"So imma care for you you you,
Imma care for you you you you, hey,
Coz girl perfect,
You're always worth it,
And you deserve it,
The way you work it,
Coz girl you earned it,
Coz girl you earned it." - Earned It, The Weeknd.
Picture is of Kit Kat :)
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*4 weeks later*
"Amber?" I hear James call through my closed bedroom door.
"Yeah?" I reply.
"Can I come in?" He asks.
"Sure." I agree. He opens the door cautiously and when he sees me lying on my bed he opens it fully and smiles a small smile at me. He closes the door behind him and jumps on the bed next to me. I lock my phone and flip onto my back.
"What's up?" I ask.
"I wanted to talk to you about," he trails off.
"About?"
"About what's happening with this whole situation." I sit up, crossing my legs, and look down at my hands as I begin to fiddle with them.
"Okay." I nod.
"Alright, uh, what's happening?" He asks.
"I don't know."
"Well, are you staying here with me? Or going back to your boyfriend who seems like he doesn't really care about you?" My mouth drops open a bit. He takes in a sharp breath.
"I'm sorry, that was a bit harsh."
"He cares about me." I say.
"Does he?"
"Yes."
"Wow, he's doing a really bad job of caring for you. If he cares about you why hasn't he called you or texted you or even come to find you in nearly five weeks?"
"He will come to find me. I know he will."
"Amber, I think it's fair to say that he's let you go. And it's probably for your own good. I think you should let him go too." I wince at his words. I hate him for saying those words. I hate him for saying the truth.
"I don't know if I can." I tell him.
"You can if you think really hard about it." He puts a hand on my knee and his thumb draws circles on my skin. I nod. He's right.
"Okay."
"So that's that part sorted. Second part is are you staying here?" He asks. I nod.
"If that's okay with you." I smile at him. He grins and nods.
"Sure, only thing is you need to start paying part of the grocery fee and stuff like that."
"Mortgage?"
"Nah, my parents paid that off for us." He tells me. I nod.
"Okay, sweet."
"So this weeks fee is $50."
"Yeesh, alright then." I get up and grab my purse. I take out a fifty dollar bill and hand it to him. He grins at me, pocketing the cash, and pulls me onto him by my waist. I let out a small squeal as he rolls us over so I'm on my back and he's on top of me. He straddles me and starts tickling my sides. I scream and giggle, thrashing about like a fish out of water. He chuckles as I start trying to hit and kick him. He grabs my wrists and pins them against the bed on either side of my head. He looks deep into my eyes and smiles. I smile back up at him and he kisses the top of my noes, causing shivers to run down my spine.
"Wanna go get some ice cream?" He asks. I nod quickly and he chuckles, getting off me and helping me off the bed. I slip on my flip flops and go to grab my purse but he takes my hand pulls out the fifty dollar note I gave him.
"I got you." He smirks. I shake my head, a small smile on my lips, and roll my eyes. He takes my hand as we walk out of my bedroom, down the stairs and out of the house.
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Weeks pass and I still get no calls, texts or notifications from Oli. I know I have to let him go as he has done to me.
I got a job, here in Barwon Heads. At the local surf shop, Tonik. It's such a good shop and James works there as well. I go for a morning and evening surf with James and Josh every day, and I'm a completely different person to when I first met James.
"Josh?" I call out, knowing that he's the only one home seeing as James is working.
"What is it?" He calls back.
"Josh!"
"What?" He calls, still not coming.
"JOSH!!!" I scream. I hear him stomping up the stairs. He bursts through my door looking infuriated.
"What do you want?" He asks annoyedly.
"Can you get me a glass of water? Please?" I ask in a sweet, innocent voice.
"Can you give me head? Please?" He asks, mimicking my sweet, innocent tone.
"No." I say crossing my arms.
"Then you found your answer." He turns to leave my room but I throw a pillow at him.
"Josh." I whine.
"No."
"But I'm on my period." I pout.
"Oh god, I did not need to know that." He covers his ears.
"Then get me a glass of water and my pills from my bottom drawer before I turn into your worst fucking nightmare."
