2. Amberlee
Chapter 2
Amberlee
Seven years later
" C ome on, sis, it'll be fun. I'll get to see you and you'll get to spend time with your sister-in-law and your nephew. Plus, there's some really good schools here." Ryan’s familiar voice travels through the speaker of my cellphone, trying to convince me to move to North Carolina, which makes me miss him even more.
He was stationed there about six years ago. After meeting his wife overseas, they fell in love. She was also in the military. Their courtship was quick and within six months they were married and four months later she was pregnant.
Ryan knows this last year has been hell for me. I accepted a job at a school that turned out to be horrible. Being a new grad, I didn't know what to look for and unfortunately after a month there, I realized why the turnover rate at the school was so high. The principal was a tyrant and didn’t care for his students. I hated abandoning the kids, but being there was making me sick.
"Okay, fine. I'll look at the link you sent and apply. If I get hired, then I'll move there."
I'd overheard Mom and him talking and from the one-sided conversation she was getting, I knew Jeremiah was also stationed there. That was the only thing I hated. Hearing about him and Sylvia happy together. Their little family, which I'm sure has probably grown by now. Anytime someone brought him up in conversation, I exited the room. I never asked questions about him, and no one ever gave it up willingly. In my head Jeremiah was someone I knew existed but he never intertwined in my life.
When I went away to college, it got even easier to avoid all conversations about my first love. The one who still held the reins to my heart. The man I compared all other men to, and they always failed to even come close to the standard that Jeremiah had set. If I knew he was coming to visit with Ryan, I simply stayed at school, giving some excuse why I couldn’t come home all of a sudden. Thankfully on holidays he never came.
"Fucking A. I can't wait to tell Maddy. She will be so excited. All she's been talking about since I mentioned it to her was getting to know you better. And little Ryan will be, too. He loves his Aunt Lee Lee."
The excitement in his voice is contagious and I find myself actually hoping I get hired. Fayetteville is big. I can always find a way to avoid seeing Jeremiah. Who knows, maybe I'll find the new love of my life there and finally move on from this crush I’ve been harboring far too long.
"Well, I'm going to hang up so I can get started. Don't forget, if you're calling Mom and Dad, they're in Hong Kong, so remember the time difference."
"I will and don't worry, I know you'll get hired and then we'll get your ass moved here. I'll take some leave to come help you.”
Hanging up, I can't help the smile that spreads across my face. This is a chance to see somewhere outside of my hometown of Freeport, Texas. I hadn’t visited Ryan since he returned from overseas. Well, I was going to go until I heard Jeremiah was there. I changed my mind real quick. I just couldn’t do it. My heart still longs for him no matter how many times I tell myself he is off limits. Not only is he taken, but he’s also my brother’s best friend, and, worst of all, married. Talk about a trifecta.
Last year, on my twenty-first birthday, Ryan came home to take his little sister out drinking, as he promised. I didn't care much for alcohol, so I pretended to drink more than I did, sneaking away to ask the bartender to exchange my tequila shots with water and to make my Jack and Cokes just Coke. She smiled and eagerly agreed. It didn't hurt that I gave her a good tip.
He confessed in his drunken stupor that he had threatened all his friends with death if they even looked at me. I was one hundred percent off limits to them. I'm sure that's a threat that will still be enforced if I move there.
Getting up, I head into my little office in my two-bedroom apartment and turn on my laptop. Hopefully, I get the job. Turning in my resignation to Principal Steiner will be the happiest day of my life. Hell, I may just get together with the girls and go clubbing. I'm going to miss them.
Two are my best friends from high school and we met the other two in college. We became a tight-knit group that no one could tear apart. I knew in my soul we were going to be best friends for life. They know how I feel about Jeremiah and how hard it’s been for me to date anyone. I can’t count the times they cried with me over ice cream and wine.
We often joke about how we will all marry our best friends and when we grow old, we'll live in a retirement community together.
