Page 54 of The First Chord

I hoped so, but dread pooled in my stomach like stagnant water. It wasn’t intuition, it was absolute knowledge that my husband would do something to bring trouble to the door of good people. There was only one thing that I could do, and that was to distance myself from Ronnie and the band.

“Honestly,” Simone said, giving my arm a comforting pat. “It will be fine. I promise.”

She was right, it would be, because I was going to make sure of it.

CHAPTER25

RONNIE

“Amber, please call me back when you get this message.” I sighed. “I really need to speak to you.”

I ended the call and threw my phone onto the dressing table. The very one which only twenty-four hours before had been covered in bottles of creams and perfume, make-up brushes, and all manner of hair styling implements.

When I’d got back from going to check on Elliot and Belle, all that stuff was gone and so was Amber. All she’d left was a note. I pulled it from my pocket and read it for the tenth time.

Ronnie,

I’m so sorry to just leave like this, but I think it’s for the best. I’m going to stay with Amelie and Hugo. Once the cottage is ready, I’d still like to rent it, if that’s okay with you. For now, though, I think it’s best if I don’t stay with you.

I’m so sorry I’m telling you this in a note, but I knew you’d try and persuade me to stay. I also know you think you can handle Jimmy and his crap, but honestly, I don’t trust him and worry what he’ll do. That’s why I think it would be much better if I distanced myself.

I’ll see you next week when we go back on tour, but I can’t thank you enough for everything that you’ve done. Much more than I could have ever expected from a friend.

Take care,

Amber x

The part which got me deep in the gut most was the part about us being friends. What she could have expected froma friend. We were more than that and she knew it. That kiss, however quick it had been, proved that. Maybe that was the problem, the damn kiss. I knew I shouldn’t have done it, even if it only lasted seconds. But friends? Really?

I groaned and flopped onto the bed, lying back with my feet on the floor. “Who am I kidding?” I muttered. “She’s fucking married and we can only befriends.”

Grabbing a pillow, I pulled it to my face and inhaled. It smelled of Amber and it made my stomach flip—in a good way. God, I was being an utter and total prat. We were friends, Amber was married, she didn’t need any complications and there was no way how I felt about her could go anywhere.

Not sure how long I lay there, I was surprised when I heard ringing. Scrambling to my feet I looked around the room trying to remember where I threw my phone. After a few seconds I spotted it on the dressing table and dived for it.

“Amber?”

“No, love, it’s me.”

“Ali,” I sighed.

“Sorry I’m not the person you were hoping that I’d be.”

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I moved back to the bed and sat on the edge of the mattress. “Sorry, Al, it’s just she left and only let me know with a note.”

“I know. That’s why I’m calling.”

“She called you. Why?”

“Because, Ronnie, love, she doesn’t want this to get complicated. And she’s right. You know that, don’t you?”

I didn’t care how complicated it got. “It isn’t.”

“Yet you’re there stressing about her moving out of your house,” she paused, “like she’s your partner.”

“I like her a lot and…” I trailed off because the words I wanted to say would make things complicated.

“Sweetheart,” Ali said softly. “I do understand but Amber is trying to do what she thinks is right.”

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