"Oh my god! Fine!" He storms out of my room and comes back a minute later with a glass of water. He hands it to me with an uninterested look on his face and bends down to get my pills from my bottom drawer. Little did I remember that I kept my Victoria's Secret lingerie down in that drawer. He pulls it out and smirks at me.
"Who have you been fucking behind our backs?" He asks, holding the lacy black and red bra suit thing against his chest. I scowl at him.
"No one, and put it back! Get my pills before I kill you!" I yell, cramps all of a sudden flaring in my stomach. "Ugh! Satan is fucking inside me." I groan. "I swear it's like a waterfall down there."
"Jesus Christ, can you please stop." He asks, shoving the pills into my hand. I smile sweetly.
"Thank you." I sing.
"Whatever." He leaves and I take a swig of water and pop a pill into my mouth, tilting my head back to swallow it. I guzzle the rest of the water and turn my phone back on. I stare at Oli's contact. His number blue with a little star next to it because it's in my favourites. I unfavourite it and lock my phone. I'm so freaking pissed. I thought he cared about me. I thought he loved me. Why is he not worrying about me?
Oli's P.O.V
I AM SO WORRIED ABOUT HER! I don't know what to do anymore. I couldn't track her phone from that call I made and I have no lead as to here she might have gone and I have no idea as to who she may have possibly met. She could've been raped or being raped as we speak.
I look out over the city, looking at the people walking on the sidewalks, looking like ants. I want to jump off this building. I need to punch something. I punch the metal air-conditioner duct and dent the metal. I also break my hand. Well at least it feels like it. I let out a yell and nurse my bleeding hand to my chest. I run to wards the edge of the building and jump onto the ledge. I stand with my feet shoulder width apart, take the biggest breath I have ever taken and scream louder then I have ever yelled in my life. A few people yell out their windows at me and some people on the ground look up at me and point but I don't care. I want my girl back. I need her. Without her I'm going to fall apart. I stopped my addictions for her. I miss my Cosy Girl.
I jump back down and as I open the door that I came through to get on the roof, a security guard bursts through and grabs my upper arm.
"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." He tells me in a deep, stern voice.
"I was just about to." I say, wrenching my arm out of his strong grip. I plodded down the stairs to the ground floor and proceeded to walk out of the hotel.
I've been to countless police officers, trying to get them to help me. But they brush it off like its nothing no tell me that she'll come back eventually. I've also tried to hire PI's but they're so expensive! I don't bother to text or call her, because I know the sad truth, that she won't reply to me. I haven't tried contacting her through social media because I'm pretty sure she's unfriended me on ever social media platform I have.
I'm scared. I'm so so scared.
I just shake my head and frown to myself and begin walking.
Amber's P.O.V
I close the front door behind me and am pulled straight into a hug. I can tell it's a girl because she has boobs, long hair and smells like Katy Perry's Mad Potion fragrance. I stand there awkwardly and let them pull away slightly, only for me to see their face. She grins at me.
"Hi!" She says excitedly.
"Kit Kat, please release my friend. No one gets to hug her before I do." James' voice says. Kit Kat releases me from the hug and takes a step back.
"Too late Jimmy!" She laughs, running up stairs and disappearing into the spare room next to mine.
"Jimmy?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. He shakes his head with a small laugh.
"That's my sister, Kate. But call her Kit Kat. She doesn't like the name Kate." He laughs.
"No wonder she looked like you and I'll keep that in mind." I chuckle. He holds his arms out. I walk into them and he wraps them around me. I hug him back.
"How was work?" He asks.
"It was pretty chilled today, even with the sale on. Oh! But I got paid." I say,,smiling and pulling a check out of my pocket.
"Nice." He grins. "Hey, when did you say your birthday was?"
"In a month." I lie.
"You're lying." He says.
"No I'm not." I lie again.
"You so are!" He exclaims. "Amber I have lived with you long enough to figure out that when you lie you put on a face like you're trying to suppress a smile and you make unnecessary eye contact." I roll my eyes at the truth.
