My Heart's Always With You

Amber stood by her window with her forehead resting on the glass. She was watching to see who was driving up to the house. But so far, to her disappointment, no one had came. The disappointment was that Matt hadn’t arrived yet.

Her mind wondered to the necklace that was around her neck everyday, and what it stood for. The black chain held the pendant that hung from each of her family member’s neck, along with the other families. She looked down at the three roses of the pendant. On the right there was a black rose with tiny diamonds that were almost invisible placed on the outer part of the rose. On the left there was a red rose with the same jewels as the black one. On the bottom was a white rose with tiny diamonds and black onyx stones on the linings of the petals. The three roses were made together as one so there wouldn’t be three charms on the necklace.

It was the same pendant that she’d had since birth, and it had just moved with her on different chains through the years of her life. Out side of the house is was hidden under her shirt, but for anything like this it was displayed for everyone. On the back of the pendant one word was inscribed, Amber.

She looked back up to see a car driving down the long drive way and her hopes jumped the second she saw it. Because of the order of things Matt’s family would arrive before anyone else, as a part of tradition. This had been the order of things since her great-great-great-grandfather and mother began the family business. Apparently that had been around the same time that the Sanders family had began theirs.

Basically the business had a simple reason for existing. To protect the innocent from the criminals that the law allowed free. The first time they would be forced to turn themselves in, most times by force. The second time around, after whatever punishment the law gave them, if they returned to doing what they had previously done they were taken down. Amber had understood this since she discovered what the business was.

Lives were often spared and depending on the criminal’s acts he would often decide to help with justice, again by force. Those who killed were not given another option besides a taste of their own medicine. But everyone knew not to mess with either of the family lines and friends. It would spell disaster for them. So in turn no one ever tried it and went on to tell about it.

Amber watched as the vehicle made it’s way into her clear path of sight and felt her heart jump start itself into a faster pace of beating. It was Matt. As soon as the vehicle stopped and parked four doors opened. But only one of the occupants of the Tahoe mattered to Amber, and that was Matt.

As always he looked gorgeous and it never failed to take her breath away. Tonight he was wearing black jeans with a black button up dress shirt and a red tie. His eyes wondered up to Amber’s bedroom window and she waved at him. He flashed her a dazzling smile and followed his parents to the door.

“Amber our guests are here!” Her mom’s voice reached her as she made her way to her door. She paced herself so she didn’t run down the stairs and made her way into the living room. She could hear the front door opening and the greetings when she only had eight steps left. She heard Matt’s voice as he greeted her dad and had to grab on to the rail so she didn’t run into the living room.

“Hello.” She smiled at the Sanders as she walked into the room and looked at Matt. She broke her stare quickly, knowing that her eyes would betray her and their secret. Matt was the last to greet her and when he touched her hand she could feel the twinkle in her eyes. He smiled at her quickly and they moved away from each other.

Seconds later she heard another car driving up, and knew that it would be Alyce and her family. It was only two minutes later when the door opened and Alyce walked in, grinning directly at Amber. Alyce’s parents followed her in and went to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Davis, and greet the Sanders.

“I just talked to Kellan, he should be here in a few minutes.” Alyce happily announced to Amber with a hug.

“Cool I think.” Amber replied noticing that Matt was walking over towards them.

“You know that he is your friend Amber.”

“I know that Alyce. But you two are the terrible two.” Alyce fake pouted at the joke of her and her boyfriend being called the terrible two.

“Hello Alyce.” Matt lightly cut in.

“Hello Matt.” Alyce said with a hidden laugh. Amber cut her eyes at her friend knowing that she was thinking of the conversation they had exchanged that morning. Another vehicle arrived and Amber knew it would be the Bakers or the Haners.

Sure enough a few minutes later Zacky walked through the door. In the past month she’d grown close to Zacky and they thought of each other as friends. Kellan and his family arrived next, followed by the Haners, and so forth until everyone had arrived. They then moved into the huge dining room and took seats at the several tables that had been pushed together to create the large table.

Amber ended up sitting next to Matt and across from Alyce, who was seated by Kellan as always. Zacky was on the other side of Matt, and one of the other teenagers was next to Amber. But the only thing that mattered to her was that Matt was next to her and that Alyce was across from her to step on her foot if she began to blow it.

***

Matt hated being this close to her and being unable to even smile at her or just talk to her like he would when it was just the two of them. But at the same time he loved being this close to her and that out weighed the other feeling of hatred.

“Amber, sweetheart I don’t think I ever asked you about how the movie was? Did the three of you enjoy it?” Mr. Davis asked and Matt knew this was the cover she had given. They thought she had went to the movies with Alyce and Kellan, but she had actually been with Matt at the beach.

