The Storm between Us

Chapter 14

The next morning, Amber woke up to the soft vibration of her phone against her nightstand.

Still half asleep, she reached over and grabbed it, rubbing her eyes as she looked at the screen.

Her heart skipped.

KJ.

She immediately sat up.

He had texted her again. First.

Amber stared at the message for a few seconds, trying not to smile too hard, but it was impossible. A little squeal escaped her before she covered her mouth with her hand.

She quickly typed a response, read it over, deleted it, typed something else, and finally sent it.

The second the message went through, she opened her group chat.

Amber: GIRLLLLLLS

Milly: What happened??

Amber: KJ TEXTED ME!!!!

The chat immediately started going crazy.

Amber laughed as she read through the messages, shaking her head.

She couldn't lie.

She was excited.

After yesterday, she had been wondering if she had imagined the connection between them. But now KJ was texting her constantly and somehow, that simple message had put her in an even better mood.

Today was supposed to be a good day anyway.

It was the day of her behind-the-wheel test.

Amber had been driving long enough that she wasn't really worried about it. She knew how to drive. She knew her turns, her parking, her mirrors, her signals, and how to handle herself on the road.

There was no reason she shouldn't pass.

She got dressed and headed to the testing location feeling confident with Xasso who had the day day off. Perfect day for driving test.

But that confidence wouldn't last.

While she sat in her car waiting for the instructor with Xasso in the driver's seat, Amber's phone buzzed.

She glanced down.

Her smile disappeared.

It was another message from her ex-husband's sister. They have been harrassing her ever since the day she called the police on her ex-husband. No matter how many times she blocked an number a new one appeared.

Amber opened it.

Her stomach twisted. The message contained another threat.

"I hope your bitchass dies for putting my brother in jail."

She stared at the screen, reading it over and over as if somehow the words would change.

Before she could process it, another message came through.

This time, from her ex-husband's mother.

Another threat.

"We will find you and you'll regret ever calling the cops that night'

Then another.

Amber's heart began pounding.

Her hands became cold. She locked her phone and tossed it in the back, grabbing her knees and hugging them to her chest.

Xasso looked over at her.

"Whats wrong?" He asked placing a hand on her knees after seeing her action and how frightened she had become.

"Mrs. Shaw and Emily."

Xasso nod in understanding. "Those assholes." He said.

Before he could say anything else, the driving instructor appeared at the driver's window.

"Focus," she whispered to herself.

But how was she supposed to focus?

She had already been dealing with the stress of everything surrounding her ex-husband and his family. Now the threats were becoming more serious and they were sitting in the back of her mind like a dark cloud.

She kept wondering if they were serious.

If they knew where she was.

If they knew where she lived.

If they were actually capable of doing something.

Amber looked at the clock.

It was her turn. She took a deep breath.

I'm here to pass this test. That's it.

A few moments later, the instructor got into the car.

"Good morning."

"Good morning," Amber replied.

"You ready?"

Amber nodded.

"Yes."

The test began.

At first, everything was fine.

Amber followed the instructor's directions, making her turns and checking her mirrors.

Then they reached a stoplight.

Amber stopped.

And waited.

But her mind wasn't at the intersection.

It was back on those messages.

She kept replaying the threats in her head.

What if they really mean it?

What if—

The instructor's voice snapped her back.

"Amber?"

She blinked.

The light had already turned green.

She had completely zoned out.

"Oh—I'm sorry."

She quickly drove forward.

She knew that mistake had counted against her.

She tried to shake it off.

Just focus.

A few minutes later, they entered a school zone.

Amber was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't immediately realize how fast she was going.

She was speeding.

The instructor told her to slow down.

Amber looked at the speedometer and her stomach dropped.

She immediately slowed down.

But she knew.

That was another mistake.

By the time the test ended, Amber already knew she hadn't passed.

She sat in the driver's seat after the instructor got out, staring at the steering wheel.

She couldn't believe it.

She had failed.

And the worst part was, she knew she could have passed.

If her mind hadn't been somewhere else.

Xasso drove them home insilence. He knew it wasnt a great time. Amber was in tears. He felt so bad for his cousin. He wish he could make her life a little easier.

At home Amber cried into her pillow, frustrated with herself and overwhelmed by everything happening at once.

Her phone suddenly started ringing. Her heart started besting fast. Worried it was another message from the evil family.

She wiped her face and looked at the screen anyway.

"KJ" FaceTime.

She hesitated before answering.

His face appeared on the screen.

"Amber?"

She sniffled.

"Hey."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She said trying to get herself together. Wiping her eyes and fixing her hair.

