Page 58 of Timeless

She sighed. “I wasn’t very well.”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Pity, because we are.”

She rolled her eyes and did something I knew she was always capable of—ignoring me.

“Amber, tell me why you weren’t well.” My fingers were still on her stomach.

“Jax, in order for me to tell you that, I’d have to tell you about a part of my life that I am ashamed of. Just like you wouldn’t tell me about your scars, I’m not telling you about mine.” She was really firm on this. “But there was a point to me taking my top off.”

I was about to start telling her all about my scars, if that was her excuse on holding back on her story. But she turned and lifted her arm. My eyes dropped to her side and there it was. It wasn’t covered. My name. Right there, still on her skin. There were two things different, from the last time I saw it.

Jack’s name was under it.

And there was a symbol next to mine. “Is that what I think it is?” I asked.

“Yep, an infinity symbol. As soon as Will told me to cover it, I got the symbol next to it, and your name recolored.” She dropped her arm. “You can call me stupid now.”

I was just stunned. I didn’t know what to say. She had moved on from me. She was literally with another man, and she goes and gets an infinity symbol next to my name. When she never wanted to see me again?

“Will didn’t speak to me for weeks. I was positive we were over and then he turned up one day and acted like I hadn’t done it.” She frowned. “I never understood why he came back.”

“Because he loved you.”

“Yeah, well. I wish now he never came back.” She pushed my guns and holster across the bed and sat down. “I don’t know how I’m going to explain to Jack that Will won’t be coming home.”

I frowned. “So, you are agreeing to my one condition?”

“Will and I broke up tonight. Before you made it your one condition.”

He loved her. Why would they break up? Was it because of me? “Did I cause it?” I felt automatically guilty. I wanted Amber away from Will and all men but I didn’t want to hurt her.

She looked up at me. “He always wanted to start a family. He wanted to get married, he wanted to pay my bills, he was always there for Jack.”

“So, what stopped you from marrying him and having a family?”

She scoffed. “Call it a gut instinct. But I never gave him my full heart. I learned my lesson about that years ago. What happens when you do that. And look how right I was.”

“He ended it because I was back in the picture, didn’t he?”

She shook her head. “Nope.” She went and tied up her long raven black hair, giving me a great view of her bare neck. “He compared Jack to being second class to his own kids. Jack would always not be his. I thought he loved Jack regardless of blood. But he confirmed tonight that his kids would come first.”

“He said what?” My temper was going up. How dare he think he could treat Jack like that! He had been a solid part of Amber’s and Jack’s lives and he was going to look at Jack like an unwanted condition to getting Amber.

Amber arched her eyes at me. “He really thought I’d put up with it, too. He actually thought I would let him treat my son as some unwanted baggage that came along with me.” Amber crossed her arms. “I begged him to pull the threat. I begged him. I told him I would marry him. I would give him kids, if he just backed down! But he wouldn’t and then tells me he won’t treat Jack the same as his own children!”

She was speaking fast, clearly upset. I had gotten most of what she said. But I was confused on points. I was going to question her on them.

“Now I’m in a position where I have to either turn to Tae and let him deal with it. Or…” She dropped her head in her hands. “I never wanted Jack to see this side of me.”

I moved and sat next to her on the bed. Okay. Now I had more questions.

“Amber, what side of you?”

She pulled her head from her hands and looked at me. “The cold, distant, calculating side of me. Which is what I will become. I know from history. In order for me to do what has to be done, I have to shut my emotions off. I will try to be there for him. But in order for me to keep him safe, I’m going to have to…” She ran her fingers under her eyes, brushing away tears.

---