Page 102 of Pages of Amber
“I will,” she promised, patting her hand. Her mom’s attention returned to the other women as Amber slipped away, basking in the sight of her mom interacting with them. A smile was quick to grace her face, her head nodding along to the conversation. It was like a burden had been lifted from hermom. She’d been in living in grief, she had been broken but she was slowly returning to the mom Amber remembered when her father was alive.
She stepped into the Rhodes’ house from the backyard. Deciding against a refill, she washed her cup at the sink, having a clear view of everyone bustling about. The women were lost to their conversation, the men hung around the grill, laughing loudly. Now changed out of her costume, Evelyn sat with her siblings, Noah, Beverly, Willow and Casey on a large blanket they had pulled into the grass so they could soak up the last of the spring sun.
As May flew by, she and Noah had recovered from their injuries, she’d taken the family trip with the Rhodes to Hudson Valley and met with her agent, a lovely woman in her mid-fifties who gushed about Amber’s book and how excited she was to be aiding her on the journey. They’d graduated a week ago. Noah had been Redmington Academy’s valedictorian and Principal Ellis had congratulated him for his excellence and expertise as the school’s best student body president.
June was coming in, and with it a new season and era. Speaking of a new era, Amber wiped her wet hands on a dish towel and climbed the stairs to Noah’s room. She’d plugged her phone earlier in an attempt to keep her mind off it, but it had proved impossible. With a sigh, Amber unlocked her phone, swiping to her emails. With a deep breath, she prepared to open the app when the phone was yanked out of her hand.
She whirled to face the culprit, her glare ready.
“I’m not gonna let you get yourself worked up. It isn’t time yet.”
Her glare didn’t die down. “We don’t know that. They could have decided to send it before time.”
“Nope. Not a chance.” He raised her phone above his head. “Beth said they would send it at 2pm. There’s ten minutes left. You should listen to your agent.”
“It’s an email, Noah. It sends at the click of a button. Ten minutes is probably a million years to it.”
His lips quirked but he held back his smile. It was hard to keep hers off her face. He attempted to look stern, pointing a finger at her.
“Behave.”
She rolled her eyes, ignoring the admonition and jumped at him. She grabbed his arm, pulling herself up to reach the phone.
“No, you’re not getting it.”
“I just want to check.”
“It’s not ten minutes yet.”
“Only a little peak–”
Her words cut off as Noah stumbled, his legs hitting the bed frame as he fell back onto the bed, taking Amber down with the arm he’d wrapped around her waist. He landed with an ‘oomph’ as she collapsed on his chest, his arm above his head. When she looked up though, he had a mischievous grin.
“M’lady, if you wanted me, all you had to do was ask. I already belong to you.”
Amber scoffed even as her face flared bright red. The joking moment slid into a warm one as his hand grasped her cheek. His eyes met hers, that flash of gold she looked out for streaking across his dark irises.
“You’ve been nervous about this.” It wasn’t a question.
She blew out a soft breath, emotion rising in her throat. But with Noah, she wasn’t scared to face them.
“What if they don’t accept the manuscript? What if they hate it? It’s a publishing house. They’ve probably seen a dozen others like it.”
His gaze was warm and understanding. “They won’t hate it.”
“You sound so sure.”
“I am. You poured your soul into that story. Amber. Anyone who reads it will feel the emotions captured on the page. They’ll be as enchanted as I am.”
“And where will you be?” She reached for his cheek, swiping back and forth to trace those freckles she was obsessed with.
“Where I’ve always been. Right by your side,” he said softly.
Her grin was so wide, she was sure she looked like a loon. “I guess I’m stuck with you.”
“I guess you are. It’s time.”
His gaze drifted to the digital clock on the bedside table that read exactly two o’ clock. A sudden wave of nerves flooded her. They sat up, arranging themselves on the bed. She leaned into Noah as she opened up her emails and gave it a second to load. A new notification appeared instantly and she shook out her damp palms. She clicked on it and read out.
