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Middleburg, Three years earlier
Amber waited a week for the call from the hospital in Middleburg, Florida. She was just about to give up and drive into Jacksonville, when her new cell phone rang for the first time.
“Hello,” she answered quickly.
“May I speak with Amber Curtis,” asked a sour voice on the other end of the line. It sounded like the same woman Amber had handed her resume and application to at the hospital that day.
“This is she,” Amber replied as politely as she could.
“I understand you are applying for the position we have open for a nurse on the third floor of the hospital. Is that correct?”
“Yes, I am,” replied Amber.
“We would like for you to come in for an interview this afternoon at two,” said the surly voice.
“Sure,” said Amber. “I will be there.”
Before Amber could say bye she heard the phone click indicating the surly voice had hung up on her.
Amber dressed carefully in a business suite she had bought at the local mall in case she got the call for an interview. She wore navy blue slacks with a navy and white striped blouse. She had found a pair of navy, strappy sandals that complimented the outfit perfectly. She pulled a long gold chain out of her overnight bag. She would never depart with it. On the end of the chain hung a locket with a picture of her parents on one side and a picture of her on the other. Her parents had given it to her for her high school graduation. Just four short months before the accident that had taken them from her.
After applying her makeup and assuring herself she looked competent and professional, Amber drove to the hospital for her interview. Meeting the sour faced lady at the reception desk and explaining why she was there, Amber was told to wait in the lobby and someone would be with her shortly. Thankful it wasn’t the secretary, Amber walked to a chair and picked up a magazine.
Three hours later, Amber left the hospital with a smile on her face. She had been given the job and was taken on a tour of the hospital. She had met the other nurses she would be working with. All of them had seemed friendly and the hospital was one she would be proud to work in.
Amber headed back to the hotel to get some sleep. She would be starting her shift in two days and would have to go shopping the next day for scrubs to wear to work. The hospital had given her a list of the colors she was allowed to choose from and the place where they prefer the nurses buy from.
After six months, Amber was still having a hard time settling into her new home. She had found a nice apartment where she felt comfortable but she was afraid to get close to her neighbors. She enjoyed her job and genuinely like most of the women she worked with but was afraid they thought she was unfriendly. She could not tell them why she did not want to be friends with any of them.
Amber had called Olivia a couple of weeks after settling into her new apartment and told her what had happened in Birmingham. Olivia was so distraught over the news she vowed to hunt down and gut the creep for the pain he had caused. Amber laughed and Olivia begged her to keep in touch.
One night, after her shift at the hospital, Amber went home and climbed into a hot shower. Afterwards, she grabbed a glass of wine and her cell phone and plopped down on the couch she had bought three weeks ago for her new apartment. Amber had finally decided to decorate her apartment and make it as homey as possible even though she knew she might have to leave it all behind. She looked around at the touches she had added.
Amber was not a frivolous person by nature so most of her purchases had come from discount stores or thrift stores, but she was happy with the end result. Because she lived in an apartment her walls were the color of mud, but she had added pictures and shelves to cover up the ugly color. With pillows and curtains she had added blues and yellows to her living room, making it feel light and airy. She especially liked one lamp she had found for a dollar. It had a glass base and the lamp shade had a swirly pattern of blues and yellows that exactly matched the other colors she had already picked up for her home. You cannot beat a bargain like that, she had thought as she purchased the lamp.
She had found the couch she was sitting on at a discount store and it had been marked down to fifty dollars. She could not believe she had found such a bargain. The couch was navy in color and after adding yellow throw pillows, it blended in nicely with the other furnishing she had chosen. Her living room was sparsely furnished, but it was comfortable for her. She hoped she would be able to stay a little while.
She picked up her cell and dialed Olivia’s number. She waited as it rang, still looking around and smiling to herself. She was excited to hear Olivia's voice on the other end.
“AMBER!!!” yelled Olivia. “I am so glad to hear from you. How are you?”