It doesn't take long to fill out the application, attach my credentials and press submit. Curious, I do some research on the area. Looking at what the city and the surrounding areas have to offer, checking out the statistics on the schools, and even looking at some apartments. I don't want to live with Ryan forever, but I do plan on it for a few months if I get the job.
Fayetteville is located perfectly between the beach and the mountains. It isn't a big city like New York, but seems to have things to do both there and in the nearby cities. The crime isn't something I'd want to write home about, but crime’s everywhere and I can't let that rule where I live and go. If I did, I'd never step foot outside of my door. After being cramped inside my apartment during COVID, I never want to be confined again.
All I can do now is wait.
I'm happy and anxious all at the same time. The more I think about it, the more I wonder if I can actually avoid Jeremiah. I'll be staying at Ryan's and at some point, they'll likely come over. Shit, what if Ryan has a party? I'll have to make an appearance. There's no way I will be able to avoid seeing them then. The excitement starts slowly slipping away.
The days drag on and I've almost given up hope of being considered as a candidate until I open my email and see the offer for employment at Kishwaukee Elementary school.
I thought they’d want to interview me before just offering me a position. But the email says they’re experiencing a teacher shortage in the area. My credentials hold more weight than I thought, so there’s no need for an interview. Fine with me! I plan on showing them just how good of a teacher I am.
I jump up from my chair, doing a happy dance, with all the pitiful rhythm that I have. Then it hits me; I need to call Ryan. Rushing out of my office, I head straight to the living room. I rifle through my purse, and find my phone, immediately scrolling through my contacts until I find his name.
It rings three times before he picks it up. He's breathing heavily and I try not to gag. Did he answer while he was having sex?
"Hey Amberlee. What's up?"
"Umm, if this is a bad time, I can call you back later," I rush out, wanting to get off the phone and scrub the thoughts currently holding up residence in my mind.
"No, it's not. Wait. Why do you think it's a bad time?" I can already tell by his snicker at the end, he has an idea and just wants to embarrass me. Really, he's twenty-eight, almost twenty-nine years old, and he acts like a prepubescent teenager.
"I'm not answering that. Just call me when you're not busy," I scold him.
"Sis, I'm at the gym. I'm not busy. What's up?" I can hear muffled voices around him, but by the depth of them, I know it's guys. He must be telling the truth.
"I got the job!" I squeal.
"Hell yeah!" I can hear him shout some expletive words in his excitement before he speaks to me again. "Okay, so when do you start?"
"Well, school doesn't start until August. But I want to get there beforehand to get acclimated to the area. So I guess the question is, if you're going to help me move, when can you get here?"
"I'll talk to my commander in the morning and put in a leave request. How much time do you need to get things sorted on your end?"
"Let me think for a minute," I tell him as I mentally go through a checklist of things I need to handle before leaving.
While I'm doing it, I hear my brother's voice become muffled, like he's covered his phone with something or pulled it away from him. He's talking to someone, but I can't make out what he's saying. I continue mentally making my list.
1. Resignation letter.
2. Notice to my apartment complex. My lease ends next month, so that's not a big issue and I haven't signed a new lease yet. I knew I had to give a thirty-day notice which would take me into next month, anyway.
3. Turn utilities off.
4. Pack. I need to see how big his garage apartment is. I may need to get a small storage unit there until I get my own place. I worked hard for everything I have, so there's no way I want to go out and buy all new stuff there when I have practically brand-new furniture.
5. Check on what I need to do to switch over to a North Carolina license and registration for my car.
6. Tell everyone goodbye.
I think I know how much time I realistically need.
"Ryan," I say through the line, but there's no response. "RYAN!"
"Shit, sorry little sis. I was talking to Jeremiah. He says to tell you hello by the way, and he can't wait to see you again. He just reminded me it's been like seven years since he’s seen you."
"Really? Has it been that long?" I ask casually, pretending it’s not a big deal, especially since I know exactly how long it's been. In fact, I could tell you how long right down to the second.
