CAPTURE THIS (Updating regularly)

Chapter 26

After their visit to Alex's hometown, the pair barely had time to enjoy their newfound understanding of each other. Alex was swamped with arranging the school's art fair for the new first year students leaving Amber with more free time than she wanted. The time that she normally would spend in Alex's apartment after school was now spent in her empty home with awkward encounters with her father as he came home in the early hours of the morning looking guilty - something which, despite all her free time, she chose not to pursue. 

She tried to fill the void in her life with her friends but there was only so much time they could keep her company. Most of her time was spent on the phone with Ann but she was becoming increasingly more busy with university assignments and preparation for the baby. 

When Matty invited her to spend her evenings at the gallery he worked at with the promise of free coffee and donuts that he could bring her from the staff lounge, she jumped at the offer. 

Matty's gallery was nothing like The Hollow Paintbrush, which she had become accustomed to. The gallery sat in the middle of the town centre in an ancient circular building. The paintings hung from the ceiling on invisible wires floating inches away from the curved walls. 

Hours rolled by as Amber poured over the paintings, soaking up inspiration for her own paintings. Her paintings had taken a bit of a hit recently. The art project that she had been working on for Alex's assignment had to be scrapped as it had a far too cynical tone for the painter whose work Amber was trying to emulate. Amber stopped painting at home altogether, feeling as though anything she would paint would be tainted by her pessimistic outlook of the world. 

"See anything you like?" Matty asked as he handed her a mug of steaming of coffee. 

Amber shrugged as they both stared at a landscape painting of an old castle. "None of these paintings excite me like they used to." 

Matty took a bite of his pink sprinkled doughnut. "Well you're going to have to paint something new some time soon, right? They're only going to keep your painting up at The Hollow Paintbrush for another two weeks." 

Amber knew that Matty was trying to be helpful but his reminder made the knots in her stomach tighten uncomfortably. 

"I'd better get back to the front desk. Let me know if you need anything." 

She threw him a grateful smile and nodded.

As she turned back the painting, the portrait next to it caught her attention. She walked over to it and lingered in front of it as she sipped from her coffee. 

Someone came and stood beside her but she paid him no mind. The pair stood side by side silently completely transfixed on the painting before them. After spending the past couple of weeks feeling slightly lonely, Amber finally found the sense of companionship she had been craving. The person beside her shifted slightly and for a moment she feared that they would leave, but they remained rooted to the spot beside her as if they were waiting for her. 

When she was sure that they were looking ahead, she peaked a glance over to them with a side along glance. She was a few inches taller than her with perfectly groomed chestnut brown hair sitting immaculately in a quiff. He wore a  crisp white shirt shirt and a skinny black tie, which was hanging loosely around his neck, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows with his hands buried in his pocket. Amber wasn't prepared for him to turn to her. His thrilling emerald eyes ran a shock down her spine. As he smiled, she noticed the little creases that appeared in his unblemished skin and he flashed her his perfect teeth. 

"It's quite a portrait, isn't it?" 

Amber wasn't prepared for the lilt of his American accent or the chill that ran down her spine at the sound of it.