Is It Revenge Or Love?

Amber

~Jaylene~

*BANG*

*BANG*

I’m startled out of my sleep, wondering what the hell is going on. It was really early in the morning, and no one should have been at the door. I had considered staying in bed and ignoring the noise, and now I wish I had.

When I answered the door, I was greeted by men in suits. They had papers in their hands and shoved them at me. They were speaking at a speed that made it hard to gather what they were trying to tell me. From their words and the paperwork, I felt my world crashing down on me. My building had been purchased, and I had until Friday to be out, which only left me maybe a day and a half.

I’ve already called into work and made a mad dash to get boxes. Now, I’m trying to pack up my small apartment and figure out where I’m going to stay. There’s not enough time to go apartment hunting. Even if I were to find a place, there’s no guarantee that it will be immediately available. That means I would still need to figure out where to stay while waiting for my apartment.

I don’t have many friends, and that’s by design. Many of those I grew up with were superficial, at best. I want nothing to do with them; I’m sure the feeling is mutual. I could talk to Nancy, but I don’t want to impose.

Nancy is an older woman, and she recently had her daughter move in with her kids. The house is filled with her husband, daughter, and three grandkids. Her daughter just ended her marriage and is in a transition phase. I don’t want to be an added mouth to feed. I can’t do that to her, no matter what she may say.

I sigh and tape up another box while trying to figure out my next move. There are hotels, but I don’t have the money to stay in a long-term place. Hotels are expensive, and I only get paid once a month. For what I could afford right now, I’m sure roaches wouldn’t even want to stay there.

I start to fill another box as the tears start to build. This is not how I saw this week going, but here we are. I continue to fill the box with books as a realization hits me. There’s only one place that's for sure available to me, but the thought of staying there causes my body to shudder. I don’t want to have to stay in my childhood home with my parents. I would die form

the oppression.

A knock on my door has my body still, and fear flows through me. After this morning, I hate to see who could be at my door. The knock is persistent, and I know I won’t be able to ignore it. I sigh and walk over to the door. I check the peephole, but it’s black. Something is covering the lens. I take a deep breath and open the door. “Hey, girl.”

As I launch onto my best friend, the air rushes out of my lungs. She wraps her arms around me, and I’m instantly comforted. My emotions overwhelm me, and I start to sob. I tighten my grip and let everything flow freely. She strokes my hair and kisses the top of my head.

Amber Kavanagh has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. Our families are close, and we have always been inseparable. Well, that’s until she went to Italy for an extended stay. I wanted to go with her but couldn’t afford it and wouldn’t let her pay for me. Her father is one of the top brain surgeons in the country, and her mother is a well-known pediatrician. Amber wants for nothing, but she’s the most down-to-earth person I’ve ever known. “Want to tell me what all this is about?” I step back, wiping my face, embarrassed by my little outburst.

“I’m sorry. I’m just so overwhelmed right now.” I shake my head to try to let it all go. “We can discuss that later. Right now, I want to know what you’re doing here! I didn’t even know you were back.” Amber chuckles and steps into my place. She looks around, and I know she notices the boxes.

“I wanted to surprise you. I came back at the beginning of the week and moved right into my place. I decided to stick around for a while and wanted to be close to you. I went to your job, but they said you didn’t come in today, so I came here.” I nod and move around the room, making a spot on the couch to sit down.

“I’m so glad you’re back. I missed you.” Amber nods and sits next to me.

“Not to change the subject or anything, but what’s going on here? We talk every other day, and you never said you were moving.” I motion to the papers that I left sitting on the end table. Amber picks them up and reads through them. “You can’t be serious! Can they do this?” I shake my head.

“I’m not sure, but it’s done. I don’t have the time or the luxury to have someone look into it for me. I have nowhere to go other than back home.” Amber drops the papers with a smile on her face. “Uh, did I miss something? Did you become a bit of a sadist while you were away?” Amber laughs and places a hand on mine.

“I was planning on begging you to move in with me. I want us to live together like we did during college. I was trying to come up with any argument that I could to get you to agree. Now, I don’t have to work so hard because you need me like I need you.” I can’t explain the feeling that flows through me at her words. I’m saved, and I didn’t even have to do anything. Best of all, I didn’t have to go back to my parents.

“I fu.cking love you!” I launch myself on Amber and wrap her up in my arms.

“Save all this for later. I’m going to make a call to get this all packed up and moved. We will be able to get this done pretty quickly.” I pull back and take in my best friend. Her fiery red hair is pulled into a high ponytail. She wears no makeup, wanting her freckles to be visible. She has pretty green eyes, high cheekbones, and a pointy chin. I’ve missed her so much, and now I will get to see her every day. I couldn’t be luckier.