Pacifier

Amber

Amber Riley was never one for games. So when her father proposed a nuptial between her and the infamous Corey Barrick, she had to wonder what was in it for him. Nonetheless, as she sat in her contemporary decorated living room, she heard herself agreeing with the arrangement. Maybe it was because a wedding meant that her dad would have to give her his full attention as she planed the perfect fairy tale, attention that young Amber never got as a child.

Ambers father had always been distant. Even when they were only separated by the familiar walls of their own home. Amber always felt like a bother after her brother died. Sometimes Amber would wonder if eight years was long enough to stop grieving for a relative and move on, and then she immediately felt guilty for ever thinking that she deserved even a piece of the love that her father gave to Roman.

No, a marriage had not been what Amber wanted at all. Until now.

--

"How long do you think they'll be in there?" Mel asked after a while. Corey and who she now knew as Amber had been in his bedroom with the door shut for over an hour, as the other three waited anxiously in the living room.

"I don't know." Thomas shrugged. He seemed to be enjoying this a little too much. Even so, he instinctively put his arm around Mel. "It'll be alright Mel. No matter how hard it gets for us, it will always end up alright."

Mel nodded while Damien tried not to gag. After all, what kind of advice was that. Damien knew a lot more about this situation than he was willing to confess at this point and time though. Mainly because he didn't want to have Mel blame him even more than she already did for their predicament.

Meanwhile in the other room, Corey's limits were being pushed further and further by his almost lover Amber.

"Look, at the end of the day you needed my family's help to get you out of this. Yes my dad told me how your cousin killed that guy... how you killed a guy."

Corey opened his mouth to protest but Amber shut him down.

"It's too late Corey. You're too late. Maybe you could have fixed this but the truth is that your dad and mine did."

"My dad wants me to marry you that bad?" Corey frowned sitting on his bed, his head in his hands.

"Don't say that like it's some heavy burden. I'm a fucking catch Corey! And things could be worse, you could be marrying that little black girl in there. Instead your family becomes mine. No one will stop us."

Corey stood up and towered over the lanky woman with the pale hair who stood beside him, "Don't you fucking dare talk about her like that Amber I swear to-"

"I'm only joking love. Anyways I've got to go, I have a million things to plan before this wedding. If you need me give me a ring. Oh and get out of this flat you're looking a little Edward Cullin." She chirped giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Amber.." he spoke.

"Yes?"

"What's in it for you?" He inquired. After all, no one did anything in this life without a personal gain. At least that's what Corey believed.

"What?" She asked confused.

"This marriage. You don't love me, and I definitely don't love you. So what's in it for you?"

Amber sighed. She wanted to scream to Corey that maybe if she had this wedding her Dad would gain a new son and move on. Finally showing her the love that she's been craving for, for so long. But she couldn't bring herself to mention her brother, not like this.

"I don't want to upset my father Corey, I thought you of all people would understand. And I do love you." She lied, and with that she was gone. Amber never left anywhere untouched by her misery.

--

"Melody can I talk to you?" Corey called from the door way of his bedroom. Suddenly Mel's legs felt like jelly, as if any minute now she would seep through the floor and create a house of wax. Especially since just two minutes ago she watched as an all too cheery Amber hopped out the front door.

Mel turned to Thomas, in fear. Too afraid at what awaited her in Corey's room. Afraid of what Corey could say. He could say that it's over. That he never really liked her that much anyway. That she was just some 'fear of being married', fling that Corey found himself falling for. She was afraid that Corey would say that whatever they had was over now. Finished.

"You can say no." Thomas whispered soothingly in her ear and she felt selfish again as she found herself walking to Corey and into his bedroom.

"I'm sorry." Corey breathed once the door was closed behind her and Mel tried not to cry. Good conversations never began with those two words.

"When my dad died, I didn't cry. Not once. Thomas thought I was broken. That maybe something was wrong with me. Because I cried when he was sick, I cried when he didn't come home, hell I even cried when he'd call me on the phone. But not once when he died. Why is that?"

"I don't know." Corey admitted solumly.

"I don't know either Corey but when I'm around you I cry everyday."

"I'm sorry." Corey repeated.

"Are you going to marry her?"

"I think you should go back to Birmingham. You and Thomas while I figure things out."

Mel stayed quiet but Corey continued. "We don't have to hide anymore. Ambers dad and mine came to some agreement. They'd fix my mess if I married her. I'm going to see my dad tomorrow, I'm going to try and fix this."

"All you ever do is try and fix things but you never actually do! I thought you cared about me..."

"I do."

"Then prove it." Mel whispered before rejoining the boys in the living room. She shot a sad glare at her best friend, ignoring the familiar pair of eyes burning a hole in her back. "Thomas we're going."

"What?" Thomas and Damien questioned simultaneously.

"I can't stay here anymore."

--

"Will I see you again?"

"I don't know, you seem pretty occupied." Damien admitted looking at his watch. The train would be here any minute now and yet Thomas refused to go inside the station. Not yet anyway.

"I want to see you again." Thomas admitted innocently. His soft eyes beginning to water.

"Okay." Damien breathed almost giving Thomas a small smile. A part of him felt kind of happy that someone besides his little sister would miss him. Thomas pulled him in for a tight hug. "I'm always a ring away." 

- -

The ride on the train was a silent one. Mel didn't even read her book, after all she had only been borrowing Reba's copy. It wasn't hers, and suddenly she realized, neither was Corey.