“It was a great movie dad.” Amber answered with a smile on her face. Matt had to hide his smile as he thought about how nice it was to be able to be with each other alone.

Amber looked over and flashed Matt a two second grin before anyone noticed which told him she was thinking of the same thing. Zacky elbowed Matt in the stomach under that table, which was a secret question of “Didn’t we go to the movies last night? The same cover? Sloppy, man.” Matt returned it to tell Zacky that they were supposed to be at different theaters. But Matt’s parents knew that he had never gone to the movies. Except they suspected he was out with his friends at their secret spot.

But they didn’t know how close their cover was about to come to getting blown, and who they would have to let in on their secret.

***

“Did you like it Alyce? What about you Kellan?” Anthony turned his attention to the pair, thinking that it was completely normal that the three of them had went to the movies together, it had happened before.

“I loved it. It was a great movie.” Alyce said with a genuine smile. She wasn’t lying after all, she and Kellan had seen a great movie the night before. What she had paid attention to anyway. Her and Amber would have to go see it though so she would fully understand the plot line. She had gotten a bit distracted when she had laid her head on Kellan’s shoulder and then they started kissing.

“I thought it was a good movie, but it was just me and Alyce that-” As Kellan began to explain that it had been he and Alyce who had saw a movie the night before Amber and Alyce realized they had to stop him. Alyce stomped on his foot as Amber interrupted. Thank God that they thought like twins who shared a connection of the brain.

“It was just the Alyce and Kellan sat a little too close to the screen and had to look up in an uncomfortable position because they didn’t listen to me and sat with me further back. Isn’t that right Kellan?” Amber turned to fake a smile at Kellan.

Kellan realized that he had somehow gotten tangled into some cover story and recognized that look hidden behind false amusement in Amber’s eyes. It was that look that he lie with them and cover for her and agree with what Alyce said and what Amber said or he would regret it later on. Alyce had the same look in her eyes.

“Yeah. I think next time I’ll sit further back from the screen.” Kellan added with a fake smile and laugh. Everyone seemed fooled by the correction and a few people laughed with Amber’s parents. They then moved on to other topics, completely unsuspecting anything out of the ordinary had just taken place.

Amber allowed herself to relax knowing that she and Alyce’s quick plan had stopped a disaster from happening, and went back to eating her food and stealing glances from the corner of her eye at Matt, who was doing the same thing.

They were waiting for dessert when it happened. Amber hand her hands in her lap, and her right hand was almost on her knee. Matt’s hands were under the table as well and he saw an opportunity to at least touch her hand. His hand found and grabbed hers.

She almost jumped when she felt something grab her hand, but then she recognized the feel of Matt’s hand and hid her smile. She liked the feel of this. As she tried to pay attention to what was going on around her she realized that Alyce was looking at her funny. But she knew what the look meant.

Alyce didn’t like what she was wearing. The shirt she had chosen was a different color of the one she’d worn the night she met Matt with a pair of black jeans. Amber liked the red and black corset with the jeans and thought they looked good. She knew Alyce would check to see what shoes she was wearing when the stood up, and would disapprove of the heeled boots Amber had chosen. Then had a small heal and looked good under her jeans, but Alyce was trying to get Amber to dress up more around Matt. That was Alyce for you.

Amber laced her fingers together with Matt’s and let herself relax. If anyone even came close she could pull her hand away from his in a flash and no one would have to know about this. But this was soon interrupted when dessert was served. Amber had never hated to see dessert this much before.

“Why don’t we go into the living room and talk?” Amber’s head snapped up when her dad mentioned it. All the adults were agreeing.

“Can’t us teenagers go into the den and have some fun?” She asked innocently enough. Her dad smiled at her before answering.

“Of course sweetheart.” He answered. She felt like a victory dance. Then the other two families from her family’s side announced they were leaving. She really felt like doing a victory dance.

They were all standing up to go separate rooms when the finally victory came, Lisa said that she and her friends were going to hang out in her room instead of the den. That only left Matt, Alyce, Kellan, Zacky, Brian, Jimmy, Johnny, Amber, and Matt’s little sister Amy to go into the den.

“Amy do you want to come with us?” Lisa offered trying to be nice. Her kindness towards the Amy was only for the sake of getting along and everyone knew it. But Amy agreed and went with them.

As soon as they were in the den Amber turned on the music to where it was loud enough to block their talking outside of the room, but where they could still hear if anyone came in. Alyce helped her make sure the music was at the right volume before the closed the door and transformed into themselves.

“Okay now what was that?” Kellan asked looking from Alyce to Amber with a questioning look on his face.

“A cover story.” Alyce and Amber shrugged.

“But why? Amber you didn’t go with us last night.”

“Because she was doing something she shouldn’t have been last night and her parents can’t know. Thus the cover.” Alyce told him as she sat down on the soft marshmallow sofa and looked up at him calmly.

