There just seemed to be some sort of self destructive streak in that man that she couldn't seem to figure out how to shut down.
She hated that he had lied to her, but she understood why he'd done it. Or at least, she understood why he felt that he had to do it, although she still didn't really understand why he felt that way in the first place. To understand that, she would really need to know more about his past.
The last time she had dug into his family life had ended up in a huge fight, but they'd gotten through that. During the last few days, Joel had actually started to open up a little bit about his childhood. Nothing major, but enough that Amber could see he was making an effort to let her in. Nevertheless, she was worried that it wasn't going to be fast enough. There was no telling when the next time would come that he'd self destruct.
After finding out about his father, she had hoped it would change things. One demon of his past was vanquished, but something else still hung over him. There was still a part of him that wouldn't give himself over to her completely. He still seemed to be waiting for the other shoe to drop. As if he was surprised any time he came home to find Amber still there, waiting happily to greet him. It broke her heart to imagine what could have caused such hurt in the man she was growing to love so much.
So although she knew the potential to completely backfire was high, she still felt like she needed to dig a little bit deeper. She needed to go somewhere that Joel may never forgive if he found out, but if what he'd said about his past was true, he probably would never find out anyway. He'd left all that behind, and it didn't seem like he was ever going to go look for it again.
She picked up the piece of paper that she had written the number on and picked up the phone. She held it in her hands for a few minutes before her shaking fingers started to dial.
"Hello?" came the voice on the other end.
"Is this Mrs. Slater," Amber asked.
"Yes. Who is this?"
"Do you have a son named Joel?"
There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. She was about to say something, thinking she may have been disconnected, when she finally heard the other woman answer quietly. "Yes. Is he...?"
"No, oh god no, he's fine," Amber said. She hadn't even thought about what a call like this from a stranger, out of the blue after so many years, might sound like to Joel's mother.
"I'm a friend of his. His girlfriend, actually. I was wondering if I could come and talk to you?"
Joel
Darien drove them back to the club where he'd first met Carlos, the Golden Dragon Dojo. He had a bad taste in his mouth surrounding the place, still believing them to be a bunch of crooks after they had required him to pay $300 to join just so he could fight in the tournament. That was one membership he never planned to use.
Darien dropped him off at the door. "He's just inside, the door should be open. The club is officially closed right now, but Carlos has special after-hours privileges."
Joel watched as he drove off, wondering if coming here was such a good idea after all. He'd promised both Shawn and Amber that he would behave, and he couldn't afford to break that promise again. But if he was going to meet up with Carlos alone in an empty dojo? There was no telling how that would play out.
The sign on the door said closed, but when he gave it a yank found that it was unlocked, as promised. Inside he was surprised at how different the place looked than it had when he'd last been here. Of course, at that time it had been set up for a tournament, with bleachers and a ring. Those were all gone now, and instead the floor was covered with mats. There was some seating along the side of the room, but there were only fold up chairs. Unlike Rock House, there was no workout equipment in sight. It
She hated that he had lied to her, but she understood why he'd done it. Or at least, she understood why he felt that he had to do it, although she still didn't really understand why he felt that way in the first place. To understand that, she would really need to know more about his past.
The last time she had dug into his family life had ended up in a huge fight, but they'd gotten through that. During the last few days, Joel had actually started to open up a little bit about his childhood. Nothing major, but enough that Amber could see he was making an effort to let her in. Nevertheless, she was worried that it wasn't going to be fast enough. There was no telling when the next time would come that he'd self destruct.
After finding out about his father, she had hoped it would change things. One demon of his past was vanquished, but something else still hung over him. There was still a part of him that wouldn't give himself over to her completely. He still seemed to be waiting for the other shoe to drop. As if he was surprised any time he came home to find Amber still there, waiting happily to greet him. It broke her heart to imagine what could have caused such hurt in the man she was growing to love so much.
So although she knew the potential to completely backfire was high, she still felt like she needed to dig a little bit deeper. She needed to go somewhere that Joel may never forgive if he found out, but if what he'd said about his past was true, he probably would never find out anyway. He'd left all that behind, and it didn't seem like he was ever going to go look for it again.
She picked up the piece of paper that she had written the number on and picked up the phone. She held it in her hands for a few minutes before her shaking fingers started to dial.
"Hello?" came the voice on the other end.
"Is this Mrs. Slater," Amber asked.
"Yes. Who is this?"
"Do you have a son named Joel?"
There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. She was about to say something, thinking she may have been disconnected, when she finally heard the other woman answer quietly. "Yes. Is he...?"
"No, oh god no, he's fine," Amber said. She hadn't even thought about what a call like this from a stranger, out of the blue after so many years, might sound like to Joel's mother.
"I'm a friend of his. His girlfriend, actually. I was wondering if I could come and talk to you?"
Joel
Darien drove them back to the club where he'd first met Carlos, the Golden Dragon Dojo. He had a bad taste in his mouth surrounding the place, still believing them to be a bunch of crooks after they had required him to pay $300 to join just so he could fight in the tournament. That was one membership he never planned to use.
Darien dropped him off at the door. "He's just inside, the door should be open. The club is officially closed right now, but Carlos has special after-hours privileges."
Joel watched as he drove off, wondering if coming here was such a good idea after all. He'd promised both Shawn and Amber that he would behave, and he couldn't afford to break that promise again. But if he was going to meet up with Carlos alone in an empty dojo? There was no telling how that would play out.
The sign on the door said closed, but when he gave it a yank found that it was unlocked, as promised. Inside he was surprised at how different the place looked than it had when he'd last been here. Of course, at that time it had been set up for a tournament, with bleachers and a ring. Those were all gone now, and instead the floor was covered with mats. There was some seating along the side of the room, but there were only fold up chairs. Unlike Rock House, there was no workout equipment in sight. It
Similar Books