"Fine. It's on Friday." I tell him. He grins.
"I've got a few surprises planned for you."
"Uh-oh. I don't know whether that's good or bad."
"Let's just say it'll be fun." He has a devious grin playing on his lips that I stare way too long at and clear my throat, stepping back from our hug.
"I'm going to go up stairs and get changed into something lighter." I say to break the comfortable silence we both fell into. He nods and smacks my ass as I walk away from him. I turn back to him with a playful glare on my face and he smirks, winking. My heart flutters. I shake it off and jog up the stairs to my room as I'm about to open my door, Kit Kat comes out of her room.
"Hey!" She exclaims, grinning and hugging me. "I'm Kit Kat and I'm so glad to finally meet you!" She pulls away from the hug and I take in her messy long blonde hair that looks so amazing messy I'm jealous. Her gorgeous blue eyes that are nearly fluorescent blue. Her straight white teeth that she shows all the time as she can't stop smiling. The two dimples in her cheeks. Her sun kissed skin that compliments her eyes and hair and teeth. Her perfect proportioned face is cute. She could be a model.
"Hi, I'm Amber and I'm happy to meet you, even though I had no idea James had a sister." I say.
"And an older brother." She adds.
"Are you the youngest?" I ask. She nods, smiling.
"Well it's so nice to meet you."
"Do you wanna get ice cream and walk along the beach and possibly go for a swim seeing as it's stinking hot?"
"Sure. I'll quickly get changed and I'll be right downstairs."
"Alrighty them. See you down there." I smile at her and enter my room. I shake my head, the smile still on my lips as I admire her bubbly, cute, funny personality. I close the door behind me and quickly strip off. I get into my bikini and put a white flowy spaghetti strap dress on. I grab my purse and phone and exit my room, only to walk straight into a hard muscly chest. I look up to see a shirtless Josh in just his boardies.
"Hey beautiful." He smirks, his hand snaking around my waist and resting at the small of my back. I push him away and walk down the stairs. Kit Kat is waiting by the front door. She smiles at me and looks to the top of the stairs where Josh is resting against the railing looking down at us. He winks at us and she blushes had. My eyes widen at her and she quickly opens the door and pulls me out, shutting it behind us. She links her arm with mine as we walk down to the ice cream shop chatting about anything and everything. We get our ice creams, hers salted caramel and chocolate and mine toffee apple and chocolate, and then we walk along the beach.
"Um, so what's the deal with Josh?" I ask. She looks at me, hesitating.
"What about him?" She says in a casual tone, that's a bit higher then usual.
"Oh, come on, don't pretend like you don't like him. It's so obvious!"
"I don't like him!" She shoves me lightly and blushing intensely.
"You're blushing! Ok, I'm going to ask you seriously," I pause, meeting her blue eyes with mine, "do you like him?" She hesitates, an excited smile playing on her lips.
"You do!" I exclaim.
"Ok! Maybe I do!" She finally admits and I let out a squeal making a few people look at us that just makes me and her burst into laughter. "But he doesn't like me." She says with a bit of a sad smile.
"Bullshit!" She smacks my arm. "Ow!"
"You are not to swear in the presence of me." She states.
"Ok, ok," I chuckle, "but he so does. How could he not? You're gorgeous."
"Thank you, but there's also the fact that he's a huge player."
"True, but you could change him. He's like Chuck Bas, a player at first, but then with the magic three words of 'I Love You' he changes."
"How are you so right?" She laughs.
"I just want to help you, Kit Kat."
"Well thank you very much, Amber."
"It's not a problem." I reply.
"So what about you and my brother?" She asks, looking at me with a knowing grin.
"I don't know."
"He doesn't shut up about you." Now it's my turn to blush.
"What does he say?"
"How amazing you are. How beautiful you are. How funny you are. How sexy, naughty, gorgeous, and so much more, you are." I smile at the sand. "But most of all, how jealous he is of your boyfriend."
