Chapter 30

The weekend was approaching and David was relieved. He had hoped not to bump into his uncle at work and have him make a scene over him and Rebecca. Rebecca had found it difficult to concentrate in class. Every thought was about David, her father, her mother, and her family.

Rebecca headed to David's office that Friday afternoon. She rushed to the library. She had so much on her mind she couldn't see straight. Suddenly, as she opened one of the main doors, she bumped into someone. It was Amber.

Rebecca's heart pounded. She had so much going on she almost forgot about Amber. She'd promised she'd call Amber.

"Whoa! Where's the fire?" Amber laughed.

Rebecca smiled weakly and realized she'd made Amber drop her books. She knelt down to pick them up. Amber helped her. "I'm sorry. I was just coming to get David."

Amber gathered her books and both girls stood back up. "I see. Hey why haven't you called me?"

Rebecca looked away. "Um... I'm sorry. I've been... busy. You know with school and stuff."

Amber raised a brow. "Stuff? Hmm sounds like you got yourself a guy huh Becky?"

Rebecca began to fidget. "What? Uh no. Well sort of."

Amber giggled. "So when do you want to get together and hang out? I really miss you Becky."

Rebecca looked surprised. "You do?"

"Yeah."

"I would have never imagined."

"Look I know I was a bitch, but Becky I've changed."

"So have I," Rebecca said softly.

Amber smiled. "See? Now that we are both reformed can't we be friends again?"

Rebecca shrugged. "I guess we can. I will call you this weekend."

"You promise?"

"Yes."

"Oh god! This week has been so awful! First I lose my parents, then I get a terrible grade on my chemistry exam and now I just bumped into Amber, who by the way wants to be friends again!" Rebecca complained to David.

David nodded. "I know how you feel. It hasn't been easy for me either. And did you say Amber wants to be friends again?"

Rebecca sighed. "Yes!"

David reclined back on his chair. "I wonder what's next."

Rebecca stood up and walked towards her cousin. She sat on his lap and put her arms around him. He held her as she laid her head on his chest. "I don't know what will happen next. All I know is that I love you."

David stroked her hair. "I love you too. With all of my heart."

"Listen, it's the weekend. Why don't we just stay at home, watch movies and veg out?"

"Ah sounds real nice."

"Yeah let's forget about everything we've been through this week. I do however need to call Amber since I promised her.

David sat back up and Rebecca stared into his eyes. "Are you going to tell her about us?" David asked.

"I don't know. I will have to eventually if she wants to be friends."

"Well, it's been a while since she and I had anything to do with each other. She is probably over me. She has to be."

Rebecca kissed her cousin softly on the lips. "I hope so. I really do."

Friday night Amy waited for Eddie to get home. It was almost past eleven at night when he got home. She waited in bed for him wearing only a smile.

"Eddie? Honey?" Amy called out as she heard his footsteps. He walked into their bedroom, still wearing his shirt and tie.

"Hey baby. I'm so sorry I was late. We were... having dinner with clients."

"Working on a new project?" Amy asked curiously.

"Uh yeah. A big one. I will probably start working late all this week coming up and I have to go to work tomorrow night too."

"Tomorrow night?" Amy asked puzzled.

"Yeah. It's very important."

Amy didn't want to think anything bad. "I've missed you. I'm glad you're home." She got out of bed showing her naked body to her lover. Eddie couldn't help but get a boner. He was tired though. It'd been a long day; hell it'd been a long week.

Amy put her arms around Eddie and kissed his neck softly. "Why don't you go shower and come to bed with me. I want to make love."

Eddie wanted to. He was just so damn tired. "I do need a shower. But baby I'm beat. I want to go to bed if that's OK with you?"

Amy stepped back. She narrowed her eyes at him. "You know if I didn't know you better, I would think you were cheating on me."

Eddie's eyes widened. "How could you say that?"

"Well? I mean you are working late almost every night now. And now you don't want to make love? What am I supposed to think?"

Eddie put his hands on her shoulders. He looked her in the eye. "Amy I promise you that I am not cheating on you. I'm sorry if it appears this way. Just trust me."

Amy felt tears swelling in her eyes. "I do trust you. I'm sorry. I guess I just miss you."

"I miss you too baby. Just wait until this project is over. Then I will really show you how much I love you."

Amy smiled. "I will wait. Now you better go shower up. I'll still be here in bed naked in case you change your mind."

Eddie laughed and kissed her forehead. "I love you Amy."

"I told you that movie was going to be so stupid," Amber commented to Gabriel.

The couple walked out the theater that Saturday afternoon. Gabriel held on to Amber's hand. Amber smiled proudly walking with him. They walked a few blocks talking about the foreign movie they'd just watched.

