Jealous Storm by Jack Stroke (book recommendations .txt) 📕

“Me acting like a child? You don’t know what he’s like. Not really.”

“No, but I know what you are like… Ellis is here to stay, Amber, whether you like it or not, that is what’s happening. Deal with it or make some other arrangement.”

Joan stepped back inside, her last comment hanging heavily in the air.

41

Nineteen years earlier

Once again, Amber was in her car six months on from the incident with Ellis’ phantom ‘sister’ and all that rubbish, a new speech ready to deliver to Megan. Things had never been worse between the childhood friends. They had always fought, ever since they were little girls, although that was more like bickering. The way sisters do, all forgotten five minutes later.

Except, Ellis, that stupid Ellis, had changed the dynamic completely. Now all Amber and Megan did was fight, and nothing was ever forgotten.

Things might have been different if Megan and Ellis were a decent couple. But they weren’t.

On his own, Ellis was awful. Sure, people would say Amber was biased and she probably was. Didn’t mean it wasn’t true. He was a horrible sleaze, drooling over anything in a skirt. Megan saw it too, but she wouldn’t hear it. Not from Amber at least.

And as a duo, Ellis and Megan were toxic. They fought constantly. Big, horrible screaming matches, especially when they’d had a few drinks. It didn’t matter where they were, at a party or whatever, there was no sense of being on their best behaviour in public or anything like that. Megan and Ellis would just start yelling, no matter how uncomfortable it made everybody around them.

After the sister/stalking incident, Amber had tried. She really had. She laid low and kept her mouth shut. Ellis and Megan couldn’t last, could they? They were the couple from hell. They would break up, much to Amber’s delight and then get back together before she knew it. Was it possible she was keeping them together on some level? Megan keeping the relationship artificially alive to spite Amber?

In time, Amber decided she’d had enough. No one incident prompted her decision, just an overall crappiness of the situation. Ellis was a cancer. It was time to cut him out. An intervention of sorts. Lay it all on the line. Make it clear to Megan she had to choose. It was her or Ellis. And if Megan chose Ellis? Well, surely she wouldn’t.

Once again, Amber practised her speech in her head beforehand. All the things she wanted to say, not just about Ellis, but about how much she missed her best friend. How she didn’t want to lose that.

Amber climbed out of the car, aware the next few minutes could change everything. It did, just not in the way she was anticipating.

“Amber,” Joan said. “It’s so good you’re here.”

Joan smothered her with a great big hug. She hadn’t even made it through the front door. Amber hugged back, baffled. She got on well with Joan, yet this was a little over the top.

“Come in, come in.”

The lounge was crowded. Pablo and Megan and Ellis and two people Amber had never seen before. Older. Joan and Pablo’s age. Everybody had champagne.

“Look who’s here. Pablo, another glass. Amber, do you know Dale and Mary? Ellis’ parents?”

“No…”

They shook hands, Amber numb.

“Champagne?” she blurted out as Pablo handed her a glass. “What’s going on?”

“We’re toasting the happy couple.”

Megan stuck out her hand, showing a gaudy yet presumably cheap ring. Oh no. Amber hugged her friend, no feeling in her body.

“Congratulations.” She did her best to smile. It’s just that her face didn’t seem to want to work.

Sometime later Dale offered to take everyone out to dinner. Amber politely declined, not sure if she was actually invited anyway. Joan hung back too, making up a lie so she could stay and have a chat with Amber.

“Married? This is a disaster.”

“Amber…”

“Come on, Joan. Ellis would hardly be your first choice either, would he?” Amber felt on solid ground with Joan. “I mean, how many times have we complained about Ellis? Said how Megan would be better off without him?”

Joan merely smiled blankly as they tidied up.

“And they are so young. Too young. Way too young. What is she thinking?”

“Amber…”

“I mean, come on, Ellis…”

“Amber, you know we love you, but it’s time to stop all of this silliness.”

“Silliness?”

“Megan has made her choice.”

“Yeah, but come on, Joan.”

“Amber. Enough. You’ve been acting like this ever since that incident with his sister…”

“That wasn’t his sister, Joan. He doesn’t have a sister. Did you see any sister here today?”

“Amber, please. This is precisely what I’m talking about. I understand you don’t like him.”

“Nobody likes him. You don’t like him. Megan doesn’t even like him.”

“Megan has made her choice.”

“But Joan —”

Joan put both hands on Amber’s arms. “You need to listen to me. You’re probably too young to understand this —”

She pulled the face. “Joan, I’m not some kid. I’m twenty-one.”

“People make choices in their lives. Other people’s choices are none of our business. We can advise what we think is best, but in the end they have to be left to make mistakes for themselves. If you try and fight it, all you’ll do is drive a wedge between them and yourself.”

Amber broke free and circled the room, collecting glasses. “I get that.”

“Do you?”

“Yeah. But it’s not like she has to marry Ellis.”

Oddly, Joan said nothing. Amber picked up Megan’s glass. Little bits of pulp lined the inside. Pulp? Since when did champagne have pulp?

The realisation almost took out Amber’s knees. Pulp. Megan hadn’t been drinking champagne. She’d had orange juice. When did Megan ever turn down champagne? Horror engulfed Amber. She spun about.

“She’s pregnant?”

Joan’s smile was patient. “Like I said, Megan has made her choice, Amber. Best we can do now is support her.”

42

Amber found Vaughan sitting on his boat, enjoying the sea air.

“Hey, kid.”

“Permission to come aboard?”

“Permission granted. What’s with the bag?”

Amber’s bag made a hefty thud as it hit the deck. “That is all my worldly possessions.”

“Okay.”

“Let’s