CAPTURE THIS (Updating regularly)

Chapter 8

Something was pinning Amber down. It was as though there was a log lying across her stomach, stopping her from moving. 

Amber apprehensively lay still in the dark room, staring up at the ceiling, trying to comprehend the situation she was in. She frightfully glanced over to her left to locate the source of the heavy warm breath she felt fan across her face. 

A mixture of relief and guilt washed over as she gazed at Matty's familiar face. His arm was slung protectively over her as he slept peacefully beside her. His hair was a tousled mess and the frown that Amber had seen all too many times yesterday had relaxed into a content expression. She felt a rush of affection as she watched him sleep. It was as though his memory had been wiped of every trace of the break up. She wished that he wouldn't have to wake up and remember it all again. Amber took a shaking hand and tenderly ran it down the side of his face

The warmth from his cheeks seeped comfortingly up her fingertips and Amber instantly felt guilty as Lindsey's face popped into her mind. She'd had sleepovers before with Matty when Lindsey was away but never had they shared a bed. She thought to the sofa in the living where she was supposed to be sleeping and sighed. 

There was no way she would be able to leave the bed without waking Matty up, so the lay helplessly beside him staring up at the ceiling. She certainly felt well rested. With everything that had happened with Ann and Alex, she had been exhausted and wanted to avoid any mention of either of them but she now felt like she could take it on. 

Alex would be teaching her today. She had left her timetable at home, but she was certain that she had art everyday. How was she supposed to look at him? Now that Zora knew about them, it would be so much harder to keep her emotions off of her face. But Amber couldn't help but feel a little silly. She and Alex had never established that they were anything. It was just the feeling she had when she was with him. His quiet demeanour made her feel immediately at ease. When she was with him, she forgot her worries about Ann and her anxiety about starting school. It lay forgotten at the back of her mind, instead she was intent on knowing as much as possible about Alex. As though he was the only one in the world with her. 

Matty mumbled something in his sleep as he turned over, releasing Amber. She slipped out of the bed as quickly as possible before he would trap her again. She felt relieved that he would never know that she slept beside him, despite feeling slightly guilty about it herself, but she knew it would be better for her to shoulder the guilt for both of them.

Amber picked up her crutches as silently as possible, and began to make her way to the living room where she had left her clothes from the day before. Every time her crutches made contact with the floor, it made a small clicking sound and Amber prayed silently that Matty wouldn't wake. 

By the time she had made it to the bathroom, the daylight was just creeping in through the windows. Amber needed to head home to shower and change before she headed to school. It was a fairly simple journey from Matty's home. It didn't take her very long to change. Amber decided to borrow one of Matty's hoodies since the September chill was bitterly cold. 

After checking the time the bus would arrive to the bus stop outside Matty's flat, Amber made her way down using the elevator and approached the bus stop steadily. Her hands began to freeze as she gripped her crutches tightly, waiting for her eyes to stop watering. The bus arrived within minutes and Amber was relieved to find that there were only a few other people on it. 

Amber decided to take the time to send Ann a text message. 

Hey, I'm sorry I didn't text you earlier, got caught up in some drama. Hope you made it to uni okay. Talk soon x

The bus had barely made it pass another stop before her phone made a 'ping' noise. 

I made it okay. Been throwing up non-stop since I got here, but I'm okay. How's Dad?