05 March 2012

Amber's Advocate

Chapter Two

Broken


Amber was afraid.

She may have come across as strong-willed and feisty but deep down, she was broken.  And it was only now, after moving continents that she was finally able to put the pieces back together.  She was mighty glad that Millie had taken her in and given her a room where she could lick her wounds and build the confidence to start out fresh.  Millie was a big part of her new life now, a sister she always wanted and a best friend she didn't know she needed until now.  Since arriving in London, Millie and her had become inseperable.   They had been frequenting Nomad on and off for the last couple of weeks now.   

Millie, bless her soul,  knew about the situation Amber had been in.  But like a commanding officer she refused to treat Amber any differently and so they etched their way into the social scene.  It was the third outing at Nomad when Amber had first spotted, Abercombie and Fitch.  The nicknames she'd given to the sexiest bunch of guys she'd seen in a very long time.
Abercombie was a few centimetres taller then Fitch, gaging at six foot two, with his dark caramel floppy hair and striking hazel eyes, well, what Amber thought were hazel eyes but up until a few minutes ago had a golden hue around the outter iris. His friend Fitch was of similar built, wore dorky black glasses and had jet black crew cut hair. He looked like a techy person and Amber noticed, he fidgeted a lot. His eyes were the colour of the Bluelagoon, the one she vacationed as a child in Malta.  So blue, she missed the old times.  Amber had noticed the way they dressed, completely two contradicting styles.  Abercombie was self assured in the black leather jacket he wore, merino wool jumpers and ultra smart shoes whilst his friend Fitch, seem to sport cord trousers and plaid shirts that were rolled up to his elbows to expose tanned arms with a sprinkling of hair. Amber had both been admiring them from a far until only a few minutes ago when she had been visited by them each individually.

Fitch was a walking-talking cliche book with his chat up lines, which left Amber with no choice but to send him off with marching orders.  Abercombie being some advocate to his friend stunned her with what he had to say about her behaviour towards his friend.  Which only left the questions; where all men the same?  Were they all after one thing?  Could any man love unconditionally?  Amber sometimes wished, she could shut down the questions.  Put a stop to them.  It was the questions that got to her the most.  Too many questions, not enough answers.  Abercombie's words were strangling her, should she take that step and trust again?  


She saw Bryan Peerson leave and she followed, maybe if she apologised- she could somehow take it from there.  Maybe they could start off as friends?  She had to think positively- it was the only way she could move forward from this.  He was a few metres down the road when she called his name.  He turned around and was surprised to see her standing there.  She walked the rest of the way up to him and took a breathe.

"Hi Bryan, I'm Amber... we met earlier..."  she said.

"Yes, I know... you're the red head who's too good for just the Average Joe," he said angrily, "Just because you're beautiful on the outside, gives you no right whatsoever to treat us guys like shit."

"I'm sorry... I didn't..."  she began before she was interrupted again.

"Right... like I haven't heard the word 'sorry' before.  Let me just save you the energy... I'm not interested! Well I was before, but it turns out, you're much more uglier then I had imagined.  Let someone screw you over and see how that feels.  Look at yourself in the mirror and tell me what you see then?" and with that, Bryan walked off leaving Amber standing there with tears streaming down her face.

She walked the rest of the way back back, wiping the tears from her face.  She probably looked like a panda by now.  And just when she thought her heart was getting into shape.  Why did everything bad happen to her?  Yes, she'd looked in the mirror but she didn't see beautiful at all, instead she saw the opposite... ugly.  Ugly and broken.  Hugging herself, as the onslaught of a panic attack reared it's ugly head- she had to remember to breathe in and out and control it, just like the doctor had ordered.  
As she turned the corner she slammed straight into something solid, the impact forcing gravity to work against her as she fell to the floor - and the flash back of Dan's fist hurtling towards her made her panic attack ten times worse.  She hit the pavement, her hands catching her fall and the pain from her wrist shooting up her shoulder as she cried out in pain.  She was having an episode, an episode which she tried and willed herself to blink back but it was too late.  Everything went blank in her mind, all she could see was the repeated punches, the kicks she received from the man she thought had loved her. 

How had she made progress when she still carried it everywhere she went.  Her body started to convulse in terror, it had always been that way. Especially after he had left her for dead so many times and then, like a flip of a switch- tried to help her, make excuses for his behaviour and tell her he wouldn't do it again.  But he always went back on his promises.

***


Cade was by her side trying to help her up but she had curled up into a ball, her face covered as she rocked back and forth.  He was about to say something when Millie ran out and immediately saw her.

"What the hell happened?" worry etched in her face.

"We accidentally collided, is she okay?"  Cade asked.  This was a far cry from what she had been in the bar earlier in the evening.  Something wasn't right at all. 

Millie didn't respond, she looked around and then delved into her phone, "Liam, I need you to come and pick us up... it's Amber... yes, we're outside, please come as soon as you can."  She put her phone back into her bag and focused her attention back to Amber, "Amber, it's Millie... honey, it's okay."

Amber slowly looked up and at Millie.  She exhaled. 

Cade caught the sight of her face, she had been crying.  Her eyes were red and her face blotchy. 

"Stand up from the floor and we can walk to the corner, Liam's coming to pick us up," Millie said, helping her to stand. Amber cried out in pain and it pained Cade to hear it, he scooped her up in his arms and followed Millie. 

A few minutes later, a black range rover pulled up and Liam Blake got out of the car. 

"Where do you want her?" Cade asked.

"In the back please," Millie and Liam said in unison. 

Cade gently put her in the back and Millie climbed in, she smiled and mouthed a 'thank you' as Liam climbed in the front and started the car.  They disappeared before Cade had a chance to blink.  He stood there, completely bewildered by what just happened.  What exactly did just happen?  Amber, that was her name.  Somehow he couldn't shake off the image of her, a complete contrast to what she was like in the bar earlier.  As the events rolled around in his head, he suddenly felt guilty to a point where he wondered how he could make it up to her?