"That girl was not French and that guy in the movie... he wasn't even a good actor."

Gabriel sighed. "You are so picky Amber. You have to admit it was a nice love story."

Amber shrugged. "I guess."

"I'm kinda hungry. What do you say we go get something to eat?"

Amber nodded. "Yeah. I'm starved."

They both headed off to a small café near by. Amber and Gabriel sat by the window looking out at the busy streets.

"So Rebecca said she'd call me this weekend. So far," Amber looked at her cell phone, "she hasn't called me."

"Why don't you call her?"

"I would but she changed her cell phone number and I don't want to call to David's place."

"I wouldn't want you to call to his place either." Gabriel said placing his hand over hers.

Amber blushed. "Oh? Why not?"

"Because I know how much you were in love with him."

"Well I'm not anymore. I've moved on."

"I'm glad you have." Gabriel gently squeezed her hand.

"For the tenth time, I'm not going to call Becca," Ron said furiously to his wife.

Sonia watched her husband be in agony all day. Since it was the weekend, he couldn't bury himself in his work. Now his daughter had been on his mind all this time.

"Honey, just think about it. She thinks you hate her, which I know you don't."

Ron lay in bed with his wife. "Of course I don't. I could never hate my daughter. Now my nephew, that's another story."

Sonia sighed. "You don't hate David either. Come on Ron, at least call Becca and tell her you're mad but that you don't hate her."

"I can't right now. I still need time to cool off. I'm sorry."

Sonia could see the look in her husband's face. He missed his daughter. Rebecca was everything to him.

"No word from David?" Eva asked her husband. She was massaging him late that night.

Alex nodded. "No. I will call him tomorrow though. I just want to make sure he and Becca are ok."

"I'm sure they are fine. I need to talk to David myself. I need to talk some sense into him."

Alex turned slowly and faced his wife. "Talk some sense into him? What are you going to say to him?"

Eva scoffed. "Well, that what he's doing is wrong! Alex I still can't believe you are ok with all of this."

"I'm not. But what am I supposed to do? David's a grown man. I can't tell him how to live his life."

Eva fell back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. "We are his parents. Don't children listen to their parents anymore?"

Alex laughed. "Of course they do. It's just that this sounds like something neither of them can control."

"I think it's so wrong." Eva went on to say.

"It might be wrong for us, but to them it isn't. I still have to patch things up with my brother. I don't want him hating me. Ron is my only brother and I can't afford to lose him."

Eva closed her eyes. She wished all of this were just a dream. David was going to ruin his life by being with his own cousin. She only wanted what was best for her son.

Sunday, at noon, Rebecca nervously began to dial Amber's number. She hoped that Amber would not answer, but she did. They had made plans to meet at the mall, somewhere they both used to love to go.

An hour later, Rebecca waited for Amber in the front entrance of the mall. Amber arrived looking lovelier than ever. Her blonde hair hung loose and her face had a radiant glow. She wore her short blue jean shorts and a dark green shirt. She smiled as she walked towards Rebecca.

"I'm glad you finally decided to hang out with me. I'm in a shopping mood and I hope you are too."

Rebecca wasn't. "Yeah sure."

They walked around looking through various stores. Rebecca's mind was on other things. She missed her father. Even though she hardly saw him, when he did see her, he was the best. He'd always been good to her, now he was gone from her life.

"So he took me to see one of those foreign films yesterday and I must say I have a thing now for movies with subtitles."

Rebecca snapped out of her thoughts. "What? Who did you go with?"

Amber stopped and grabbed Rebecca's hand. She lead her to a bench in the center of the mall. "Sit down Becky."

Becky sat down slowly feeling terrible for not having paid attention to Amber. "I'm sorry Amber. I was just thinking of... things."

"Becky, if we are going to be friends again, you need to let me know what's going on in your life."

Rebecca felt so nervous. How would Amber take the news about her and David? "I know. I remember we used to tell each other everything. We were best friends." Rebecca said softly.

Amber nodded. "We can be that way again. I really need a friend. A female friend at least. I mean don't get me wrong, having male friends is nice, but a female friend understands you."

Rebecca smiled at her friend. "So tell me, who was this guy you went out with."

"Gabriel. You remember him?"

Rebecca did remember. "Yes, you had mentioned him when we first ran into each other earlier this month."

"Well... he and I have gotten... close." Amber blushed.

Rebecca felt relived. "Really? Tell me more."

"Where should I begin?" Amber asked with a huge grin on her face.

Rebecca laughed. "You haven't changed Amber."

"I know! I can't help being boy crazy. It's good to finally be able to like someone again after what happened between me and your cousin."

He's not my cousin anymore. He's my lover. Rebecca said to herself. "I can understand. I'm just so glad you've found someone."