The Amber Stone (26 page)

She was lying on the couch when she started to feel strange. She sat up when a wave of pain hit. It frightened her because she knew she wasn’t due for another two months. She gripped the cushions, knowing something was wrong. She called out her father’s name, but realized he wasn’t home yet. She dialed Teresa’s phone, then disconnected when she got no answer. With shaking fingers, she dialed the ambulance, hoping they would get to her in time.

She felt another wave of pain, feeling her body betray her as it tried to rid itself of the life forming within her. She felt the wetness between her legs, glanced down and saw the blood, a silent scream catching in her throat. She didn’t want to lose her baby.

But she knew that was exactly what was happening and the realization collided with the stark reality of her fate: She’d made the wrong decision. Thomas had done something to her, she didn’t know what, but she could feel the poison taking over. Had it been on his lips? On his hands? She didn’t know how he’d gotten it inside her, but she could feel herself dying. She glanced at the empty space across the room where Teresa used to wash dishes in the kitchen, tears filling her eyes. She didn’t want to die. She whimpered Teresa’s name as a child would whimper for their mother. She realized how much she’d taken her for granted. How her cousin, not Thomas, had made her want to live again. How her constant care and presence had become special to her.

Teresa had shown her true love. And she’d betrayed that pure love for a man who’d lied and deceived her. But she wouldn’t let him win. She crawled over to the table, grabbed her handbag and pulled out a pen, but finding no paper, she started to write his name on the wall, but she could only manage TH before the pain overwhelmed her. And as she slipped into darkness, she cursed the shadows that embraced her and prayed for forgiveness.

***

Teresa didn’t expect to see the bright red and white lights of an ambulance clashing with the darkness outside Louisa’s house. A slight summer breeze rustled the leaves of the surrounding trees mingling with a cacophony of voices. Teresa jumped out of her car and raced to the door. She’d seen Louisa had called her cell phone, but when she hadn’t been able to reach her, she decided to check in on her since she knew she hadn’t been feeling well. She dashed up the porch steps and opened the door.

Sean stopped her the moment she stepped inside. “You don’t want to see this.”

“What happened?” Teresa asked then looked past him and saw a large pool of blood. Fear gripped her heart. “Wait, what’s going on? Where’s Louisa?”

“It seems she went into labor early and hemorrhaged.”

“Excuse me,” a curt male voice said.

Teresa looked up and saw a man and a woman carrying a stretcher. She felt Sean move her to the side, because she couldn’t move on her own, as they carried a body covered by a sheet.

“No, no!” Teresa cried, leaping forward, her fear turning to horror. “Not Louisa. She can’t be dead. It wasn’t supposed to end like this.”

Sean held her back, but she yanked herself from his grasp. “No, don’t touch me.”

He stared at her, the pain on his face echoed in his voice, “Teresa—”

“But I just saw her. She was fine. She had a little indigestion or something. Oh god, how could I have missed it? I was supposed to save her. If I’d been here—”

Sean reached for her, but she moved out of his reach. “You wouldn’t have been able to do anything.”

Teresa stared at him, her hands clasped together, her eyes beseeching him. “She’s not dead, right?” she asked in an urgent whisper. “Tell me she’s not dead.”

Sean pulled her close and held her, wishing he could.

Only Teresa shed a tear at Louisa’s funeral and for her unborn child. Everyone else looked as if they’d rather be somewhere else. Especially Aunt Margaret, whose cold gaze bore into the wooden box surrounded by flowers, as if she could make it vanish with the power of her eyes. Once the service was over, Uncle Darren and Aunt Margaret approached Teresa, carrying two suitcases.

Teresa hung her head. “Aunt Margaret, I’m so—”

“Never mind,” Aunt Margaret said. “You did your best.” She shoved the suitcases at Teresa. “These are her things. I’ve donated her clothes, but didn’t know what to with these. I don’t care what you do with them.” She turned and left. Uncle Darren gave her a reassuring pat on the arm, then followed his wife.

Michelle and Jessie came up to Teresa.

“I’ll go get your things from the house,” Michelle said.

“That won’t be necessary,” Sean said.

She sent him a glance, taking in his new clean-shaven look and crisp suit with interest. “And why would that be?”

“Because she’s been staying with me…for awhile.”

“I think she needs to be with family right now.”

“And I think she’ll do better with me,” Sean said, taking one of the suitcases from Teresa.

Michelle lifted a brow. “So you think you know more than we do?”

“I just—”

“Michelle, please let’s not argue about this,” Jessie said looking around. “Not here.”

Michelle shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Nobody cares that she’s gone.”

“I care,” Teresa said in a fierce whisper, meeting her sister’s gaze with tears in her eyes. “She didn’t deserve to suffer like that. You didn’t see all the blood—”

Sean placed an arm around her shoulders. “Darling, let me take you home.”

Michelle stepped in front of him before he could turn. “
Darling
?” she said, mocking the word. “Oh, no,” she said waving a finger at him. “I don’t care what term of endearment you want to use with her, Teresa’s home is with me.” She looked at her younger sister and softened her tone. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that about Louisa.” She took her hand. “Now come on.”

Sean shot Michelle a stern look. “I said she’s coming home with me.”

