Read Online Source One by Allyson Simonian - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Allyson Simonian
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around to Katie.
“Amber….” Brian’s voice caught as he knelt down in front of Katie. He swallowed hard and started again. “Amber had to leave, honey.”
“Why?”
Brian pressed his lips together.
“When is she coming back?”
Brian cleared his throat. “Listen, Katie…….sometimes adults do bad things and we can’t have them in our lives.”
Katie was frowning. “Do you mean Amber?”
Brian slowly nodded.
“She did something bad?”
“She did, honey,” he whispered.
“No! I don’t believe you!” Katie turned and ran out of the kitchen.
Brian looked up. Mrs. Quinn was standing in the doorway. Her mouth hung open.
Brian met her eyes and they stared at each other for a long moment.
Then Mrs. Quinn turned and hurried after Katie.
CHAPTER 19
Abby Grover, Amber’s boss at Sumner Systems, was calling. Amber had missed the last two days of work.
She’d told them she had the flu.
“How are you today, Amber? Feeling better?”
With a shattered heart? No. No better.
Amber cleared her throat. “Yes. I’ll be in tomorrow.”
Somehow, she’d pull herself together.
She took a breath. “Is Nicole still filling in for me?”
“Yes.”
“She can call me if she has any questions.”
“Thanks, Amber. You take care, okay?”
“Thank you,” Amber whispered.
***
Katie had asked over and over again why Amber had left. The more Brian tried to explain, the worse it got.
Now, she sat slumped in her chair.
“Want to go get some ice cream after dinner?”
Katie didn’t look up. She only shook her head as she pushed food around her plate with a fork.
Mrs. Quinn was looking at him from across the kitchen. Brian blinked as he met her stare. She shook her head before she turned away from him.
***
It was lunchtime and Nicole was standing at Amber’s desk.
“Amber, have you eaten lunch once this week? ”
Amber shrugged. “I haven’t had much of an appetite.”
Nicole studied her. “The flu, my ass. You’ve got man troubles, don’t you?”
Amber sighed and nodded.
Nicole raised her brow. “Want to talk about it?”
“Not really, but thank you.”
Nicole nodded then walked away. Amber got back to the letter she was writing.
Twenty minutes later, Nicole was back at her desk. She handed Amber a white bag. One whiff told Amber the contents.
Nicole arched an eyebrow. “Cheeseburger and fries. And you’d better eat all of it.”
***
Amber pushed the blaring alarm. It was Friday. One week since Brian had broken up with her.
The sadness descended over Amber like a thick layer of fog.
Earlier in the week, she had gone to a branch of Cal Coast Bank. Asked for help figuring out what happened.
She’d waited to speak with the branch manager. Waited as he looked into it.
A frustrating hour later, Amber still had no answers. The manager had no additional information.
In her heart, Amber knew that Brian wouldn’t press charges against her.
Ironically, if he did, maybe someone would try harder. Try harder to uncover the real perpetrator.
With a heavy heart, Amber walked into the bathroom and started the shower.
***
Brian stared out his office window. He’d thrown himself into work the last couple of weeks.
He’d known deep down that Amber had been too good to be true.
He’d rushed into dating her. Had thrown himself into a relationship he’d had no business being in. Christ, Diana had barely been gone a year.
He hadn’t been thinking properly. Hadn’t been thinking at all.
He’d blindly followed his heart. Overlooked the red flags. Now he and Katie were paying the price.
Brian began to pace. He tugged his hand through his hair. It was fine to be angry. Anger served a purpose. But he refused to allow the feelings of grief in again.
CHAPTER 20
It was mid-May. Amber had just gotten home. She opened the refrigerator and sighed.
There was absolutely no food here. She hadn’t cooked anything - made a real meal – since Brian had broken up with her.
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“Amber….” Brian’s voice caught as he knelt down in front of Katie. He swallowed hard and started again. “Amber had to leave, honey.”
“Why?”
Brian pressed his lips together.
“When is she coming back?”
Brian cleared his throat. “Listen, Katie…….sometimes adults do bad things and we can’t have them in our lives.”
Katie was frowning. “Do you mean Amber?”
Brian slowly nodded.
“She did something bad?”
“She did, honey,” he whispered.
“No! I don’t believe you!” Katie turned and ran out of the kitchen.
Brian looked up. Mrs. Quinn was standing in the doorway. Her mouth hung open.
Brian met her eyes and they stared at each other for a long moment.
Then Mrs. Quinn turned and hurried after Katie.
CHAPTER 19
Abby Grover, Amber’s boss at Sumner Systems, was calling. Amber had missed the last two days of work.
She’d told them she had the flu.
“How are you today, Amber? Feeling better?”
With a shattered heart? No. No better.
Amber cleared her throat. “Yes. I’ll be in tomorrow.”
Somehow, she’d pull herself together.
She took a breath. “Is Nicole still filling in for me?”
“Yes.”
“She can call me if she has any questions.”
“Thanks, Amber. You take care, okay?”
“Thank you,” Amber whispered.
***
Katie had asked over and over again why Amber had left. The more Brian tried to explain, the worse it got.
Now, she sat slumped in her chair.
“Want to go get some ice cream after dinner?”
Katie didn’t look up. She only shook her head as she pushed food around her plate with a fork.
Mrs. Quinn was looking at him from across the kitchen. Brian blinked as he met her stare. She shook her head before she turned away from him.
***
It was lunchtime and Nicole was standing at Amber’s desk.
“Amber, have you eaten lunch once this week? ”
Amber shrugged. “I haven’t had much of an appetite.”
Nicole studied her. “The flu, my ass. You’ve got man troubles, don’t you?”
Amber sighed and nodded.
Nicole raised her brow. “Want to talk about it?”
“Not really, but thank you.”
Nicole nodded then walked away. Amber got back to the letter she was writing.
Twenty minutes later, Nicole was back at her desk. She handed Amber a white bag. One whiff told Amber the contents.
Nicole arched an eyebrow. “Cheeseburger and fries. And you’d better eat all of it.”
***
Amber pushed the blaring alarm. It was Friday. One week since Brian had broken up with her.
The sadness descended over Amber like a thick layer of fog.
Earlier in the week, she had gone to a branch of Cal Coast Bank. Asked for help figuring out what happened.
She’d waited to speak with the branch manager. Waited as he looked into it.
A frustrating hour later, Amber still had no answers. The manager had no additional information.
In her heart, Amber knew that Brian wouldn’t press charges against her.
Ironically, if he did, maybe someone would try harder. Try harder to uncover the real perpetrator.
With a heavy heart, Amber walked into the bathroom and started the shower.
***
Brian stared out his office window. He’d thrown himself into work the last couple of weeks.
He’d known deep down that Amber had been too good to be true.
He’d rushed into dating her. Had thrown himself into a relationship he’d had no business being in. Christ, Diana had barely been gone a year.
He hadn’t been thinking properly. Hadn’t been thinking at all.
He’d blindly followed his heart. Overlooked the red flags. Now he and Katie were paying the price.
Brian began to pace. He tugged his hand through his hair. It was fine to be angry. Anger served a purpose. But he refused to allow the feelings of grief in again.
CHAPTER 20
It was mid-May. Amber had just gotten home. She opened the refrigerator and sighed.
There was absolutely no food here. She hadn’t cooked anything - made a real meal – since Brian had broken up with her.
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