Page 79 of Rebound

I’m tempted to leap over the table and punch his lights out, but I recognize that urge as the impostor it is. I sit down and force myself to stay quiet. Amber does the same.

Drake runs his hands through his hair, and Amelia lays a calming hand on his shoulder. When he looks back up at us, sadness has replaced his anger. “Amber, you need to tell him,” he says calmly. What the fuck is he talking about? “Tell him what happened that night.”

My wife immediately pales, and her hands curl into fists. “No, Drake. It doesn’t matter. It was so long ago. It’s irrelevant now.”

“I say it is relevant,” he insists. “And if you don’t tell him, then I will. Your choice. Amelia and I are going to leave now, because frankly, I need a fucking drink. Possibly I need several. Then I’m going home with my girlfriend, and I am going to tell her I love her all night long. You two, sort your shit out.”

He grabs his coat from the back of the door and storms out. Amelia lingers behind, smiling awkwardly. “Help yourself to coffee. And he keeps a bottle of Scotch in his second desk drawer.” With that, she leaves me alone with my wife.

I have no fucking clue what’s going on, but Amber looks ready to run right after them. No fucking way. She’s not going anywhere until I find out what Drake was talking about. I stride over to the desk, find the Scotch, and grab two cups from the coffee machine. I glug in generous amounts, and shove one in her direction. She sniffs it and makes a disgusted face but swallows some down anyway. I follow suit, and the familiar warmth of the Macallan helps calm me down.

“Amber, what the hell was Drake going on about? What do you need to tell me?”

She shakes her head and bites her lip so hard she leaves an indent of her teeth in her skin. “He had no right to say that. And it really isn’t relevant.”

“What isn’t? You heard Drake—if you don’t tell me, he will. Just spit it out.”

She buries her face in her hands for a moment and emerges looking even paler. After downing the rest of her Scotch, she makes a “fill me up” gesture, and I oblige, pouring her half a cup. She picks it up and walks over to the window. It’s not yet five, but darkness has fallen.

“Doesn’t it look spectacular?” she says. “I mean, it always does, but with the Christmas lights…”

“It does,” I agree, joining her. I don’t give a shit about the view, but she clearly needs a moment. “Beautiful.”

She nods and sits on the big leather couch, staring past me at nothing in particular. “Drake is talking about something that happened years ago. I don’t want to dredge it all up. There’s nothing to be gained by that.”

I sit next to her but don’t touch her. I give her space. “Maybe that’s for me to decide. Drake certainly seems to think so anyway. Fuck, baby—things can’t get any worse, can they?”

She lets out a bitter laugh. “You shouldn’t say that, because in my experience, they always can. Okay. I don’t suppose your darling brother has left me with much choice. So, this happened at the end of October, fourteen years ago.”

I frown and put the pieces together. “When my mom was sick?” She died on the first of November.

Amber nods and sips more Scotch. “It was late, and we were staying with your parents. I went to check on her. I loved your mom so much, Elijah. You know that, don’t you?”

“I do know that,” I say, confused. “And she felt the same about you.”

Her smile is brittle. “I thought so too. You know how I grew up, what my childhood was like. What my parents were like. You know there was no love in that home. When I met you, and then your mom and your brothers, I felt like I was part of a real family for the first time ever. Like I’d finally found my place, you know? And then it all fell apart. It started that night.”

“What do you mean? I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

“I know, honey,” she says, gazing up at me with those huge, sad eyes. “That’s because I hid it from you. That night, your mom told me some home truths. She was in so much pain, taking drugs that messed with her head, but I never totally believed that was all it was about. I suppose I’ve always thought, deep down, that she meant it.”

“Meant what?” I prompt after she falls silent again.

“Meant it when she told me I never should have married you. When she told me I was broken and barren. And that the whole family resented me for what I’d done to you.”

I stare at her, seeing the tears spill down her cheeks, unable to comprehend the words she just spoke. “She said what?”

“That I was broken and shouldn’t have married you. That you were pretending you didn’t mind that I couldn’t have children.”

“No,” I murmur, casting my mind back to that terrible time in our lives. “No, she wouldn’t.” The woman I knew wasn’t capable of such cruelty.

Amber gazes up at me and stays quiet for a few moments.

“Right,” she replies gently, a defeated look on her face. “Of course, you’re right.”

She stands up and gulps down the rest of her Scotch before leaning down and kissing me on the cheek. “I need to get going. I’m sorry Drake brought this up. Like I said, ancient history. I’m sure you’re correct and I’ve simply misremembered. Look after yourself, honey, okay?”

Still too stunned by her revelation to speak, I simply stare at her until she’s gone.

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