“Something they can’t know about is for sure.” Matt chuckled causing Amber to smile at him. As always he smiled back.

“And what would that something be? I’m not going to cover if I don’t know what I’m covering. Same as always.” Amber looked at Alyce then at Kellan.

“You cannot tell anyone. Not a living soul. It cannot leave this room.” Alyce told him.

“No telling dead souls either Kellan. I heard they have big mouths.” Amber joked with a laugh which Alyce joined in.

“Okay, fine. Now please explain what is going on.” He agreed.

“Well I’m kinda seeing someone that I shouldn’t be.” Amber began looking over at Matt.

“Why shouldn’t you be?”

Amber didn’t answer, instead she walked right into Matt’s arms. “I’m seeing Matt.” She confessed in a quiet voice as she wrapped her arms around Matt.

“Amber are you attracted to everything and everyone you shouldn’t be?” Kellan asked with a laugh.

“Yes now get over it. From now on when I am supposed to have gone with you two just agree okay?”

“Fine. You two won’t let me not agree.” Kellan sat down next to Alyce and wrapped his arm around her. Amber moved from Matt’s arms and sat down. He sat down next to her and everyone else followed and sat down. It didn’t take long for everyone to start talking and laughing and lose track of time.

They all heard someone coming and Matt and Amber jumped apart, then the door opened. It was Esme coming to see what they were up to. “How is it up there?” Amber asked with a grin.

“Pretty dull I must admit. Are all of you having fun?” Everyone nodded and chorused “Yes” to her with smiled which weren’t faked.

“Then I’ll let you get back to having fun.” Amber knew that her mom would be the most understanding in the family, but she had been around the family business her entire life and wasn’t sure how well it would work out if anyone found out.

It wasn’t long after that when they all heard their parents calling for them so the could leave. As they walked out of the den Matt kissed Amber’s cheek before anyone saw. They always hated it when it came time to say goodbye. It probably came from not knowing when they would be able to see each other again
Once in the living room it was time for the normal goodbyes. All the guys told Amber goodbye and let Matt go last. “Goodnight Amber.” Matt told her politely since her dad was standing in hearing range. He smiled at her quickly and made her heart flutter before telling her parents goodbye and leaving with his.

That night Amber had just gotten out of the shower and was watching TV when her cell phone rang. She looked at the caller-id and saw it was Alyce. “Hey Alyce.” She flipped her cell open and rested against her pillow mound and looked at the TV screen.

“So are you going to give me details about kissing him?”

“Nope. Sorry Alyce.”

“You suck you know that?”

“You’ve mentioned it a couple of times.”

“Well good, you know then. Dude that was close tonight.”

“Ha ha you’re telling me.”

“How did you get through dinner and dessert without even looking at him completely?”

“Between dinner and dessert he was holding my hand under the table.”

“Oh now I understand.”

“Yeah, now you see.”

“So when are you going to see him again?”

“I don’t know yet.” Amber let out a sigh and heard Alyce make her sympathy noise. That is when there was a beep on her phone. “Hang on Alyce I’m getting a text.” Amber pulled her phone away from her ear and looked at the screen. One new text, from Matt.

Tonight was pretty fun I have to admit.

Amber smiled and hit reply.

It was fun because we were together.

She lifted the phone back to her ear. “Still there?”

“Nope, I ran away to a far away island with the elves.” Alyce replied making Amber laugh. “What’s Matt saying?”
“Am I getting that obvious?

“No, I just know you.” The phone beeped again and Alyce heard the cut out of Amber’s laugh. “I’ll hang on.”

“Thanks.” Amber opened the new message.

U R right. I hope we can see each other tomorrow.

Amber smiled and hit reply and typed her message in.

I hope so too.

“Kellan is right. I’m always attracted to who I shouldn’t be. And it’s according to my family.” Amber told Alyce.

“Of course you are. If you weren’t then you wouldn’t be Amber.”

“True.”

“Well I’m tired. I’ll talk to you tomorrow okay?”

“Okay. Night.”

“Night.” Amber closed her phone and let it rest on the bed next to her and waited for the vibration as she watched TV. It vibrated and she picked it up. The only reason she kept it on vibrate was so that no one heard her phone go off.

Well I’m sure you want to get some sleep so I’ll talk to you in the morning

She really was tired so she decided to tell him goodnight then get some sleep.

Thanks. Night Matt. See u soon.

She closed her phone and waited as she flipped through channels looking for something to watch. She found a show she liked and left it there. Then her phone went off.

Night Amber. See u soon.

She smiled and sat her phone on her nightstand. She left her TV and watched it for a while as she tried to go to sleep, but finally gave up and turned it off. She then became restless and finally fell asleep hugging one of her many pillows.