"Everyone knows Amber did this, she's a sweet woman."
Raising one eyebrow at the waitress, "really?" He tried not to be rude; the snort he barely contained would have been rude. Amber sure as hell hadn't been sweet to him since he returned; she had been cold and distant. He considered her a pain in the ass.
"Oh yeah, she's got some story too. The poor girl."
Poor girl? He was ready to set this woman straight on a few facts, when she spoke again. "If you like a little gossip and don't mind me taking a seat with you during my break, I'll tell you her story."
Craig was too intrigued to turn her away from his table. He wanted this, a hint as to what was going on with Amber. At least he hoped he wanted it. Being able to handle the information he got was another story altogether. He waved her over to the other seat. "Gossip?"
"Actually it's not." She said with a dramatic flair. "It's public fact, but since you are new in town, I thought..." She didn't continue, just shrugged.
Craig studied this busybody from across the table for a minute. He knew whatever she had to tell him would be what his mother had been talking about. He'd have to decide what was fact and fiction; gossip had a way of transforming. He knew from experience there'd be some truth, and he'd have to face it and live with it. This information could change his life, but he was too interested not to hear it, even though he knew he could be better off not ever knowing the truth.
His emotions were in turmoil. He wanted to know and then he didn't. He really wasn't sure, but knew his gut instinct was to talk to this woman, so he asked. "Do you know Amber Toadvine well?"
Laughing softly, "no, I've never met her. I've seen her, she comes into the diner here occasionally." She smiled wistfully, "But I feel like I know her, and I'd be proud to say she's a friend, if I did know her."
Craig nodded, not sure what to say. Amber earned this woman's loyalty without even saying hello to her. He wondered how the waitress would feel if she knew how her gossiping would make Amber feel. He didn't ask.
"Well, Amber's story is pretty big around these parts. Everyone knows who she is. There's not a soul in town, and the surrounding towns who hasn't heard her name before. Let's see it happened about." She paused to think for a moment, "ten years ago. I remember it happened right as I moved to town. So for me the gossip was big news, you know, getting to know people and how things worked around here."
She chuckled, "Amber having fallen head-over-heels in love with this guy, agrees to marry him. On their wedding day, he finds her in the arms of another guy, Brian Thomas, and her fianc� freaked out." She stopped and stayed quiet for a moment and shook her head sadly, "I guess I don't blame him, he thought she betrayed him. He left town before getting an explanation from her and left her to live in hell."
Craig didn't like the way the woman was making him sound. Even if she had no idea the guy who had left his fianc� was he. "I don't blame him. She deserved what she got for cheating on...him." Craig caught himself in time, he almost said me.
Slamming her hand on the table, Craig jumped. He hadn't expected her to show such anger, and didn't expect the look of disgust on the womans face. "Look, I'll forgive you that remark. Since you are new in town, and don't know the story, but let me tell you no one deserves the kind of hell Amber had to endure."
"Because her fianc� walked out on her?" He asked incredulous.
"No, because she was raped."
Craig's mouth fell open in shock. "Raped?" His voice was nothing more than a squeak. He never heard anyone mention rape before. Surely, he'd heard something as momentous as rape. Would he have listened if they had? Of course, rape was serious and he didn't think he'd turn his back on such a problem.
"Yeah, rape." She shook her head, "Okay, lets start over. What her fianc� walked in on was that bastard Brian trying to rape her. Poor Amber thought when her fianc�, I think his name was Greg or Craig, anyway she thought she was saved when he walked in the room and punched Brian out. Then to her astonishment he started calling her all kinds of foul names and ran out, not to be heard from again. Amber tried to find him, tried to explain what happened, but the jerk took his hurt pride and headed for the hills. Unfortunately, Brian didn't. He came back for her, madder than hell, ready to finish the job. No one knew Brian was a lunatic, hell, he was good friends with them both."
She paused for a second to think back, then sadly shook her head, "he went after her all right. He broke into her house that same night, the night she should have been on her honeymoon, instead she was being raped. He beat the living shit out of her, almost killed her."
"Oh God." Craig couldn't register what had just been said to him. He didn't want to believe what he was hearing.
She looked at him for a moment, and he figured she really wasn't seeing him. "Yeah, well, luckily they caught the bastard. Last I heard he was still in jail. Rumor has it, he?ll be up for parole soon, word around town is Amber's scared to death he'll come after her. Apparently, Brian doesn't think the job is done yet, it won't be done until she's dead. If that's not bad enough, her ex-fianc� is back in town. There is no helping the fact she'll have to run into him, he's the woman's son who was on the flier.
"Ruth and Amber became close after Amber's parents were killed about five years ago. Apparently, they had been close when she was supposed to marry her son, but really bonded when Amber lost her family. Sweet Ruth practically became Amber's second mother, I guess Ruth was trying to right the wrong her son had done. In the end, Amber helped Ruth the most. I don't think either one of them would have made it without the other.
"All I know for sure is she didn't deserve to run into him now, she's a great girl with her life in place just as she wants it. Once again it's going to crumble around her."
Craig looked at the waitress; he didn't want to believe her, even though her facts about his part in the whole mess were amazingly accurate. He still hoped what she had told him could be rumors. "That's an interesting story. Are you sure it's all true?" He held out hope it wasn't, he couldn't believe he didn't know something this drastic happened. Then again he hadn't known his mother was sick, until too late. Damn, was it possible he'd been completely wrong for the last ten years? Had he ruined his and Amber's life so easily?
"Honey, every bit is true. The sad part is, I don't even know the whole story. I've heard a lot of other rumors, things that make what I've told you seem drab, but nothing I know of for sure."
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