Caelum Gully - Book One - Ambrosine

Chapter Three

"Jax, don't do this to me, please. What is it?" In a panic to discover the change in his demeanor, her questions became nothing more than a jumble of words. "Is it something I said tonight?"

"Calm down. No, it's nothing you've done. I'm trying to find a way to even bring it up."

"Let's sit down, maybe that will help." Fear swelled inside causing a break in her speech. In all of their time together, his actions now, were foreign to her.

Ordering our drinks, Jax glanced at her, quickly looking away, as if eye contact caused pain. It made her wonder how much her revelation had affected him.

"Ambrosine, I wouldn't have ever known had you not told me your secret tonight," he stopped to take a drink, "You will never know how much it means to me knowing you trusted me."

"Jax," she whispered.

"No, please, let me finish."

"I'm sorry."

"Where to start? For the last several years I've been involved with an environmental activist group here in Donnelson. We've clashed several times with my Uncle's firm. He's a real estate developer and has been purchasing property around the county and state, as well as throughout the country." Taking a drink from the glass in front of him, he reached across the table and took her hand," "Tonight, I tried to have a conversation with him, but it didn't turn out so well. We argued, I'm sure you heard it."

"Pieces of it, but not much."

"He wants to put a strip mall in, something like fifteen stores, with one anchor store. Anyway, after learning about you, I knew I had to put a stop to it. He won't listen, but I'm not going to let it go without a fight."

"I don't know what you mean by anchor store, but I will assume these shops are not wanted, and what are you going to fight?"

"Ambrosine, they want to take the forest. Your forest, what did you call it?"

"Crysh Forest and Caelum Gully?" Her heart came to a screeching halt in her chest. The sound in her ears nothing more than a buzz in the air, a new sensation for her. Everything began to grow dark as she fell into the dark abyss. Then, nothing. Opening her eyes what she thought was a few seconds later, she found Jax sitting next to her in the booth instead of across the table.

"Are you okay?"

"I...I don't know. What happened, Jax? I...," she couldn't form an entire sentence. Trying desperately to understand what happened, she looked around the small room. The restaurant came back into focus, and her head began to clear.

"You passed out."

She couldn't remember why.

"I'm sorry, I had to tell you."

"You're going to have to tell me again. Apparently, I don't remember."

"My Uncle and I were fighting tonight. He is trying to develop a new shopping center, and he wants to purchase and tear down the forest. Your forest."

Holding the glass of water in front of her, she sat in silence. Allowing his words to settle in her mind, she played them over and over like a recording. Tear down the forest. He wants to tear down the forest.

"Why would anyone want to tear it down?"

"Ambrosine, you have to understand, no one knows that you or any of you, exist," he paused, "I didn't know until tonight. I'm going to fight him as long as I can. I'll find reasons to keep him from purchasing any of that land."