CAPTURE THIS (Updating regularly)

Chapter 21

Amber pulled away reluctantly, as she heard footsteps in the distance, suddenly aware that her friends were waiting for her and that despite the walls of bookshelves that secluded them, someone could stumble upon them in the corner of the shop. 

"I have to go," she breathed, pecking his lips once more. "Meet me at your apartment in half an hour." 

And with that, she scrambled away with one last fleeting glance at Alex who was smiling contently at her. 

As she stumbled through the shelves, Amber wiped away her tears and tried to make it look as though she had simply gotten lost in the shelves. "Where are you guys? I'm near the romance section!" 

The irony was not lost on Amber as she tried to restrain her giggle. It had been so long since she was last truly this happy that the outburst surprised her. 

"We're just around the corner in the children's section," Zora answered, sounding louder and clearer, indicating that she was not far from her. "Go past the Harry Potter shelves." 

Amber followed her instructions to find her friends huddled around a display and the breath caught in her throat as she recognised the glossy illustrations on the cover. 

With her emotions already heightened by her encounter with Alex, the tears came spilling out her eyes once more. 

Matty flung an arm around her and Zora stroked her other arm comfortingly while Saf passed her a copy of the book. 

"We're so proud of you," Matty muttered as he planted a kiss in her hair. 

Her hands were shaking so much as she flicked the book open and let her eyes take in the familiar paintings. 

"It's so stupid that I'm crying, God," Amber mumbled with a small laugh as she hastily wiped away her tears. "Okay, I need two copies." 

Saf passed her another copy with a grin. "Congrats, Ambs." 

Amber pulled him into a hug. "Thanks, Saf."

Saf rolled his eyes but looked pleased all the same. "Enough with all the crying and soppy stuff. Now that I know that your illustrations aren't ugly, I think I'm going to buy a copy for my little brother." 

Amber laughed and slapped his head playfully. "You should have known my illustrations wouldn't be ugly before you even saw the book!" 

Saf stuck his tongue out at her and walked to the cashier to pay for the book. 

"Oh my God!" Zora squealed, grabbing Amber's arm. "It's Prince Charming!"

Amber took too long to feign a look surprise and Zora gaped at her expression. 

"You already knew," she commented before gasping dramatically. "Something happened!" 

Matty was watching the pair with a curious expression. 

"I'll tell you in the car," Amber muttered. "Let me go and pay for the books and we can leave." 

With a book for her father and her sister, Amber followed her friends into Matty's little car, where silence fell over the car once more as they waited for her to explain what had happened in the shop. 

Amber told them everything except for the kiss. How Alex had apologised, how she was angry at first but realised how much she had missed him, and finally, about how glad she was that he had just told the truth about being jealous. 

The car remained silent for a while after her explanation and Amber couldn't look any of her friends in the eye as her words sunk into them. 

"I don't want you to get mad at me, Ambs," Zora began quietly, as she nervously fixed her gaze on her hands in her lap.