Teresa shook her head, pulling her hand from her sister’s grip. “Please don’t fight him. I don’t—”

Michelle’s voice hardened. “You’re not thinking rationally right now and I won’t let him take advantage of it.”

Sean held his ground. “She’s coming home with me. You can call her later.”

“Your act is very impressive,” Michelle said. “If I hadn’t dealt with men like you before, I would almost believe your act of—”

“It’s not an act.”

“Because you’re a man used to getting his way,” Michelle finished.

“I do care,” Sean insisted, his tone filled with emotion. “More than you know.”

“And why should I believe you?” she shot back.

“Because I’m her husband.”

Michelle didn’t move. “What?”

Teresa touched the sleeve of his jacket. “Sean, let me—”

“If there’s nothing that Louisa’s death has taught me, it’s that life’s too short and I’m not going to pretend anymore.”

Jessie’s gaze shifted between Teresa and Sean. “You’re married?”

“And you didn’t tell us?” Michelle added, staring at her sister in disbelief.

“I was going to,” Teresa said. “But then there was trouble with the store and then this

and—”

Michelle held up her hands as if warding off something awful, and took a step back. “Fine, live your life. Obviously you don’t need us anymore.” She turned and walked away.

“Michelle!” Jessie called after her, but her sister kept walking. She sighed then turned to Teresa and placed a hand over her heart. “I’m so hurt I don’t even know what to say.”

Teresa tugged on one of her bracelets. “I knew you wouldn’t have approved.”

Jessie nodded. “You’re right. We would have argued, we would have raged because that’s what the Clifton sisters do. We would have done anything to try to change your mind, but,” she said, blinking back tears although she managed to keep her voice steady. “We wouldn’t have stopped you.”

“I’m sorry,” Teresa said, realizing how right Jessie was. Her sisters had been with her when she’d dared herself to jump in the bay, had helped her with opening her store, had taken Louisa shopping and not stopped her from moving in with Uncle Darren. They hadn’t liked her choices, but they’d stayed by her side. She’d been so busy trying to show Louisa love that she’d taken them for granted. Bertha’s warning had been right and she regretted leaving them out of an important moment in her life. “Forgive me.”

“Of course,” Jessie said giving Teresa’s hand a squeeze. “But it’s going to take awhile.”

Teresa watched her sister leave, her heart aching with a new pain. “I’ve let everyone down.”

“No, you haven’t,” Sean said taking the other suitcase from her and walking to his truck.

“Then why does it feel that way?”

***

“Married?” Kenneth repeated as he drove Jessie and Syrah back from the funeral. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Jessie said, rolling down the window to let the summer air flow into the car. “That’s what she said.”

Kenneth started to laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“The bastard lied to me and I actually fell for it. Not marriage material my a—”

Jessie nudged him and glanced at Syrah in the rearview mirror.

“Butt,” he finished.

“I wish I could laugh, but I don’t think it’s funny. It’s going to take Michelle a long time to get over this.”

“How did she take it?”

“About as calmly as if she’d heard we’d decided to turn the front lawn into a cemetery.”

He sent Jessie a significant look. “And what about you?”

“I’m angry,” she said, resting her arm on the window frame. “But I’m more hurt that she didn’t trust us.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry. He loves her.”

She looked at him surprised. “How do you know?”

“You couldn’t see it on his face?”

“See what? I know he likes her a lot.”

Kenneth’s brows shot up. “A lot? He’s completely devoted. Head over heels. I didn’t know they were married, but the way he stayed by her side said a lot. And every time he looked at her, you could see the pain on his face.”

“You really saw all that?”

“Why would I make it up?”

“To make us feel better?”

“Teresa’s my family too. I wouldn’t say something I didn’t mean.”

Jessie twisted her wedding ring around on her finger. “They make a really odd match.”

“He looks better than before,” Syrah said from the backseat. “He’s really good looking.”

Jessie frowned. “Exactly. Too good.”

Kenneth sent his wife a curious look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means he doesn’t belong in South Bank and it makes me even more suspicious about why he’s there.”

“Give him a chance, I think you’ll see that your sister’s made a good choice.”

“We still don’t know much about him. We both know he has secrets.”

Kenneth nodded. “And it seems your sister was one of them.”

Teresa went home and cried. Sean wanted to hold her, but she wouldn’t let him. She didn’t want him to soothe her pain and calm her misery. She wept until she fell asleep from exhaustion.

When Teresa awoke the next morning, she realized she couldn’t move. She became aware of the warmth of Sean’s body, his slow breathing, as he held her in his arms. She didn’t know when he’d come to her, but knew that she’d had a dreamless, healing sleep and felt renewed. She stared at the face inches from hers, lying on the pillow. He looked very young and defenseless in sleep, which surprised her, as had the strength of his anger when Michelle accused him of having another motive for being with her.

She hated how Michelle misjudged him. She remembered tearfully recalling the death of her parents and her friend Bess and how Louisa’s passing tore open those wounds. But she knew his touch had stopped her from falling apart.

She tried to carefully ease herself out of his arms, but his eyes slowly opened.

“Ready to eat something?” she asked, sorry she’d woken him.

He shook his head and closed his eyes. Teresa slipped out of bed.

“Are you okay?” he grumbled against the pillow.

“I’m getting better,” she said. Teresa changed and headed for the kitchen. She had just finished the pancakes when she heard the shower turn on.