Never As It Seems

Chapter 11

"Amber wait!" Jay called.

She could tell he was following so she turned her walk into a run. She was fighting back tears, which angered her. Why did she have to cry? It wasn't that she was upset more than humiliated.

"Amber please just stop!" He caught up with her easily and grabbed her arm. She shook it free.

"Don't touch me!" She snapped, still with her back to him.

"Just let me talk to you. Please." He said calmly.

She turned around but refused to look at him, keeping her eyes firmly on his shoes. She was so angry at herself for thinking he might actually like her. At that thought she got even more angry... It was he who had kissed her, he who had pursued her and he who had turned up at her house this morning.

"Connor was right." She said to herself.

"What?"

Without thinking she looked up at him. His face was full of concern, hers full of anger.

"Nothing." She said looking down again.

"What did you say about Connor?" He double took. "What did Connor day about me?" He asked with a hint of apprehension in his voice.

"He said you were no good." Amber said quietly. Then gaining her confidence, she looked at him again. "And he was right."

She turned away and began walking again. This time he didn't follow and Amber was annoyed at herself for feeling a pang of disappointment.

"I did say I'd hurt you!" He shouted after her.

Amber rounded a corner and leant back against the building, wiping the tears that were now irritatingly falling. She took her phone out of her pocket and dialed 'Home'. The annoying recorded voice from the phone company seemed to take delight in telling her she didn't have enough credit to make the call. She pressed her hand to her forehead willing the tears to stop falling.

"Let me take you home." A gentle voice broke the silence.

She looked up into Jay's chocolate eyes.

"At least let me do that." He said sounding defeated.

She swiped at the tears again and shook her head.

"I'll make my own way." She responded but couldn't muster the strength to act on her words.

"It really wasn't what it looked like you know."

Amber turned her head away from his words. "I don't even care anymore."

Jay didn't respond for a few seconds, fighting the words that eventually got free.

"But I want you to care."

She looked round at him incredulously. He frowned and dropped his eyes to the ground.

"Amber I'm sorry. Let me take you home and try to explain. Please."

She was aware she really had no other way of getting home but her pride was still fighting her accepting him. Eventually she nodded and started back towards the enclosure where she knew the car was parked. Jay walked alongside her but neither said a word. Amber didn't find the silence awkward because her mind was too busy, whirring with the events of the last few days. There she was, enjoying her long summer break and now she was caught up in all these emotions and feelings she didn't want to have. If only she could just switch them off!

Jay unlocked the car as they approached it but when Amber got in, she heard Matt call out to Jay from across the enclosure. She buckled her seatbelt and waited for him. She could hear the two men talking to each other but couldn't make out what was being said. A couple of times both sounded agitated but she couldn't hear enough of what they were saying to know why.