"Yeah, well I'm pretty sure that I'm not with him anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"I ran away from him about a month and a bit ago because I needed space and where I was living just had too many bad memories. Anyway, he hasn't tried to find me, let alone call me or text me." I explain. "Nothing."
"Oh. Sorry."
"It's absolutely fine. Obviously he's let me go and I need to let him go, and your brother seems like the right person." I tell her. "You don't mind do you?"
"Of course not! I love you so much!"
"Good. I love you too, Kit Kat." I smile, linking arms with her. I look out towards the ocean.
"Do you wanna go in?" I ask. A grin breaks across her face and in a split second she has stripped off her dress, shoes and sunnies and is sprinting towards the crashing waves. I'm quick to follow and we prance through the water, jumping over the waves and falling over, the cool water relieving the uncomfortable stickiness of the sweltering hot day.
After swimming for an hour and a bit, we head back to the house, as the sun starts setting, and jump into the showers. I quickly get out of the shower, dry my hair and get into one of Ryan's t-shirts that is oversized on my small body and a pair of his boxers. I walk down the stairs and plop onto the couch next to James who is layer across most of the couch. He looks at my clothes.
"Why are wearing guys boxers and a guys shirt? Are they your boyfriends?" He asks in a jealous tone.
"No, they're my dead brothers." I snap. His jealous facial expression softens and he looks down at his hands.
"I'm so sorry."
"No, it's fine, sorry I snapped."
"Don't worry about it, gorgeous." He grins. "C'mere." I crawl to the side of him and rest my head on his arm, draping am arm over his stomach. We fall into a comfortable silence and I'm so tired that I could fall asleep listening to his even breaths and his heart beat.
"I got you an early birthday present." He tells me, in a quiet voice that tells me he's tired as well.
"It can wait till tomorrow." I say, my eyes closing from drowsiness.
"Ok, baby." He replies. And we both drift off to sleep on the couch.
I wake the next morning in my bed and am disappointed when I roll over to find that the other side of my bed doesn't contain James. I shrug and pull my covers off, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and standing up, stretching up onto my tippy toes. All of a sudden the door bursts open and a blur of white and blonde and black tackles me onto the bed and starts kissing my cheeks and neck and head and face. I laugh and hug Kit Kat back.
"Good morning Kit Kat." I say in a cheerful voice.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" She yells extremely loud that I think the whole town just got disturbed.
"My birthday isn't until Friday." I laugh.
"It is Friday silly!" She exclaims.
"Seriously?" She nods. I grab my phone and check the date. Sure enough it's Friday the 14th of December. My 18th birthday.
Mac isn't here to wish me happy birthday.
Neither is Ryan.
Or my mum.
Or Oli.
Or even my dad.
I give a sad smile to my lock screen which is a picture of me and Mac hugging and smiling at the camera. I open my phone and look at my background photo of Ryan and I hugging and laughing. I miss them so much.
"Why are you sad? This is supposed to be a happy day." Kit Kat says in a worried voice as she plops next to me. I hand her my phone.
"That's a picture of my brother and I. He was in a car accident and was killed. I just wish he was here to wish me happy birthday."
"He has blonde hair, you have black hair. How does that work?"
"Hair dye, silly." I laugh halfheartedly.
"Ohhh." I lock my phone and show her the picture of Mac and I.
"And that's my best friend who was involved in the car accident that killed Ryan. I miss him so much."
"He was part of that amazing band! The Screaming Roses."
"Yeah." I say with a ghost of a smile.
"I'm sorry, Amby."
"It's fine. It's not your fault." I smile knowingly. She hugs me tightly and kisses my cheek.
"Let's not think or talk about this anymore because it'll just make you sadder and we don't want that on your birthday." She exclaims.
"Ok!" I exclaim, perking up.
"I made you pancakes." She grins.
"You are the best." I say. She takes my hand and leads me out of my room, down the stairs where the boys are watching TV. James jumps to his feet when he sees me, a huge grin on his face. He's in a white tank top and grey and yellow boardies.
"Happy birthday, beautiful!" He exclaims, pulling me into a big long hug.
