The Summer of Bells: The Essences Saga - Book #2

Summer: Chapter 32

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Chapter Thirty-two

“What is it, Amber?”

Amber paced in front of the stairs. She stopped when I approached her. She eyed the tears still in my eyes, but didn’t say anything about them.

“It’s about Ashley,” she said. “And what happened tonight.”

I sighed heavily. “Amber, it’s okay now. Ashley’s fine. It was an accident.”

“That’s what I want to talk about,” she said quietly. She glanced at Nicole sleeping in her bed by the window. “Can we go to your room?”

“Sure.” I led the way. Amber closed my apartment door behind her.

“I don’t think it was an accident,” she blurted out.

I was too tired to argue. “What do you mean?”

Ashley took a deep breath. “I saw it happen. Seth looked right at Ashley before he knocked her into the water. I saw the look on his face. He did it on purpose.”

“Why would he do that?” I slumped into my reading chair, rubbing my temples.

“I don’t know, but he did. It was no accident.”

I breathed out steadily. “I know you’re concerned about Ashley, and feel guilty about not protecting her tonight. You think you’ve seen something to alleviate your conscience…”

“I don’t think anything,” she insisted loudly. “I know Seth did it on purpose. But for the life of me, I don’t know why. He’s been nothing but nice to me and Mae, and even to Ashley, but I saw the determination on his face before he pushed my sister over that rail.”

“Did Mae see this?”

“No,” she laughed harshly. “Mae was staring at his butt.”

“Did you mention this to Ashley?”

“Lord, no! She’d think I was crazy.”

I gave her an even look.

“You think I’m crazy, too. Don’t you?”

“No, I don’t think you’re crazy,” I said, shaking my head. “I believe you, Ashley. If you say you saw something, then you saw something.”

“What are we going to do about it?”

“I’ll talk to Nick. See if he’s noticing anything strange about Seth. Until then, let’s not upset the others, okay? It’s over, and everything is fine.”

Amber stopped and considered something. “You don’t thing he’ll try to hurt her again, do you?”

I laughed. “With you watching his every move from now on? He’ll be the crazy one to come within a hundred yards of Ashley.”

“Damn straight,” she muttered.

“Watch the mouth,” I said, but smiled to soften the blow. “Go to bed. I’ll try to talk to Nick tomorrow.”

“Okay,” she said, turning toward the door. She stopped with her hand on the knob. “Min? Thank you…for believing me.”

“You’ve never given me reason to doubt you, Amber.”

Her brown eyes misted over, and before she would let me see her cry, she fled through the kitchen and up to her room. I prepared for my own bed and rested tiredly against the pillows. I went over everything Amber said, and all that happened that night at the park, trying to push aside Silas part of my memory. I didn’t want to think about him right now.