CAPTURE THIS (Updating regularly)

Chapter 25

Mr and Mrs Knightly did not return until lunch time the next day, by which point, Alex and Amber had already left the Knightly house to go and visit Sylvia. 

The morning had been spent walking around the small town arm-in-arm revisiting Alex's childhood memories that were scattered around Dayrham. From his primary school to the his parents' old house, they went on a walking tour of his life and it made Amber feel closer to him than ever. 

"This is a pretty narcissistic trip," he remarked as they stopped outside the little cafe where he was dumped for the first time. "I mean, this is supposed to be a romantic getaway and here we are just talking about me." 

Amber laughed. "This is romantic to me, though. It's sweet that you're letting me get to know everything about you. But clearly, all this attention is making you uncomfortable." She gave him a little nudge. "I'll tell you what, for every memory that you tell me, I'll give you one to match but you need to buy me a steaming cup of tea first." 

He grinned. "That seems fair." 

They entered the small rustic cafe with intimate tables and booths. It was a relatively empty place. The barista looked pleased to finally have a customer. She abandoned the magazine she had been flipping through and threw them a warm smile. 

"I'll go and grab us a table," Amber told Alex, planting a quick kiss on his cheek before hurrying towards a small booth in the further corner of the cafe. 

It was out of character for her to have kissed him in public, even if it was such a chaste kiss. A warmth spread through her bones as she realized that is was an almost instinctive act. It felt like such an mature act. She had always seen her father give her mother a quick peck before he went somewhere. Perhaps this was the start of her first adult relationship. 

As she settled into her seat, she watched Alex order their drinks and turn to flash her a smile that was bright enough to make her breath hitch for a split second. She savoured this moment, being able to out in public with him because it was so rare for them. She only ever saw him at his apartment or at school, which always left her with the niggling thought at the back of her mind which told her that their relationship wasn't the most conventional. But here, on this little cafe in the middle of a tiny town, she felt like she was in any other relationship, just enjoying a day out with her boyfriend. 

Alex brought the drinks to the table and took a seat across from her. Amber threw him a grateful smile and blew some steam off her tea to cool it down. 

"I believe you owe me a story about your first break up," Alex told her with a smirk. 

Amber smiled down into her tea. "Well, it isn't as sad as yours, for one thing. It's actually quite a sweet story." 

Alex leaned forward and tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. "Well now I'm intrigued." 

"Well," Amber began, making herself busy by pouring some sugar into her mug and giving it a stir, "I was in a relationship with this boy that lived across the road from out house. We were about eleven, not really understanding what it meant to be boyfriend and girlfriend. But we were always paired together in class for projects because our names were next to each other on the register. He shared his sweets with me, and so naturally we became a couple." 

Alex rolled his eyes in a amusement. "Naturally." 

Amber took the spoon out of her mug and placed it on the table. "Were were together for about three weeks before he went to stay with his aunt for the summer. He sent me letters for another week or two before he decided I was too grown up for him. He sent me this little keychain with my name on it and promised me that we could be together again when he had grown up a bit more."