nose to nose. “You don’t know anything.”

“I will find out who it is Amber. I will.”

“There isn’t anyone! You will be wasting your time! Do you understand that? Now get out of my room.”

“Why? Because I figured it out?”

“There isn’t anything to figure out Lisa! Now I’m serious, get the hell out of my room! Now!” Amber’s anger was already to a boiling point when she heard his voice.

“Lizzie leave her alone. She is just cranky. Come on out of there.” Amber’s head snapped to Aaron.

“Lizzie?” She was walking over towards him, fists clenched.

“Yes. That is what I’m calling your sister now.” Aaron smirked as Amber stopped in front of him. He had plans for her. But she had plans for him. She drew back her fist and punched him in the mouth, busting his lip and cause him to bleed. She then kneed him and after that it was just a blur of her punching him and him trying pathetically to fight back. Then Lisa joined in splitting them apart.

“Come on Aaron, let’s go get you some ice and get that blood off your face.” Lisa grabbed his arm affectionately before turning to Amber. “You are a bitch do you know that? How could you?”

“He is lucky it was me. He has a lot more coming.” Amber watched as Lisa took him downstairs before closing her bedroom door. She grabbed her cell phone and dialed Matt’s number.

“Hey Amber.” He answered after a few short rings. He was happy to be on the phone with her. And the sound of his voice made her smile.

“Hey Matt. I drew his blood.”

“Aarons? When?”

“Just now. He pissed me off. I got several good punches in before Lisa broke it up. I busted his lip and his cheek.”

“Did he hit you?” Amber had walked into her bathroom to wash his blood off her fists. The left fist was almost clean, the right one was far from clean. She turned on the water and got a few squirts of pump soap in her hands.

“He tried. He landed a few, but I was too mad to really feel it. He didn’t break the skin and I don’t think I’ll have any visible bruises in the morning. I’ll probably have some on my arms under the sleeves of my tees shirt.”

“He actually hit you? He is so going to pay.” Amber could hear the anger in his voice at the turn of information. Matt wasn’t an asshole like Aaron and he believed that a man didn’t hit a woman.

“I didn’t feel it Matt. I’m fine. A few scratches on my arm though.” She laughed seeing the claw marks. “He fight more like a girl than I do. I’m shocked he didn’t pull my hair.”

“Are you sure that you aren’t hurt?”

“I’m sure. I’m okay Matt. I do know how to fight, and face it Aaron isn’t much of a fighter. He is a coward that is why he beats up girls-” Amber caught herself. She shouldn’t have said that much about it.

“What? He beats up girls?”

“No I mean he only fights with girls.”

“You don’t have to tell me the details Amber if you don’t want to, but has he ever hurt you. Please tell me the complete truth.”

“No Matt. He hasn’t actually hurt me. It was someone I used to know. I’ll tell you another time okay?”

“Okay. I just want to make sure you are alright.”

“I’m okay. I promise.”

“If he ever hurts you, promise you’ll tell me okay?”

“I promise I will.”

The next day Alyce came over after she and Amber got off work while Anthony and Lisa were still gone. Amber had given her all the details of last nights events and she sat there and stared at Amber. “You should have waited for me.”

“Alyce it wasn’t planned. It just kinda happened. Next time I’ll call you and tie him up until you get here then we’ll beat him good okay?”

“Okay!”

“You sister is still pissed at you so you know.” Esme warned Amber walking into the kitchen to get some water.

“Well that is good because I’m still pissed at her too. I can’t believe her last night.”

***

Matt sat at Johnny’s bar that afternoon talking to the guys. His fists were clenched tightly as he told him what had happened the night before with Amber trying to beat up Aaron. He was thinking of ways to find the scum bag and make him pay. “I would have paid good money to see a full on ass kicking of that asshole by Amber.” Jimmy laughed.

“Count me in.” Zacky agreed along with Brian and Johnny.

“I think after the next get together of the sides I’ll follow him when he leaves and that is when I’ll catch the scum bag and kick his ass.” This had been the first plan that came to Matt’s mind as he sat there.

“If he drives there on his own.” Zacky reminded him.

“Shit. I forgot about that one.” Then his phone went off with a text from Amber.

My mom and Alyce are covering for me. Wanna meet me at the normal beach spot?

Matt smiled and selected reply. Of course he wanted to meet her. He wanted to see her and spend sometime with her while he could.

Yeah. I’ll see you there.

He looked up and the guys and stood up. “I’m going to meet Amber. I’ll see you guys later.” He told the guys before he left to go to the beach and meet Amber.

***

“Just go meet him. I’ll say that I sent you out to get me potatoes for dinner tonight. Just make sure that you bring some back with you.” Esme told Amber one last time.

“Come on before it is too late. In the mean time I screw with his head by blocking my cell number and hanging up on him. That always ticks him off.” Alyce pushed Amber towards the front door.

“Alyce we need to really torture him the next time everyone is together.” Amber stated in the car. Alyce looked at her and smiled.

“We will. Thursday night at the dinner. Kellan will help. I have it all planned out. It involves a lot of physical pain for him to. Lots of embarrassment too.”

“Can I slap the crap out of him again?”

“Of course. And when he leaves we will follow him outside and give him a good beating. You warned him about being in hell. It will begin.” Amber knew by the tone of Alyce’s voice that it would be a shitty night to be Aaron and smiled.

“Matt really wants to kick his ass.”

“That can be arranged very easily. So can it be for you to do the same. I was also thinking that we knock him out and tie him up and duck tape his mouth shut and beat him some more.” Amber glanced at Alyce.

“Who are you and where is bubbly Alyce?”

“She is still here! Moment is over!” Alyce returned to her bubbly self quickly. “Now go so you can see lover boy.” Amber laughed and headed towards the beach.