CAPTURE THIS (Updating regularly)

Chapter 12

Friday felt like a long time away, Amber thought to herself as she sat in her Art class watching Mr Knightly commenting on two-dimensional and three-dimensional pieces of art on the board.

It was much easier to see him in a different light after their coffee. Amber was able to draw a clean line between the man she saw at college and the man that she would think about whenever her eyes fell upon her mother's art set. Mr Knightly would often bear Alex's trademark smile and for a minute it would pierce a hole in her image of the firm but kind teacher that stood in front of her in class, but then he would be gone when he asked her for her homework. She found herself relaxing in class, no longer worrying about whether the other kids would notice him acting differently towards her because he was always indifferent except for the occasional wink when she was the last one out of class.

After school, Amber decided to catch up with Matty at the art gallery he worked at so that she could update him on the current situation with Charming.

"Coffee?" he repeated, looking underwhelmed. "Not the most original first date." 

Amber rolled her eyes. "It wasn't a date. We're just being friends."

They were sat behind the reception in the lobby of the gallery. It was almost closing time so there were only a few people milling around. It was the perfect time for them to talk. 

"Friends?" Matty repeated again, with an unconvinced smirk on his face. 

"Are you just going to parrot everything I say?" Amber questioned, pinning the 'VISITOR' badge he had given her to her blouse. 

"There is no way you are just friends. You met his family a week after you met him and in that week, he told you something so personal that he still hasn't told the people closest to him," Matty told her as he tidied the log book. "That's not friendship, Ambs." 

Amber watched as he flicked through the different angles of the security cameras on his computer and sighed. "Enough about me. What happened when you went to see Lindsey's mum?" 

A small smile drifted up onto Matty's face as he continued to watch the screen. "She was great. She told me about how Lindsey's the only daughter they have and how she used to be a daddy's girl. Her dad cheating obviously broke her heart. Her mum reckons it's harder on Linds than it is on her because Lindsey's mum knew they were drifting apart. Linds never saw it coming." 

Amber nodded understandingly. "I can't say I blame her. I would be so mad if my dad did that."

"I spoke to Lindsey a couple of days ago. We've sorted things out mostly," Matty told Amber, staring at his feet. 

"Mostly?" Amber repeated curiously, wheeling her chair closer to his. 

He nodded and met Amber's gaze. "She wants to move back in with her mum." 

Amber frowned at him with concern. "Are you okay with that? I mean, you'll be taking two steps back." 

Matty shrugged and gave Amber a reassuring smile. "I'm just glad she's back in my life. It's not permanent, anyway. It's just until she sees her mum back on her feet." 

Amber put a comforting hand on Matty's arm. "Well, I'm happy that you're both doing better." 

He smiled and placed his hand over hers. "Thanks, Ambs." 

Their conversation was interrupted by one of Matty's colleagues asking for a key to the store room. Amber watched as her friend fumbled around the desk, lifting things and scrambling through drawers. She had once found him incredibly attractive, back when they had first met and she could still view him in that way if she allowed herself. As he handed over the key to his coworker, laughing his twinkling eyed laugh at a joke the other man had made, Amber wondered if she would have made a move on Matty with his momentary separation from Lindsey if she did not have Alex.  Except she didn't have Alex. They'd agreed to be friends.