Page 53 of Cups of You

Girl, if you don’t stop lying to yourself.

She shrugged the shirt on proud of not having gotten any makeup on it. A quick fluff of her hair, and she was making her way down the stairs. She could hear Benjamin and Jackie talking the warmth in their tones clear as day. It was so unlike how Jackie sounded the few times she had spoken to Josiah and Amber was surprised that she had never noticed it before.

Her aunt had always been unfailingly polite to Josiah the few times she came to visit them in Chicago, but there was none of her familiar warmth that Amber could now feel in her voice as Jackie and Benjamin talked.

There were so many red flags that she had missed and some she probably fully ignored, and for what? To be a so-called power couple? It made her wonder what else she had been lying to herself about.

“Sorry about that,” Amber said as she reached the bottom of the steps. She grabbed her light jacket from the coat hook and slipped it on. “I’m ready to go.”

Her eyes widened when she looked up. In the month since coming back to town, Benjamin’s beard had grown until it was a thick thing that made Amber want to reach out and pet. He was wearing those damn jeans that still made her want to squeeze but tonight his broad shoulders were covered in buttery-looking black leather. Whoever had chosen Benjamin’s clothes knew what the fuck they were doing, and Amber wasn’t sure whether to curse them out or thank them for doing this to her.

He held out a hand. “Great. I figured I would drive this time if that’s okay?”

“Such a sweet boy,” Jackie said patting his cheek. “You two kids have fun and be safe.”

Amber nodded as she moved towards him. His hand brushed the small of her back as he opened the door and Amber wasn’t fast enough to suppress her shiver. His unique scent of roasted coffee beans and spice had her head spinning. She looked over at her aunt.

“You sure you don’t want to come with us auntie?”

“Yeah, Ms. Jay. We really don’t mind.”

Jackie took a step back and waved them away. “Absolutely not. I have no desire to hobble after you two when I have a perfectly good couch at home.”

Amber rolled her eyes realizing where she got her dramatics from. “You wouldn’t be hobbling after us auntie, we’re just going to a drive-in theater.”

“Go.” Jackie pushed Benjamin’s shoulder. “Get her out of my hair before she drives me batty.”

The push had Benjamin’s chest brushing against Amber’s back and she could feel the rumble of his laughter as he let himself be moved. When a large hand curled around her hip, she almost forgot how to use her damn legs. The warmth from that hand was like a brand and she swore she could feel it even through the layers of fabric between them.

Amber moved down the stairs. She absentmindedly called out her goodbyes to Jackie. She startled back to attention when she felt a rush of air brush past her and Benjamin opened the passenger-side door of his SUV. She raised an eyebrow.

“You don’t have to open the door for me.”

He shrugged. “I know, but I like to.” When she didn’t respond, his smile slipped a little. “I mean, I can stop if you want me to. I know you can—”

“No,” she cut him off before he could fully apologize. “No, it’s okay. I’m just not used to it, that’s all.” Amber slid into the seat and once again wondered if agreeing to see a movie alone was a good idea.

It had been an idea thrown out casually during another dinner with Benjamin, Randy, and Sam. Olivia had been there this time though she was quieter than Amber remembered her being the first time she met her at the café and had retreated up to her room after dinner. Benjamin had gone up after her and Amber worried that maybe her presence was too much too soon even as a friend, but when Benjamin had come down, he had shrugged and said she was talking to her girlfriend.

When weekend plans had been brought up, Sam and Randy mentioned the drive-in movie being shown tonight and how they wanted to go.

Benjamin had invited Amber, and she had jumped at the chance to do something that kept her mind off of the rest of her life. But that afternoon, Randy had cancelled. Sam had been having false contractions, but they still didn’t want to risk being out a ways away from the hospital just in case when she was so close to her due date. Amber couldn’t blame them for being concerned.

In the weeks since meeting them, she had grown to enjoy Sam’s teasing nature as it fit so smoothly with Amber’s own sarcastic default. It was also fun to watch Sam scandalize the men who, even with knowing her, seem shocked when something raunchy came out of her mouth.

Benjamin’s blushing may not happen as often as it had when Amber first met him, but she still enjoyed seeing the flush of color spread underneath his freckles.

“Two months back down south and still not used to men opening doors for you?” He teased as he pulled out of Jackie’s driveway. His smile was open, and Amber let herself bask in it as the waning sun brushed over them with a magenta hue. “Those Yanks didn’t treat you right, did they?”

She rolled her eyes. “Those Yanks were just fine.” Smiling was the norm now and Amber knew she would eventually have the same laugh lines her aunt had right around the corners of her lips. “Despite popular belief, women can open doors.”

Benjamin’s laugh was warm and robust filling the car and wrapping around Amber like the softest blanket. “Oh, trust me, I believe it. Open doors. Open jars unless they are pickle jars and then they need to call their favorite barista to handle that.”

“That was one time.”

“Twice.”

“Fine, twice.” Amber shook her head at Benjamin’s grin.

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