"Thank you, James." I reply. Josh stands and approaches me. He hugs me and it's actually a g-rated hug. I return the hug.
"Happy birthday, Amber." He smiles.
"Thank you Josh." I say, smiling back at him. Kit Kat grabs my hand and leads me to the island bench in the kitchen. She puts out a plate for me and the two boys and puts two pancakes onto each of our plates. I drizzle melted Nutella over my pancakes and put a scoop of ice cream on top of it. As we start eating, we make light chat, laughing and joking about random things.
"I came down from my room to grab dinner, and found you two," Kits Kat gestures to James and I, "asleep on the couch." Kit Kat smiles. I blush lightly while James chuckles and I feel his hand on my thigh, his thumb tracing circles on my lightly sun kissed skin.
"We were both so tired." James admits for both of us. I nod and finish my last bite of my pancakes. My eyes widen as his hand creeps higher up my leg. I leave it for a moment, trusting he won't go any higher, but he does and I jump off my seat.
"What wrong?" Kit Kat asks, a panicked expression on her face. I look at her for a moment, trying to find something to explain why I jumped off my seat, but a grey-brown fluffball on the kitchen counter behind her takes my attention and makes me scream and point. Kit Kat turns and squeals, jumping away from it. Josh jumps off his seat and backs away. James too. I laugh, but stop immediately as it jumps onto the ground and starts running towards us. I squeal louder and run into the couch.
"Kill it!" Josh yells.
"I'm not going near it! You kill it!" James shoots back.
"No! Don't kill the mouse! Just... catch it and put it far from our house!" Kit Kat exclaims.
"That is not a mouse! It's a rat!" I shout. Everyone falls into a nervous silence. I look around the room at everyone. Kit Kat is next to me looking extremely worried and scared. Josh is halfway up the stairs. And James is standing on the island bench. I laugh nervously and so does everyone else.
"Where'd it go?" I whisper.
"I don't know." James replies. All of a sudden it comes running out from underneath the couch. Kit Kat and I scream and squeal and jump off the couch. I run to James while screaming, "how the hell did it get under the couch?", while Kit Kat runs into Josh's arms. I hoist myself onto the bench and James helps me stand. He laughs and kisses the top of my head.
"Ok. I have devised a plan." Josh states. "I am going to be a man, catch the rat or mouse and put it outside." We all burst out laughing.
"Good luck!" I laugh.
"I will do it."
"I'm sure you will." James says, chucking him a plastic cup.
"While you're doing that, I'm going to take the birthday girl for a surf. Kit Kat, do you wanna come?"
"No, I think I'll just hang around the house or go to the Main Street." James nods and takes my hand. We jump off the bench and run past Kit Kat and Josh. I wink at Kit Kat and she blushes. I pull him into my room and he shuts the door behind us. I grab my bikini and go into the bathroom, shutting the door.
"So, can I give the short board a go today?" I ask, taking off my top and boxers.
"Yeah, if you want." James replies. I put on my bikini bottoms and slip the top over my head but struggle to do up the back of it.
"Cool." I open the bathroom door and walk to James who is sitting on my bed. "Can you do me up?" I ask, moving my black hair to one side.
"Sure." His warm hands take the strings from my hands and he begins to do it up. "Double knot?"
"Yes please." He ties a double knot and when he's done, he rests his hands on my hips. I feel his breath fan my bare neck and he presses his body against mine, and I straighten, tensing up. His lips touch my skin and I shiver, goosebumps appearing on my skin. My breathing hitches in my throat as he sucks softly on the skin, and I tilt my head to the side more so he can access my neck better.
"Wait," I say, pulling away from his warm body, "I'm not ready for this yet." I whisper.
"It's ok." He says. "I'll wait." I nod and wrap my arms around his neck, hugging him. His arms encircle my waist and he hugs me back.
"Let's get going, shall we?" He asks, holding out his arm for me to link with his. I slip on my white dress and thongs and link arms with him.
"We shall." I grin and we walk out of my room, to the board room, grabbing two short boards and heading out the door.