Believe In Love

Prologue

Amber

HIGH SCHOOL IS FINALLY over. I don’t have many friends so high school wasn’t the best experience. My best friend, Miranda, was always inviting me over to her house but my parents never allowed me to go. I usually just kept to myself since my parents didn’t allow me much freedom. I’ll be turning eighteen in a week and I’ve been dying to finish high school. The graduation ceremony is tomorrow, and I’ll be starting at the local community college in the fall. My family doesn’t have much money, so they can’t afford to send me to a University. By going to the local community college, I can pay for my education while living at home. I won’t have to bother my parents or put more of a financial burden on them. My father made it quite clear not to go to them for college money. They don’t have the money and that was the end of that discussion. It broke my heart, but it isn’t the end of the world. My father is very strict and hard to get along with. It’s his way or the highway always. There weren’t many discussions with him. Reasoning with him was completely out of the question.

The bus drops me off a block from my house and I quickly walk home. I let myself into the house and call out for mom. No answer. That’s strange. Mom’s usually in the kitchen when I get home from school. I call for her again. Silence. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Something isn’t right. I look around the kitchen. Dishes are sitting in the sink. The ingredients for her oatmeal cookies are all over the counter. Very weird. Mom’s very particular and always cleaning. I look toward the garage door and see it open a crack and the light is on. I go to the door and push it open the rest of the way. I step into the garage and call out for mom again. The car is in the garage which means dad is home, too. Dad never comes home early. Oh, please don’t let them be having sex! Ew!

There’s a strange smell in the air though, like something is burning, but not. It’s a faint smell. I look around, but nothing seems out of the ordinary. Something’s telling me to keep going further into the garage. I keep walking to the other side of the car and start to scream. Mom and Dad are both lying on the floor in a pool of blood. My vision blurs and tears start coming uncontrollably. I can’t stop screaming. My legs feel like lead and I’m stuck where I am. I want to run but I can’t. Somehow, I will myself to stop screaming and take a deep breath. Call the police. Must call the police. My brain must’ve sent my legs a signal and I’m finally able to move. I run back into the house and grab the house phone. I dial 911 and tell the operator what I found.

One hour later

I’M SITTING AT THE kitchen table with an officer going over my story for what feels like the millionth time. I sign a statement when I’m done, and he stands.

Thank you, Miss Mitchell. I’m sorry for your loss. The officer says and heads into the garage to join the other officers, paramedics, and coroner’s office personnel.

I check my watch and see it’s almost time for my brother and sister to get home. I pick up the house phone and call Mrs. Brown. She lives down the street and her kids go to school with my siblings. Since we only have one car, Mrs. Brown offered to drive them to and from school every day. I quickly inform her of what’s going on and ask her to please keep my brother and sister until I can get everything sorted out. She quickly agrees but she’s in complete shock. I also ask that she doesn’t drive in front of the house and she assures me she won’t. I hang up and notice two officers are waiting to speak to me.

May we sit? I motion for them to sit. Have you figured out what happened?

As you know, we’ve done a complete search of the home and concluded it wasn’t a break-in. Your father’s office gave us some insight as to what happened though. We found a letter sitting on the desk. It’s a suicide note. In the note, your father admits to murdering your mother. We need you to identify the handwriting. As of right now, we’re ruling it a murder-suicide.

I stare at the officer. When I don’t say anything, he hands me the folded piece of paper. I open it up and see his messy handwriting. I look up at the police officer and tell him as such. I read the note.

Amber,

If you are reading this letter, then your mother and I are dead. Yes, I killed her and turned the gun on myself. My reason-I couldn’t handle the debt anymore and your mother was no help.

Good luck.

Dad

I drop the note on the table and look up at the officers. Investigation over. Here’s your proof of what happened.  I get up from the table and go to the bathroom. I close and lock the door behind me. I sink to the floor and sob. What the hell am I going to do now? That bastard left me with two kids to raise and all their debt. I shouldn’t be so angry, but I’m seething. Why would he do this to me? Right now, I hate my father. Somehow, I need to focus on burying my parents and getting my siblings through all this. I have no idea where to start.

Chapter 1

Six Years Later

Christmas Eve

Amber

I PULL INTO A BRICK driveway and up to the house. It’s absolutely beautiful. It’s a large ranch style home with an expansive porch that has rocking chairs and a swing. I look at the cars parked in the driveway and realize how out of place I am. My beat-up nineteen ninety-nine Toyota Corolla sticks out like a sore thumb. All the other cars are new and shiny. My stomach churns. I’m not used to all of this. Oh, well. I’m here. I need to make the best of it and socialize. I take a deep breath, grab the cookies I baked, and head toward the front door. The air is very cold here in North Carolina and I love it. I ring the doorbell and wait. I hear voices and the door opens. Miranda, in all her beauty, stands there with a huge smile. She has long brown hair and beautiful brown eyes. She’s a natural beauty. I’ve seen men walk into walls looking at her.