“I’m good,” Amber said. “How are you, Olivia.”
“I’m good. I was just getting ready to go to dinner.”
“Oh, don’t let me keep you,” Amber said. “I can call back another time.”
“Don’t be silly. Dinner can wait. It isn’t every day I get to talk to you. I miss you, Amber.”
“I miss you, too,” Amber replied. "Who are you having dinner with?"
"Patrick is taking me out. Can you believe we've been dating for more than a year now? He is really wonderful to me, Amber. I wish you could meet him."
"I do too, Liv. I'm sorry I can't be there to share in these good times with you."
“What’s wrong, Amber. I can tell something isn't right. Please tell me that creep hasn’t shown up again.”
“No, no. I’m just sad and lonely, but I'll be fine.”
Olivia sighed. “You haven’t made any friends have you?”
“No,” Amber answered. “I’m afraid to Liv. As soon as I do that creep will hurt someone. I can’t be responsible for that. But I am so lonely.”
“I know, honey. Hey. I have some vacation time saved up. Why don’t we go somewhere, just the two of us like we used to do?”
“That sounds wonderful; Liv, but I can’t take the chance. That guy almost killed you, remember. I love you too much to put you in that kind of danger. As soon as I think this creep is gone, we will take that vacation together,” Amber said.
“Okay, Amber. But please be careful. Talk with you next week?”
“Absolutely, I always look forward to our chats.”
As Amber hung up the phone she felt the tears start to slide down her cheeks. She missed her hometown, she missed her best friend, and most of all she missed her parents. She did not even have the comfort of visiting their graves like she used to do before she left Alma.
Amber drank the rest of her wine and went on to bed. She was feeling depressed and she decided to lie down and have a good cry. She would feel better when she woke up the next day.
When Amber passed the nine-month mark in Middleburg, she began to wonder if the person who was stalking her had given up or if she was actually free of him. She slowly began to get comfortable again and started to accept when the other women invited her to lunch.
One morning, Whitney, a pretty nurse with raven black hair and dark brown eyes, came hobbling down the hall on crutches. Amber’s heart sunk. Please, God, no. Please tell me he hasn’t found me again, she silently prayed.
“Girl, what happened to you,” Natasha asked Whitney.
Whitney’s face turned a bright red as she told the story of how she twisted her ankle the night before. “My boyfriend and I were acting goofy and he was chasing me around the house. I ran down the stairs and slipped on a rug and took a hard fall.”
The other nurses laughed and cracked jokes while Whitney took it all in good-natured fun. Amber breathed a sigh of relief, but it was a quick reminder of the stalker in her life.
“Can you imagine explaining to Dr. Wright how I injured myself,” Whitney asked. The girls laughed again and headed back to work. Amber patted Whitney on the shoulder and went to do her rou
nds. She was so thankful it was a simple accident, all in fun, that had injured Whitney and not the work of the crazed stalker that had plagued her life.
The more Amber relaxed the more she allowed herself to go out with the other nurses she worked with. Some of them were married, some were single, and a couple of them had kids. Most of them had known each other since they were children so they were a pretty tight-knit group. Nevertheless, they always made her feel comfortable around them and genuinely seemed to want to be her friend. Amber’s personality refused to let her continue to hold them at bay and she slowly became friends with each of them.
She enjoyed going to lunch with Whitney and learned the ankle accident was not the only one she had since dating her boyfriend. Apparently, Whitney was a little accident prone and her boyfriend and she could end up in some kinky situations. Dr. Wright did not even bat an eye at the ankle injury or the cause behind it.
Eventually, she started going out at night with some of the single nurses as well. For three months she laughed, made friends, went to dinner, and even met a male nurse who was interested in her.
She began to think her stalker had moved on to another target and though she felt sorry for the new object of his desires was thankful it was no longer her. Little did she know how wrong she was.
The notes started shortly after she had been in Middleburg for a year. The first came in the mail.
