Status: Going strong. :)
Signed, Forever Yours
Coffee Shop Soundtrack
“I’m sorry to bother you, but I really need to talk.
Please tell me you aren’t busy..
Caleb”
Amberlee stares at her phone. Jarrod isn’t home at the moment, so getting out of the house wouldn’t be a major issue. But what if he comes home early? He would kill her if he finds out. She puts her head in her hands. What if Caleb really needs her? She never is one to not help someone in need. And she likes Caleb. He’s got a good heart. She sighs.
“I’ll meet you at the diner in 10.”
Amberlee does a visual sweep of the house. If Jarrod comes home early, at least he won’t be upset about the house being a mess. She can’t believe she’s convinced herself to do this. She pulls on her beat up converse and hurries out the door.
Caleb is in a corner booth by the time Amberlee arrives at the diner. Her heart drops as she takes in the scene around her. The grey walls seem to describe the atmosphere perfectly. She catches a tear rolling down his cheek, though he doesn’t seem to notice. She quietly walks over to him, but doesn’t want to disturb him. She opens her mouth to say something, but closes it almost immediately. She reaches out and gently touches his arm.
“Amberlee! Gosh, you scared me.” He says with a jump.
She smiles a bit and slides into the seat across from him. She looks into his eyes and is immediately taken aback by the pain, as if there is no depth to them: red and bloodshot, but flat.
“I’m really glad you came. I’m so scared and hurt and I’m not quite sure what to do. I feel like I’ve lost everything. I’m running out of options and ideas. I never even saw this coming. I don’t even know…”
“Relax. We have time; there is no need to rush. Just tell me what’s going on.”
“Well, my ex-girlfriend ended up getting pregnant. And everything was awesome. We weren’t fighting and we were doing well. But she’s been acting strange.”
Amberlee waits for Caleb to finish, but when he doesn’t she runs her thumb over the back of his hand.
“Strange how?”
“We went to the doctor yesterday, and she wouldn’t let me come in with her.”
She squeezes his hand and stares at him sympathetically.
“Oh Caleb, I’m sure it’s nothing. It’s probably just her hormones getting to her.”
“No Amberlee. We went out to eat. And she… she..”
She watches as the boy in front of her loses all control: his head falls to the table and he covers himself with his arms. She can’t hear him but can see his whole body shaking. She moves next to him and pulls him towards her. She wipes the streams from his face.
“What did she do?”
“She’s going to kill my child!”
The silence weighs upon them like a boulder.
“She’s going to what?!”
“You heard me.”
His defenses are up again in an instant: cold and hard. She reaches towards him, but pulls back. It takes all of her to not throw up.
“I am so sorry.. I know what it’s like to be hurt.”
“What the hell do you know?! Women are so fucking clueless!”
She stands up and stares at him. What does she know? She knows what it’s like to constantly be in fear. She knows what it’s like to feel so alone in a room full of people. She knows what it’s like to be hurt by the one you can’t help but loving. She pushes the sleeves of her shirt up, ready to defend herself, when Caleb’s face softens. He gently runs a finger over the large bruise on her arm.
“What is that?”
“Nothing. Don’t take your frustration out on me. I’m trying to help you! Just trust me when I say that I know.”
Caleb places his hand on her bruise and the pain is clearly evident on her face. She fights to keep her walls up. He can’t know about Jarrod. Caleb would never forgive her if he knew what she puts up with. He would think she is weak and can’t stand up for herself. Nobody wants someone like her.
“Who did that to you?”
“No one. I… I hit it on something.”
"You’re lying to me.”
She nervously taps her foot. This is going all wrong. He isn’t supposed to know. Oh God, what is she going to do? She puts her face in her hands.
“I’m okay, I really am. I’m supposed to be comforting you.”
Caleb looks at her doubtfully.
“You don’t deserve this Amberlee. Nobody does.”
“I don’t have anyone else. Everyone else is gone. I’m alone.”
“You have me.”
Caleb lifts her face to his. As his lips meet hers she is too shocked to do anything to kiss back. Funny thing is, she actually enjoys it. A slamming door causes them to suddenly jump apart.
“AMBERLEE WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!”
Amberlee looks at the new guest and immediately stands up.
“Jarrod! God, this isn’t what you think it is..”
