Emeralds- revised

Chapter 4

Whatever wave of emotion cradled me the night before, hadn't decided to let me go yet. I lay on my bed Sunday morning swathed in my black comforter.

"Amber?" my gram pushed through the door with a tray.
"Yeah?" I asked pushing myself up onto my elbows.
"Oh dear, are you alright? You weren't at breakfast..."
"I'm sorry, Gram, I was thinking."

"About what?"
"About last night."
"Oh, you mean about your date?"

"It wasn't a date, Gram!" She sat down on the edge of the bed and set the tray onto my nightstand.
"Amber...I hate to break it to you, but that was a date."
"It was not."

"Mm, I'm afraid that it was."
"Gram, he took me as a friend of his sister's."
"He picked you up in his car."
"It was a truck, Gram."

"Exactly my point, Amber. A boy invited you to a family picnic."
"His sister invited me."
"Whatever the case may be, a boy-a very good looking one if ever I saw one-came to this very house and formally introduced himself to us, proceeded to drive you to his parents' house, and then brought you home. Besides, I saw you two playing lip-lock, honey, you have to accept the fact that you went on a date." She winked at me so I playfully smacked her with my pillow.

"Gram! That's so not funny!"
"I found it pretty amusing."

"Fine. It was a date." And then we were laughing. The doorbell rang suddenly cutting us off. Gramps called back the hall.
"For you, Amber." I heard him chuckle. Gram busted out laughing when I fell off of my bed trying to find decent clothes that weren't pajamas.
"Oh, just go see him, dear! You're decent already." I rolled my eyes but nodded. My shorts reached the middle of my thighs and my tank top covered everything.
"There she is," he said. I hadn't thought to check my hair. I had thrown it up into a bun the night before, so I was positive it would look terrible.
"Jeremiah. Why are you here?" I asked shivering from the cool air radiating off of him.
"I came to apologize. I'm sorry that you were uncomfortable at the picnic last night. Could we talk?"

"No, we can't." He waved a finger in the air.

"Agree to disagree, for if that were true, our vocal chords wouldn't work, now would they?" He slipped his hands into his pockets.

"You know that that's not what I meant."

"Yes, I suppose."

"Yeah..."
"Well, I assume you're not going to be busy today?" I held my left arm with my right hand and rubbed the goose bumps off. I didn't really want to go, all things considered. I shook my head and bit my lip.
"What are you afraid of?" he asked me.
"Nothing...just that, well, today isn't going to work out for me. I, uh, have to...wash my cat..." I stumbled over words like an idiot. He raised an eyebrow.

"Cats typically detest water."

"Uh huh, that's why it's going to take so long," I stated flatly.
"Can we take a moment to realize that you do not in fact have a cat?" I bit my lip. Crap, I thought, how did hedo that?
"Yep! That's just it! I, er, have to go adopt one, so I'd best be on my way! See you later!" I kicked on a pair of flip-flops and walked out the front door, passing Jeremiah and receiving a cold chill as I did so. I mentally slapped myself as I realized it was freezing cold outside, but I kept walking anyway. I rubbed my arms to warm them when something even colder than the air took ahold of my arm. I whipped around to see Jeremiah holding my arm. I pulled away from his cold touch. He grabbed my wrist when I started to walk again, but I slapped at his hand and he retreated, rolling his eyes at me. Within the next few seconds I was hoisted up into the air and one freezing hand was on my back, the other under my knees. I barely even moved as Jeremiah carried me back to the house, but that doesn't mean I didn't fight off his grasp, well, try. I pushed at his arms and wriggled away from his body, but his arms still held me tightly to his chest and I was defenseless. I huffed out a puff of air and crossed my arms.

He leaned against the hood of his truck, me still in his arms.
"Ya mind?" I asked.

"Nope, why, do you?" He chuckled.
"Ya think?" I looked away from his perfect face (which was very difficult by the way) and stared at my house.

"If only my arms were working properly." He laughed to himself.
"Oh you find yourself very amusing, don't you?" I said mockingly.
"Yes actually, I do. I typically only find myself amusing because I'm so blinded by my humor." I wriggled in his arms. I was tiny compared to him. "Problem?"

"Yes," I pouted.
"And just what would that be, my young peach?" I crossed my arms again.
"I really wanted a cat." I thought for a moment. "Did you just call me a 'young peach'?"
"Yes I did."
"Uh, could you explain?"

"I love peaches. They're the best existing fruit, so I consider anything I like a young peach."

"Thanks...?"

"Oh, you're welcome. You should be flattered."

"Flattery is a fool's form of deception."
"Right you are young peach, learning as well." He tapped my nose.
"That's a first."
"What is?"
"Being compared to a fruit."
"Well, I find you very...appealing...no pun intended."
"I think that was intended, Mr. Keely."
"I feel as though it may have been, Ms. Graby."

"Don't say that, it makes me sound old!"
"You've got a lot to learn about age, my dear."

And that's how it started. We became best friends.

XXX

"What do you mean you aren't sure you enjoy his company, Amber?" Gram sipped at the black coffee she was drinking in the café after I got out of school on Tuesday, two months after I met Jeremiah.
"He's so perfect, Gram!" I rested my chin on my hand and sighed. Gram coughed before speaking.
"Well don't you like him?"

"Of course! But it's all the...attention...!" I hissed the word and sipped at my latte.

"Honey, oh, you've got to understand that as long as you two are happy, nobody else's opinions should matter! Except Gramps and mine, including his parents, but so far, neither side has any complaints." She winked at me.
"Yeah, I know, but-"

"But nothing, dear."

"You make it sound like he and I are dating, which, may I point out, we are not. Besides...every girl is trying to befriend me to get to him. We're just friends, so it's not like I have some claim on him."
"That's the way girls are, though, Amber. They're catty, but you're not. They all want a taste of the 'bad boy'. Sweetie, did Officer Keely tell you about Jeremiah's past?"

"Sure, and I know he fixed all of that, but I'm still afraid."

"Of what? The boy seems like a nice kid."

"Gram, I'm afraid I'm going to get hurt. Terrible things happen in threes, you said so yourself. First mom and dad, then April...I don't know what's going to happen next."
"Darling, if that boy ever and I mean ever makes you cry, he better hold every tear you cry in the palm of his hands so he can see what he did! That way he'll know never to do it again so he won't have to see you cry again, are we clear?"
"Yes, Gram," But I was still worried about the third thing.