Page 26 of Love's Cure

After Emmett hustled his mother and aunt out, Crystal took deep breaths.

“What a bitch!” said David, rising and putting an arm around her.

“No wonder Emmett changed his name,” said Aaron in a firm voice that held disgust. “Being the son of Everett Chamberlain would be difficult at best. He’s not considered a decent man by many. Too self-centered, too manipulative.”

“Some people say he bought his senate seat. God knows he can afford it,” said David.

Crystal studied them. “Emmett should have told us. I would never have spent a day with him if I’d known who he is.”

“And that would be fair to Emmett?” asked Aaron, giving her a steady gaze.

Crystal looked away, knowing Aaron was right. She’d been judged by many for her background and the way she appeared with purple hair. Why should he be judged because of his parents?

She turned back to Aaron. “No, it wouldn’t be fair. Especially from me. He’s a great guy who’s already becoming a member of Lilac Lake. I don’t want to ruin that for him.”

Crystal neglected her sandwich and stood. “It’s been a long day. I think I’ll go home.”

“Are you sure?” David asked, giving her a worried look.

Crystal nodded, and before her emotions could take over, she quickly left Jake’s.

###

Crystal entered herapartment and went to the bathroom to get a cold, wet washcloth for her face. Her cheeks were still aflame from the humiliation of Natalie Chamberlain’s words.

In the past, she’d struggled to be accepted for who she was as a person, not as the daughter of the town drunk. Though she sympathized with Emmett’s situation, she knew any hope of being more than friends with him was gone forever.

She started to cry and blindly reached for the cooling cloth. Maybe it was time to get rid of the purple hair. She’d dyed it shortly after her mother died, to remind herself and everyone else that though she might look like her mother, she was not like her at all. She’d always thought changing her hair color to something fun was a sign she’d moved on from the past and had started a new chapter in her life where she’d be safe from the likes of men who’d been with her mother. Her friends understood.

###

Aknock on the doorawakened Crystal. She sat up on the living room couch and gazed around sleepily. She checked her watch. It was ten o’clock.

The knock sounded again. “Crystal, it’s Emmett. Open up. I need to talk to you.”

Crystal hesitated and then told herself not to be a coward. It was best to settle the situation between them.

She went over to the door and cracked it open.

Emmett stood there looking silly with the tape across his nose. But his eyes seemed haunted.

She pulled back, opened the door, and stood aside.

He stepped inside, took both of her shoulders in his hands, and gave her a steady look through eyes circled with black. “I’m sorry, Crystal. I didn’t know she was coming to town.”

“But the news would still be the same.” She studied him. “You didn’t trust me with the truth? It normally doesn’t matter to me who your family is. Now, From the beginning, I had this weird feeling you were hiding something. Now, I know.”

“You know nothing. I’m not even Everett Chamberlain’s real son. He adopted me when he married my mother when I was four. It was a heart-warming piece, making positive news for him, nothing more than a PR move.”

“There are advantages to that name if you want them. But when I turned eighteen, I decided to change my name to Chambers. Close enough to Chamberlain to appease my mother, though she was furious with me. I wanted to be my own person, attend college and medical school with my new name independently.”

“And how has that worked for you?” she asked.

“Pretty well. I stay away from political discussions and out of the news.”

“Until our accident. Even then, you didn’t tell me the truth about you and your family,” said Crystal, trying to hide her hurt.

“I was hoping I could tell you in my own way, in my own time. Having my mother here, acting like that, is the worst way I can think of. Crystal, I like you a lot. I hope we can still be friends because, like you, I need them.”

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