CAPTURE THIS (Updating regularly)

Chapter 5

Mr Riley was pacing the living room when Amber arrived home. 

Her father had not elaborated on the phone but Amber knew she was in trouble. She guessed that he must have found out about Alex.

She left Alex's flat profusely apologising but Alex followed her outside and insisted she let him drop her off. 

They didn't speak in the car. Amber's usually rosy cheeky were drained of colour, making her freckles stand out even more. Alex found his eyes flickering over to her worriedly.

"Is everything alright?" He asked her but Amber did not hear him. 

She played the possible scenarios out in her head. How had he found out about Alex?

The car came to a halt at the end of her street but it took a few minutes for Amber to notice. 

"I have to go," she said suddenly, frantically trying to unbuckle her seat belt.

Alex placed his hand over hers to calm her and waited for her too look up into his eyes.

"I'm sorry. Something's happening at home. I really need to go."

Alex wordlessly let go of her hand and put it back onto the steering wheel.

She hesitated as she looked into his cold, expressionless face. She placed a hand on her arm.

"I know you start work tomorrow. I don't know if we'll have the time to see each other again." She paused to pick up her purse. "But for what it's worth, I'm really glad I passed out last week."

She leaned over from her seat and pecked his cheek, something she had only ever done to Matty, and unlocked the door to let herself out as quick as she could with her crutches.

Amber knew that he watched her walk down the street from his car but she forced herself not to look back. It would only make facing her father harder.

She took a moment to take a deep breath before unlocking the front door.

The house was silent. As she took off her coat, she wondered if anyone was home.

The only sound was the sound of her crutches echoing on the tiled floor as she made her way to the living room.

There she found her father, his face a dangerous shade of crimson. What she hadn't been expecting, was Annette shrunk into a ball on the couch with a blotchy face covered in tears. 

Amber silently made her way into the room and sat down beside her sister. Annette didn't move.

None of them spoke for a while and Amber found herself getting restless. She opened her mouth to speak but Mr Riley beat her so it. 

"You knew?" He asked Amber in quiet disbelief.

Amber was so stunned but his expression that she momentarily forgot her sister's situation. Her heart plummeted to her stomach when she remembered.

She gulped a deep breath before speaking. "I did know, yes."

Mr Riley scrunched his eyes shut and shook his head in frustration. "I don't understand. I just..."

He seemed to be lost for words. He couldn't look either of them and instead fixated his gaze bitterly on a spot on the rug in front of them. 

"I didn't raise you girls like this. I thought you'd be careful. I didn't think that I'd ever have to have this talk wit you girls. I thought you'd be smarter than this."

His voice was weak with defeat.

"I thought after your mother's death, we were closer. I never expected you to keep secrets from me. We were supposed to deal with these things together."