Delusion by Avery North

Chapter 2

Jake quickly parked the car, excited to see Amber, and head to the airport. They had been planning this trip for a while, and he couldn’t wait to spend days walking among castle ruins with Amber. One thing they both shared was a love of history, specifically castles. This trip signified the start of their wonderful life together. When they came home, they would welcome Adam into their lives and live happily ever after.

“Hey, lassie,” he sang out in his best Scottish accent. “Are ye ready to go make love amongst the castles?”

Not getting an answer, he frowned. “Amber?” he called out again, still not getting an answer. “Where are your bags?” he asked, looking down and only seeing one suitcase sitting at the front door.

“AMBER!” He called, suddenly feeling concerned. Walking into the kitchen, he saw the brown manilla envelope sitting on the counter.

“What the fuck?” he said, wrinkling his brow as he picked up the pictures that Amber had left on the counter.

Examining the picture, he scratched his head. “That looks like me, but I know it’s not me. AMBER, WHERE ARE YOU?” he shouted in a panic.

He rushed through the house, but she was nowhere to be found. Opening her dresser drawers, he discovered that most of her things were gone. Running back into the kitchen, he picked up his phone to text her.

Amber, call me back.

Where did you get these pictures from?????

That’s not me!

AMBER, PLEASE CALL ME

WHERE ARE YOU??????

His texts and phone calls were going unanswered as he sat staring at the pictures. Who would do this? he thought to himself. More importantly, why would someone do this? He sat there for almost two hours, trying to understand what was happening, constantly texting or calling Amber and staring at the pictures.

The buzz of his phone startled him. “Amber,” he said immediately as he picked it up, though he didn’t recognize the number. Hopefully, nothing had happened to her.

“Jake, it’s me, Susan,” Susan whispered into the phone.

“Susan! Is Amber with you?”

“I’m at the cabin with her. What the fuck is going on?”

“I wish I knew. Someone gave her some pictures. Pictures of me with three women.”

“Is it you?” Susan interrupted.

“God, NO!” Jake cried. “I would never do anything like that to her. Susan, come on. You know me.”

“Jake, I’d like to think that. I haven’t seen the pictures, but all I know is Amber is beyond upset, and she wants nothing to do with you,” Susan said. “I’m worried about her.”

“Susan, please believe me. I love Amber, and I have no idea why someone would create these photos and send them to her. Someone did this. It’s got to be photoshop or something.”

“Okay, so is anyone blackmailing you?” Susan asked.

“No, I haven’t done anything to piss anyone off,” Jake said. “I know one thing, I don’t know who is behind it, but when I find them, I’m going to wring their bloody neck.”

“Well, I think you should come and talk to her. She needs to hear all of this from you,” Susan said. “I’ll wait here until you arrive. She’ll probably kill me for doing this, but I love both of you, and I really think you two need to talk.”

“Where is she now?” Jake asked.

“Sleeping on the couch after too much wine,” Susan said. “Just hurry up and get up here.”

“Okay, I’m on my way. Did she say where she got the pictures from?”

“Apparently, Corrine delivered them. At least that’s what Amber said.”

“Corrine?

“Anyways. You need to get up here and talk. She’s hurting really bad.”

“Did she ask you to call me?” Jake asked, looking down at the pictures.

“No, like I said, she wants nothing to do with you, but I just knew I had to call you. I know you, Jake, and I know you love her, so come on up and talk to her,” Susan said, shaking her head. “She needs you right now.”

Hanging up, Jake picked up one of the pictures, examining it closely and shaking his head. The man definitely looked like him, and it appeared to have been taken in some sort of a cheap motel. Everything pointed to him being guilty, but he knew he wasn’t. Hopefully, he could convince Amber to believe him, and they could work this out.

Grabbing his keys, he stopped for a moment, reflecting back on the one time they had argued a while back over Hank.

“Oh shit,” Jake said out loud. “Could that have been when?” Jake had been upset with the long hours that Amber was keeping at the Cornerstone, and it always seemed to be when Hank was working. It wasn’t that he was jealous, but he felt that she had put their relationship into second place. They argued over it, and Amber got so upset that she moved out briefly. After she left, Jake sat in the dark for a long time then decided to go after her, but not really knowing where she went; he decided to stop at a bar to drown his sorrows. The next morning, he woke up in his own bed with his car in the driveway but with no recollection of getting there. The throbbing in his head let him know that he most certainly had too much to drink. Could something else have happened that night? He still didn’t know who brought him home as he sat there trying desperately to remember the evening.

✽✽✽

Jake had walked into the bar and taken a seat, waving at the bartender.

“Give me a whiskey on the rocks, please,” he said, throwing a $50-bill on the bar.

“You look like you have lost your best friend,” the bartender said, putting a napkin down before placing the glass on top of it.

Jake let a huge sigh escape his mouth and looked at the man. “I sometimes wish I had never fallen in love.”

“Awww, lady problems. Half the guys that sit at this bar have been in your shoes.”

Jake shook his head and took a sip of his drink. The warm liquid burned his throat as he swallowed, and he shuddered slightly. “It’s just not fair sometimes. Why is it they never want to listen to what you have to say, but when they have something on their minds, watch out?”

The bartender began wiping down the bar top, looking at Jake and smiling. “I hear ya.”

“I mean, what is it about women that they think they are right all the time?” Jake asked, gesturing for the bartender to refill his glass. “Do they think we don’t have feelings?”

The bartender laughed. “It’s a mystery. My name is Henry,” he said, holding out his hand.

"Hi, Henry, I'm Jake," Jake said, shaking the man’s hand before picking up his glass and downing it while Henry went to wait on some other customers. Not being much of a drinker, the alcohol was already affecting him, making his head feel a bit dizzy, but he didn’t care. He wanted to feel numb.

Henry came back and put a full glass of whiskey in front of Jake.

“What’s that? I didn’t ask for that,” Jake said, looking perplexed.

“No, but that lady sitting at the end of the bar did,” Henry said, pointing to the blond smiling at him.

Jake looked at her and raised his glass. “Thank you,” he slurred as he brought the glass to his lips. He knew he had had too much to drink, but what the hell. He was hurt, and he wanted to make Amber worry just as much. He figured once Amber cooled off, she would try to call him. Looking over at the woman, Jake smiled at her and motioned to the chair beside him. He needed company tonight, and she looked like she was alone. What would it hurt to have someone to talk to?

He didn’t remember too much after that. He remembered chatting with her and having more drinks, but then everything became a blur. Could something have happened then? He had to find out, but first, he needed to convince Amber he was innocent.