Chapter 58: Chapter 58

/Amber's pov/

"Um, yeah," I said as I took in all of the beautiful decorations and furnishings in the room. "You could put my whole home into your living room and kitchen," I said, a smile on my face.

He burst out laughing. "This home is beautiful, but it's much too large for just the two of us. "I'm not sure why they felt the need to get such a pricey one."

"So, what does my father do at this point?"

" I inquired, my curiosity piqued, as he gave me a can of Pepsi.

"Stocks and common stock. I'm not sure what he does for a living; he's some kind of major broker or something. "He earns a lot of money, however," he said with a grin on his face.

Dad was still doing it then, and it was something he used to do when we were youngsters. Because being at his home had freaked me out to the point where I didn't want to speak about him any longer, I decided to stop.

"So, you and Kate, how's it going?

" I teased, attempting to shift the conversation to a different topic.

He flushed and gave a nod. "She's sweet," he said, a little uncomfortably.

I smiled at his blushing cheeks; he was quite lovely. "She claims you kissed her," I said, raising my brows in anticipation of further information. Following her rendition of the "ideal kiss," I want his version of the same thing.

He flashed a smile. "Yeah, did she mention whether or not she liked it?" " he inquired, his cheeks flushing even more.

She did it, without a doubt! "Yeah, she really loved it," I replied, wagging my brows at him in agreement.

He burst out laughing. It was impossible not to chuckle when he said, "Thank heavens for that." He sounded so relieved that I couldn't help but laugh with him. In fact, I was considering asking her out in a normal manner, you know, being exclusive. Do you think she'll go ahead and do it? " he inquired, a hopeful expression on his face.

I smirked at his anxious expression. "Hell yes, she'd go for it." Kate had a strong attraction to him and would be willing to be exclusive.

He chuckled, causing his hair at the back of his head to get tangled. “Awesome! "Thank you very much, Amber."

"Go change, and then let's go out to eat." "I'm starving," I said, gesturing to the corridor with my head.

“OK. "I'll be there in five minutes."

I shook my head. "You may shower and do your things if you like, I'm not bothered by the delay."

"Are you suggesting I have a bad smell?

" he inquired, a grin on his face, as he made his way to the hall.

"Well, I was trying to be courteous," I said. He skipped up the stairwell with a grin on his face.

In my happy state of mind, I was sitting at the kitchen counter, sipping my Pepsi and toying with his trophy, when I heard the front door open and a woman speak. she said. "I simply need to give him some medication and put him to bed," she added.

My breath caught in my throat as I thought about it.

"At this point, he hasn't stopped f**king weeping," my father said, his voice a little angry.

I leaped out of the chair with such force that I almost toppled over myself. It was imperative that I put some distance between us in the event he came in here. I went to the other side of the counter. My heart was thumping against the inside of my chest. The fact that I couldn't breathe properly bothered me. When I turned around, there was a door behind me, and I snatched the doorknob, trying to get out before he walked in. I couldn't see him, and I couldn't allow him to see me either. I instantly realized that the door had been locked after rattling the doorknob. I could feel the tears beginning to prickle in my eyes as I readied myself for bed.

"I'm sorry, Stephen. She said nothing but quietly, "I'll put him to bed in a minute, and he'll sleep it off."

"He f**king better, he's giving me a headache," he snarled fiercely. "He f**king better, he's giving me a headache."

I shoved my hand into my pocket, snatching my cellphone from the floor. No one knows who I was going to call when I made the decision. Mike and Jake were a long distance away, and Josh was most likely in the shower at the time. There was no one around to help me; I was completely alone in my terror. I turned around and stood in front of the entrance, waiting for him to enter. I was feeling ill. What was I thinking? Was I genuinely going to spew up?

The lady entered, carrying a whining little blond boy in her arms and soothingly stroking his back. Her gaze was drawn to me, and she jumped a mile, clearly unaware that I was there in the room. "Hi, apologies, I didn't realize Josh had guests," she replied, a warm smile on her face as she greeted me. She had brown hair and grey eyes, much like my mother and myself, and she was quite attractive. I couldn't say anything except nod.

"Josh have any pals coming over?"

While walking in the door, my father said, "How are you?"

The dizziness was unbearable, my legs were weak, and he looked nearly precisely the same as before, just a bit older, with a little less hair and more greys. It wasn't like the snapshot that Josh showed me; his eyes were harsh and serious, just as they used to be before. He had not altered in the least.

He looked at me, his gaze roving over every inch of my body, while I stood there, unable to move or breathe because of the pain in my chest. I had the sensation of being a child all over again. I was afraid, and this time I didn't have Jake to shield me from harm. It wasn't more than fifteen feet away from me that the guy who had devastated my childhood and my brother's boyhood was there.

"Amber," he replied, his voice soft. The feeling of bile rising in my throat came as a result of his grin.

*******

“Amber?

"Your daughter, Amber?" the woman said, her eyes darting between him and me. "Your daughter, Amber?"

"she inquired, a grin pulling at the corners of her mouth. My father bowed his head, his gaze never leaving mine. The feeling was similar to being a deer caught in the headlights of an approaching automobile, and all I could do was prepare myself for the collision. "Well, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." As a result of what Stephen and Josh have told me about you, I get the impression that I already know who you are," the woman said, a pleasant smile on her face. Then I attempted to put on a brave front and act that everything was OK, that I wasn't going to pass out any second, and that I wasn't about to shout the house down any second.

"It's same here, Abigail," I said gently, averting my gaze from him.

"Can you tell me what you're doing here, Amber?"

With his brows raised and a half-smile on his face, my father posed the question. My skin crawled as the sound of his words sent shivers down my spine as I frantically tried not to recall my youth. It was his voice and gaze that haunted me in my dreams, as well as the way he stood so straight and the way his hands were constantly clinched, exactly as they were now.

“I… I want to accompany Josh to the event. He’s…. "He's having his clothes changed," I mumbled. I began mentally berating myself for stuttering almost immediately after realizing what I was doing. His old rules were returning: stand straight, talk clearly, and don't mumble were among them.

Abigail cracked a grin. "Well, I'm delighted that you've arrived. Would you want to join us for supper afterward? Because there isn't much food in the house, I believe we will order takeout. Stanley had been sick all weekend, so we came back early," Abigail said as she stroked the baby's head lovingly. "We weren't supposed to be back until later tonight," she added. She seemed to be really sweet, maybe even too polite for this violent guy.

I shook my head as if I couldn't say anything else. My hands were trembling, so I clutched them together firmly, trying to keep them under control and avoid collapsing into a heap on the floor and sobbing. "Are you sure?

It's not a problem. Do you think we'd be interested in having her stay for supper, Stephen? " she continued, a smile on her face, utterly unaware that she was in the midst of my greatest nightmare at the time. He nodded, his stare traveling the length of my body, making me feel numb to the touch.

At the end of my sentence, my voice broke as I said, "I'm sure, thank you."