"Shit, wait until he sees you now. I mean, he's seen your pictures on the wall, but that's different than in person. Fuck, that reminds me. I've got to make sure all these damn horn dogs around here know that you’re off limits."
"Yeah, yeah, you know one day you won’t be able to scare off everyone. Don't you want me to get married someday and have little cousins for RJ to play with?"
"Yeah, but you're too good for these guys. I want you to find a good one. One with a stable job so he can help take care of you."
"Whatever, big brother. Okay, so how does two weeks sound? That way, I have time to learn the town and do any last-minute stuff before school starts." I bite my lip, hoping he doesn't care about me being there almost a month early.
“Fuck yeah. Two weeks it is. Shit, I got to plan a welcome party for you.” He starts to ramble, but I stop listening. No, no, no, he can't do that. I know for a fact he'd invite Jeremiah and I don't want to see him. Seeing him happy with his bitch of a wife and child would tear me apart, no matter how long it’s been and I'm not ready to handle that.
“Ryan, stop! Please! No party,” I beg, hoping he hears the desperation in my voice. “I just want to enjoy spending time with you before it gets hectic. Plus, I'd rather take my time being introduced to all your friends.”
“Fine, but can Maddy at least plan a girls’ night for you and her?”
“That I can do happily.” I laugh. I love Maddy, and I can't wait to see her again. It's been about seven months since they came home, and it was only for a few days to celebrate Christmas.
“Okay, let me get off here and finish my workout. Huh, hold on.” I can hear muffled voices on his end and I wonder what’s happening.
“Hey Amberlee, Jeremiah wants to say hello real quick.”
“Oh, maybe next time, my phone is dying. Got to go,” I quickly hit the end button and power off my phone. I need my little white lie to be convincing.
Just the thought of hearing that sexy, deep voice of Jeremiah’s has butterflies fluttering in my stomach. But I don't have time to sit and think about it. I’ve got a move to plan.
Turning back to my laptop, I type out my response to the job offer, accepting the terms and letting them know when I’m expected to arrive, just in case they need me to report earlier for any paperwork or anything.
Next, I send Principal Steiner a very heartfelt resignation letter. I wish I could have told him to fuck off, but I still need him to give me a good recommendation when needed. Telling him that I hope someone chops his dick off and he gags on it, might not go over well. Lastly, I do my thirty-day notice to my apartment complex.
Slipping on my sandals, I pick up my keys from the dish by the door and hand carry it to the office. I love this place and will miss it. I hope I find a place just as nice to live in Fayetteville. Thankfully, living with Ryan allows me to be pickier with where I stay, not just taking the first place that has availability.
I can't believe it. Soon I'll be in a whole new state, in a town where I have no friends and don't know a soul. Well, I do, but half of them I plan to avoid like the plague.
Two weeks later
“Okay, sis, the last box is packed up. Are you ready?” Ryan calls from the living room.
While he was packing the U-Haul, I was busy cleaning each room as he emptied it of the boxes still left to make time more efficient. I'd gotten the truck two days before he got here and a couple of my friends helped me load up everything but the couch and my bed and a few other things I needed my big brother to help me with. I was hoping to be on the road as quickly as possible and I knew he would be tired from flying in after not getting off work until almost midnight, then having to be at the airport by five am.
He could only get a week of leave approved, and I want to make sure he has time to rest before going back. By driving the U-Haul with the attached trailer with my car on it, I know we will have to drive a little slower, making the estimated three-day trip a four-day trip from Freeport. So, if we can leave by late afternoon, that would be ideal. Ryan had mentioned he slept some on the flight and that I was going to drive the first leg. We'd either pull into a rest stop and sleep a few hours tonight, or get a room somewhere on the road. Ryan said we could just play it by ear as we went, and that sounded good to me.
“I'm ready. I just need to drop the keys off at the office.” Stepping back into the room, I see him leaning against the wall, his eyes closed as he waits for me.
“Okay,” he pushes off the wall, stumbling slightly.
“Give me the keys. I put a blanket and two pillows in the front for us.” He smiles, and I know he'll be asleep in no time.