Sorry I have been ignoring you lately my sweet but never
fear, I have not given up on our love. You are mine and I know
you will remember that always. I see you have made new
friends although you know how dangerous that is. I would
hate to have to hurt one of those pretty nurses. Now be a
good girl and watch your step or I might get jealous of the
the time they are spending around you. And don’t think
I don’t know about the male slut sniffing around you. Get
rid of him or I will.
Amber sat on her couch shaking and began to cry. Why was he doing this to her? She did not know who this person was or what he wanted with her. She could not even ask him.
She wiped her tears and decided this time she was not leaving. She liked it here. She would just have to be more careful. The girls would not understand her rejections to dinner and lunch but she could still be friendly at work. Surely this maniac would not begrudge her that.
Amber stayed another month and continued to work at the hospital in Middleburg though she was careful not to be overly friendly to anyone. The other nurses did get their feelings hurt when she began turning down invitations to go out. However, Amber was more concerned about their lives than their hurt feelings.
Josh Stinson, a male nurse on the first floor, continued to try to pursue her but she turned him down. The notes continued to come, some by mail, some hand delivered that told her he was there, watching her. She had finally decided she had to leave. This time she would at least give notice to the hospital.
Amber talked with the administration, handed in her notice to leave, and once again began packing her bags. She was at home packing when she heard a knock on her door. Heart in her throat, cell phone in hand, Amber looked out of the peep hole and saw Josh. Breathing a sigh of relief, she opened the door.
Josh was slightly taller than she was and worked out religiously. He had dark brown hair and the most brilliant green eyes. Most of the nurses at the hospital would sigh as he walked by. Many of the single female patients and even a few married ones tried relentlessly to catch his attention. Her coworkers did not understand why she would not go out with him.
“Hey, Josh,” she said as the door swung open.
“Hey yourself,” Josh replied. “I heard you were quitting and moving out of town.”
“Yeah, I, uh, got another job offer and decided to take it,” she lied.
“Oh. I thought maybe you were leaving because I was pushing you to go out with me,” Josh said.
“No, Josh. It’s not that,” she quickly assured him. “I’m just ready for a change of scenery. That’s all.”
Amber felt bad for lying to Josh. He was such a nice person and at any other time in her life she would be attracted to him. However, she didn’t want to see him hurt because of her.
“Can I come in,” Josh asked as he continued to stand awkwardly in the hallway of her apartment building.
Amber held the door open. “Sure,” she said.
Josh came in, surveyed the packing boxes, and asked if she had eaten yet. Amber shook her head.
“Why don’t I order some take out and I can help you move some of these boxes,” Josh asked.
Amber smiled. “That would be great. Thanks.”
A couple of hours later Josh and Amber had finished all of her packing and had her car loaded. “So, you heading out in the morning,” Josh asked.
“I think so. The hospital said I could stop by and get my final check after ten, so I will probably hit the road after that,” Amber said.
“Well, good luck, Amber, with your new job. I sure wish you were staying,” Josh said.
Josh gave her a hug and walked to his car. He waved to her as he drove out of the apartment complex. Amber could feel the tears in her eyes. She decided to call Olivia since it would be awhile before she would be able to talk with her again.
As the phone rang, Amber wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
“Hello,” Olivia answered.
“Hey Livy,” Amber sniffled.
“Hey honey. What’s wrong,” Olivia asked.
Amber had not told Olivia what had been happening for the past month. She let it all spill as she cried out her problems to her best friend. “I don’t know if I can keep doing this, Liv. I hate moving, leaving, and starting all over. And Josh is really cute and actually interested in me, and I was making friends and living a normal life.” Amber continued on in never ending sentences as she hiccupped her way through her latest issues with the maniac stalking her.
“Amber,” Olivia barked. Amber stopped talking. “Honey, listen to me. You are the bravest, strongest person I know. You will make it through this. And one day you will find someone who will be willing to help you out of this situation.” Olivia continued to talk to Amber in soothing tones reassuring her and trying to get her mind off her stalker.
