CAPTURE THIS (Updating regularly)

Chapter 7

"That's a shame," Saf told him from the front of the car, "we were going to get some take-out to cheer you up, but if you've already cheered yourself up, I guess there's no point." 

"Hey! No, I'm veeery sad," Matty answered hastily. "Very sad. And craving chicken wings." 

"Looks like Lindsey didn't take your appetite with her," Zora answered with a laugh. 

The car went silent. It was as though someone had taken all the air out of the car and replaced it with clouds of tension. 

"Oh, God!" Zora blurted out after she had realised what she said. "Matty, I'm so sorry! It wasn't supposed to come out like that. I'm such an idiot. I'm so sorry." 

Matty wasn't looking at any of them any more but looking down at his lap where he was fumbling with his keys. 

"It's alright," he answered quietly. 

Zora threw a panicked glance at Amber who shrugged. 

"Looks like we'll be needing extra wings," Amber told them, to lighten the mood. 

Matty gave a small smile, relieving the tension a little. 

They stopped in front of a take out place and Saf and Zora made the run to the shop to order the numerous items they decided they were going to get whilst Amber and Matty waited in the car. 

"Should I not have told them?" She asked him after Saf shut the door. 

Matty glanced up at her guilty face and gave her another little smile. "It's okay that you did. I need a distraction." 

Amber nodded, feeling like an anvil had been lifted off of her chest. "Have you called her?" 

Matty shook his head, glancing down at his keys again. "I wouldn't know what to say. I was so cruel last night. We fought, I went out and drank. When I came back, she was so insistent that I was lying to her. She kept bringing you up and it drove me insane. I kept telling her that there was nothing going on, but then she moved onto the holidays. She was so convinced that I went away with some girl and not my family..." 

He trailed off, sighing. 

"I know I should be a better boyfriend. I get it, you know? After twenty-nine years of marriage, her dad leaves her mum for her best friend. Turns out the affair's been going on since Linds was a kid. I get that if that can happen, then after being with her for only three years, that I could be doing the same but I don't know how to convince her I'm not." 

Amber placed a comforting hand on his arm. He smiled at her gratefully but she could see the underlying pain he was trying to cover up. 

"I'm the one who told her to leave but I feel like she left me, you know? It feels like she left more cheating, which I never did. I could never cheat on her, Ambs. Never." 

Amber watched him dissolve into tears which he frantically tried to wipe away. Amber felt her heart melt in her chest as she wrapped her arms around him. 

"I know you would never cheat on her, Matty. She knows that too but she needs time to figure that out on her own, okay? You're a great boyfriend and you stood by her as long as you could but it was just time for her to deal with her parent's divorce in her own way. You had nothing to do with that." 

Matty seemed wiped his tears and pulled away from Amber. "I'm a fucking mess, Ambs. I haven't cried since I was in primary school and she can just make it happen. I need her back." 

Amber nodded. "I know you do, Matty but you need to stick out for a little longer. She'll come back to you." 

Matty sighed, having calmed himself down. "I really hope she does."