He gave her a look.

"That's not a nothing face."

Amber laughed through her tears.

"I failed my driving test." She whispered.

"What?" KJ said with a frown.

"I failed."

"What happened?"

Amber sighed.

"I just couldn't focus."

She didn't go into everything immediately, but KJ could tell she was having a rough day.

After talking for a few minutes, he finally said, "Get dressed."

Amber frowned.

"Why?"

"I'm taking you for ice cream."

She laughed.

"KJ, I don't even feel like going anywhere."

"That's exactly why you need to get out."

After they hung up, Amber immediately went back to the group chat.

Amber: Y'all I'm going out.

Jasmine: With who 👀

Amber smiled.

Amber: KJ.

The responses came flying in.

Milly: GIRLLLLL

Jasmine: NOT KJ!

Milly: Where y'all going???

Amber laughed and tossed her phone onto the bed.

She opened her closet.

Then she stood there thinking.

She wanted to look cute.

But she didn't want to look like she was trying too hard.

She pulled out an outfit and held it against herself.

Then she frowned.

"Am I overdressing?"

She changed.

Then changed again.

Eventually, she settled on something casual but cute, added a little perfume, fixed her hair, and looked at herself in the mirror.

She smiled.

"Okay. This is fine."

When KJ arrived, Amber grabbed her things and headed outside.

She got into the car.

"Hey." She smiled trying to hide excitement.

"Hey Pretty." KJ said, smiling.

He looked over at her.

"You ready?"

"Yeah."

They pulled away from the driveway. For a few minutes, they drove in comfortable silence.

Then KJ glanced over at her.

"So you really failed?"

Amber rolled her eyes.

"Yes."

"How?"

She sighed.

"I zoned out at a light."

KJ laughed.

"Amber!"

"I know!"

She laughed too.

"And then I was speeding in a school zone."

His laughter stopped.

"You're not serious."

"I know! I know!" She covered her face.

"My mind was somewhere else."

"Well, clearly."

She looked over at him.

"I was dealing with some stuff."

KJ nodded.

"You good, though?"

Amber looked out the window. "I'll be okay."

He didn't push.

Instead, he turned the music up slightly and started talking about something completely random, making her laugh.

Slowly, the heaviness she'd been carrying all day began to lift.

When they finally reached the ice cream shop, they went inside together.

Amber stood in front of the flavors, studying them like she was making an important life decision.

"What you getting?" KJ asked.

"I don't know."

"You've been standing here for five minutes."

"Because there's too many choices!" She pointed toward the case.

"Maybe cookies and cream."

"You always get cookies and cream?" KJ asked with a raised brow.

"No."

"You just said it like you do."

Amber laughed.

"Okay, fine. I'm getting it."

KJ chose his flavor while Amber watched.

"That's what you're getting?"

"Yeah."

"That sounds boring."

He laughed.

"How is ice cream boring?"

"It just is."

KJ paid and they walked back outside.

Instead of staying there, they got back into the car.

Amber sat in the passenger seat with her ice cream in her lap.

KJ started the car.

"Where we going?"

"Park."

"Why?"

"Because we're going to sit down and eat."

He drove across the street to the park.

Amber looked out the window as they pulled into a parking spot.

The park was quiet, with only a few people around. A couple abd their dog and a teen playing basketball by himself.

KJ turned the car off.

They sat there eating their ice cream and talking.

Amber finally felt relaxed.

She took another spoonful, and some of the melted ice cream ran onto her fingers.

"Ugh."

She looked down at her hand.

"I got it everywhere."

KJ pointed towards the glove compartment.

"There's napkins in there."

Amber opened the compartment.

She reached inside. Then stopped.

Her eyes landed on a small box sitting among the other things.

Condoms.

Amber froze. For a moment, she didn't move.

She slowly pulled out the napkins and closed the compartment.

Her mind immediately started going. Her ex-husband had condoms in his car just the same when he was cheating.

But her and KJ wasnt together. But why does he have condoms in here?

Maybe they were old?

Maybe he kept them just in case.

Maybe he had a girlfriend.

Maybe he was talking to other women.

Or maybe—

Amber stopped herself. She barely knew this man.

But suddenly, she was looking at him differently.

She glanced over at KJ as he continued eating his ice cream like nothing had happened.

Is he a player?

Does he have a girl?

Was he seeing somebody else?

Amber tried to push the thoughts away.

After all, it wasn't her business.

At least, not yet.

But the little box she'd seen sitting inside that glove compartment had planted a question in her mind that she couldn't seem to get rid of.