Jarrod approaches her and grabs her by the arm.
“Get your damn hands off her or I swear to God…”
Please tell me you aren’t busy..
Caleb”
Amberlee stares at her phone. Jarrod isn’t home at the moment, so getting out of the house wouldn’t be a major issue. But what if he comes home early? He would kill her if he finds out. She puts her head in her hands. What if Caleb really needs her? She never is one to not help someone in need. And she likes Caleb. He’s got a good heart. She sighs.
“I’ll meet you at the diner in 10.”
Amberlee does a visual sweep of the house. If Jarrod comes home early, at least he won’t be upset about the house being a mess. She can’t believe she’s convinced herself to do this. She pulls on her beat up converse and hurries out the door.
Caleb is in a corner booth by the time Amberlee arrives at the diner. Her heart drops as she takes in the scene around her. The grey walls seem to describe the atmosphere perfectly. She catches a tear rolling down his cheek, though he doesn’t seem to notice. She quietly walks over to him, but doesn’t want to disturb him. She opens her mouth to say something, but closes it almost immediately. She reaches out and gently touches his arm.
“Amberlee! Gosh, you scared me.” He says with a jump.
She smiles a bit and slides into the seat across from him. She looks into his eyes and is immediately taken aback by the pain, as if there is no depth to them: red and bloodshot, but flat.
“I’m really glad you came. I’m so scared and hurt and I’m not quite sure what to do. I feel like I’ve lost everything. I’m running out of options and ideas. I never even saw this coming. I don’t even know…”
“Relax. We have time; there is no need to rush. Just tell me what’s going on.”
“Well, my ex-girlfriend ended up getting pregnant. And everything was awesome. We weren’t fighting and we were doing well. But she’s been acting strange.”
Amberlee waits for Caleb to finish, but when he doesn’t she runs her thumb over the back of his hand.
“Strange how?”
“We went to the doctor yesterday, and she wouldn’t let me come in with her.”
She squeezes his hand and stares at him sympathetically.
“Oh Caleb, I’m sure it’s nothing. It’s probably just her hormones getting to her.”
“No Amberlee. We went out to eat. And she… she..”
She watches as the boy in front of her loses all control: his head falls to the table and he covers himself with his arms. She can’t hear him but can see his whole body shaking. She moves next to him and pulls him towards her. She wipes the streams from his face.
“What did she do?”
“She’s going to kill my child!”
The silence weighs upon them like a boulder.
“She’s going to what?!”
“You heard me.”
His defenses are up again in an instant: cold and hard. She reaches towards him, but pulls back. It takes all of her to not throw up.
“I am so sorry.. I know what it’s like to be hurt.”
“What the hell do you know?! Women are so fucking clueless!”
She stands up and stares at him. What does she know? She knows what it’s like to constantly be in fear. She knows what it’s like to feel so alone in a room full of people. She knows what it’s like to be hurt by the one you can’t help but loving. She pushes the sleeves of her shirt up, ready to defend herself, when Caleb’s face softens. He gently runs a finger over the large bruise on her arm.
“What is that?”
“Nothing. Don’t take your frustration out on me. I’m trying to help you! Just trust me when I say that I know.”
Caleb places his hand on her bruise and the pain is clearly evident on her face. She fights to keep her walls up. He can’t know about Jarrod. Caleb would never forgive her if he knew what she puts up with. He would think she is weak and can’t stand up for herself. Nobody wants someone like her.
“Who did that to you?”
“No one. I… I hit it on something.”
"You’re lying to me.”
She nervously taps her foot. This is going all wrong. He isn’t supposed to know. Oh God, what is she going to do? She puts her face in her hands.
“I’m okay, I really am. I’m supposed to be comforting you.”
Caleb looks at her doubtfully.
“You don’t deserve this Amberlee. Nobody does.”
“I don’t have anyone else. Everyone else is gone. I’m alone.”
“You have me.”
Caleb lifts her face to his. As his lips meet hers she is too shocked to do anything to kiss back. Funny thing is, she actually enjoys it. A slamming door causes them to suddenly jump apart.
“AMBERLEE WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!”
Amberlee looks at the new guest and immediately stands up.
“Jarrod! God, this isn’t what you think it is..”
Jarrod approaches her and grabs her by the arm.
“Get your damn hands off her or I swear to God…”