Hi, Amber! Welcome! I’m so happy you came. She motions for me to enter. Let me take your coat. She hangs it up in a small closet right behind the front door.

Thank you for inviting me. I smile and inhale deeply. It smells heavenly in here.

Mom’s turkey and stuffing. It’s amazing. She starts walking and I follow. Come in. Let me introduce you.

I follow her into a huge family room. It has high ceilings and I can see the second floor from where I stand. All the furnishings are modern and look so comfortable. The fireplace is spectacular and sits right in the middle of the main wall. A fire is going and looks beautiful. Framed pictures sit on the mantel. Above the fireplace and hanging on the wall is an enormous television. The damn thing nearly takes up the whole wall. Right next to it sits the biggest and most incredible Christmas tree I’ve ever seen. I swear it belongs to a department store display. I’m mesmerized by the room. It’s so picturesque and right out of a magazine. I look to my right and my mouth drops open. The most beautiful country kitchen comes into view. It has black appliances and cherry cabinets. The granite counter brings out the black and cherry and I can’t keep my eyes from wandering. Voices draw my mind back to what’s happening around me. Miranda leads me to a beautiful older woman. Miranda is the exact replica of her. She has motherly eyes and I automatically feel comfortable in her presence. She embraces me.

Welcome, sweetheart. I’m so glad you could make it. I’m Miranda’s mom, Claire. She says.

It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Morgan, and thank you for having me. I almost didn’t take Miranda up on her offer.

There was no way I was going to let you spend Christmas Eve alone, Miranda says, and I offer her a small smile.

Of course, not. We’re happy to have you and please, call me Claire. I hand her the plate of cookies.

I made pumpkin spice cookies, I say, and she smiles.

Thank you, honey. A tall man with graying hair appears in front of me. He’s very handsome and gives me a huge grin.

Who is this beauty? He asks and extends his hand. I place my hand into his. He kisses it and I blush.

Dad, this is Amber Mitchell, Miranda says and starts laughing at my reaction.

It’s nice to meet you. I’m Andrew and you’re to call me Andrew. He says.

Yes, sir, I respond, and he laughs.

Amber, come on in here, Claire says, and I head toward her.

Can I help with anything?

No, honey. Have a seat here and let’s chat. Claire and Miranda sit on each side of me. We sit and talk for a few minutes. Andrew places a glass of white wine in front of me and I smile. I thank him and turn to Claire.

Are you sure I can’t help with anything?

No, dear. Everything is ready. Now we relax until it’s time to eat.

It smells wonderful in here.

Thank you, Claire says, and the chit chat resumes. I’m amazingly comfortable with this family and I’m so happy I accepted Miranda’s invitation. The nervousness I was feeling is starting to dissipate. I turn toward her.

Thank you for inviting me. I’m so glad I ran into you at the grocery store today.

You’re one of my oldest friends. I wasn’t about to let you be alone. Plus, I love having you here. I’ve missed you and often wondered how you’ve been. She says.

I’ve missed you, too.

Miranda was my first friend here. My parents moved to Morganton when I was starting high school. They believed this town was a better fit for us. Miranda and I clicked from the first moment we met, and she was my best friend through high school. When high school was over, I pulled away from everyone because of what happened to my parents. I didn’t attend graduation and basically fell off the face of the earth. We lost communication and today was the first time we’ve seen each other since the last day of school. I’m pretty sure she heard what happened, but she had no way of contacting me. My friends weren’t allowed to contact me after school, so no one had my phone number. Cell phones weren’t a thing, and neither was email at that time.

Just then, the doorbell rings. Miranda tells me it’s her aunt and uncle. We both stand simultaneously when Claire opens the oven. We help her remove the turkey and other food. Introductions are made, and we continue the food plating. A few minutes later, we take the food into the dining room. Again, I’m flabbergasted with all the beauty. A long table is set perfectly and looks like a scene right out of a Christmas movie. It’s set with a beautiful red table cloth with a white and gold table runner. There is a big gold plate on the bottom with a white dinner plate sitting on top of each place setting. A white rolled-up cloth napkin sits on top of each plate. I want to get my cell phone and take pictures. Andrew and Ed, the uncle, disappear.

Guys, dinner is served, Claire yells down a hallway right off the kitchen.

A minute later, I hear male voices as they enter the dining room. After Andrew and Ed, the hottest man I’ve ever seen walks in. He’s really tall, probably around six foot two inches. I can’t pull my eyes away. He has short dark hair, like a military cut. His eyes are gray, and a girl could get lost in them. He’s built with the right amount of muscle. It’s very noticeable through his black button-down shirt. He’s wearing black slacks and a red tie. He’s mouthwatering and walks right up to me. He extends his hand and I place mine in his. I love how my hand feels in his. He brings my hand to