The girls talked about the adventure Amber was having while getting to live in different places and meet new people. When Olivia finally heard Amber laugh she knew her friend was going to be alright.
“So where is Mr. Handsome who keeps taking you out for romantic dinners and keeping stars in your eyes,” Amber asked.
“He is out of town right now,” Olivia answered. “His aunt is sick and she is elderly and lives by herself. He took some time off work to take care of her. He said he wasn’t sure how long he would be gone. Isn’t he wonderful to want to help take care of his aunt that way?”
“You definitely met a good man, Livy. I am so happy for you,” Amber stated.
“I know. I never thought I could be this happy. He really is wonderful to me. I hate that you and he have not been able to meet. The two most important people in my life should know each other,” Olivia said.
“I agree. Maybe we can all get together some day,” Amber replied.
“Oh, Amber. I almost forgot to tell you with all of the craziness going on. I am getting married! Maybe you can meet him then. I want you to be there. You have to be my maid of honor.”
“Olivia, that’s wonderful!! I am so happy for you,” Amber cried.
“Please say you will come. I need you,” Olivia begged.
“I will be there, Livy, but I can’t be your maid of honor. I want to, really, but I dare not risk it. No one needs to know I am there other than you,” Amber said.
“I understand,” Olivia replied. “I will let you know the date as soon as we set it so you can make plans.”
&
nbsp; The girls talked for another hour about wedding dresses, colors, and flowers. When Olivia was sure Amber was no longer thinking about her stalker, she talked about the plans Amber had made and where she was going next. Eventually, the girls were talked out. Amber promised to keep in touch after she got settled into her new home in another town before the girls hung up the phone.
Amber sighed and took herself off to bed. Tomorrow she would pick up her check and head to another place. She was not yet sure where she would go, but she would settle somewhere.
He was seething inside. He had warned her. Yet he saw her hug him and smile at him. She would regret that. The nurse would not because he would be dead. But she would know. She would know the nurse was dead because of her. He would make sure of that. He left her apartment and followed the small red car the nurse had been driving. Trying to calm himself, he continued to follow his victim. He had to think. It must look like an accident. If he lost control, he would make a mistake. He could not afford to make any mistakes. Still seething, he saw his opportunity when he passed a sign indicating a sharp curve ahead. Speeding up, he started to pass the small red car and then jerked the wheel back into the lane. The small red car missed the curve and turned over in a ditch. He smiled and kept on going.
The next morning, Amber went to the hospital to pick up her check. She had loaded the last of her things into her car, made sure her overnight bag was in the front seat beside her, and filled her tank up with gas. Smiling at the thought of Josh giving her a hand last night, Amber stepped through the doors of the hospital. She had decided to stop and give her coworkers a hug goodbye and say thank you to Josh before she left.
Amber headed up to the third floor to talk to her friends one last time. She saw Whitney and smiled at her. “I just stopped to tell you all bye,” Amber said. “I really enjoyed working with all of you.”
Whitney smiled. “I enjoyed working with you too. Be careful on your trip.”
“I will,” Amber said. “Have you seen Josh today? I wanted to tell him thank you. He came over last night and helped me load boxes into my car.”
Whitney’s face fell. “I guess you haven’t heard. Josh was in a terrible accident last night. He is in critical condition. They said he may not make it.”
“What happened,” Amber asked.
“I’m not sure,” Whitney said. “They said he missed a sharp curve and his car flipped. He had been laying there for some time before anyone discovered him.”
Amber clutched her stomach and slowly backed away from Whitney. “I…I…I’ll go check on him before I leave,” Amber stammered. Whitney watched her walk away.
Amber did not stop at Josh’s room. She knew what had happened. She did not want to see the proof. She picked up her check and ran to her car as fast as she could. She had to leave now. This time the note was taped to her car door. It was short, simple, and written in red.
I warned you.
♥ Chapter 3 ♥