Girl in Gold

Chapter 17 ~ Amber Marigold

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CHAPTER 17

Amber Marigold

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Amber needed answers. Dropped off back home, she stormed through the front door without a word. Jessy could only stare at her from the kitchen as she hurried past and headed down to the dark basement.

Alone in the musty room, she grabbed her phone. Her grip felt like it could shatter the device in a thousand and three pieces.

Amber
Did you know about this? A bloodline going after my parents?
18:30

Mr President
Why do you think I'm helping you?
18:30

Amber
Are you behind it?
18:31

Mr President
I did not harm your parents, Marigold.
18:31

The girl cursed out loud. She tossed her phone onto one of the boxes and ran her hands through her hair, combing through knots. She could barely see the easel in front of her and went to switch the light on. When she returned, she grabbed a new canvas as well as a tube of black paint. Broad, forceful strokes took over without a clue of what it wanted to be. She painted until it was all too dark and too empty and too full.

"Amber... You okay?"

The brush slowed. Stopped. She stepped away from the painting, calmed her breathing, and turned to where Jessy stood at the stairs with two steaming mugs.

"I brought hot chocolate. You're home earlier than I expected."

Standing became a chore, and Amber slid down to sit on the floor, head resting against the easel. Her cousin plopped down across from her and handed over the yellow mug. It was warm. She quietly took a sip. Sweet.

"Mind telling me what happened?"

"Jessy..." Amber said after a while. "What if I told you that my parents'... attacker could be someone in this town?"

"What?"

"I didn't stay long because Blake revealed that what happened to them might not be an accident, and honestly, it makes sense." She looked up. "A bloodline was behind it."

"Amber, I'm..." Jessy's mouth opened and closed. The dangling yellow light above cast them in harsh shadows.

"My parents were against them. They stood up for themselves and paid for it. How could I not follow in their footsteps? How could I not avenge them? Maybe all those years of self-defence were for this. They knew a day would come when I had to fight back."

Jessy shook her head but asked, "Do you know who did it?"

"The East is my biggest lead right now."

Her cousin exhaled, shoulders loosening up.

"Do you need my help?"

"Not this time, Jessy. Regarding the dumb bet, I'll still have you to count on, but my parents... are something else. I don't know where this path leads me, and I can't risk taking you with."

"And you can't... forget about it all?"

Amber looked up and held her cousin's stare. She did not need to say it. The answer was in the burn of her gaze.

Finishing their hot chocolate, Jessy offered to help with homework, and the girls went into a study session. She later explained she had to take her mom to the city on Monday and would not be able to attend school. Amber said it was fine and that she could manage on her own. In fact, this turned out for the better.