Shutter ❋ Joe Sugg AU

36 ❋Joe

"At the moment we're just learning basic administrative tools, but later on this year we'll be delving into more complicated stuff..." I trailed off, realising that my mouth had been running for a considerably long time. Amelia and I were driving to her Dad's, me behind the wheel of my shitty car and her curled into the passenger seat. She was staring out the window, unresponsive, which was what prompted me to stop speaking.

"That sounds great Joe. I'm so glad you're enjoying it." She was referring to the business course I had just started.

"Yeah, I mean it's better than sitting at home." I said, trying to sound casual. I glanced away from the road to see her smiling at me, but it looked very forced. I suddenly realised how stupid of me it was to say that, because of her current situation. A few more days had passed since that disastrous dinner, during which nobody had contacted her about a photography gig. She was essentially sitting at home, out of work and out of hope.

I wanted to face palm myself. There was nothing I could say to fix my mistake so instead I turned on the music loud, drowning out my thoughts and hopefully hers. I was surprised when I felt her soft hand touch my forearm, radiating warmth and comfort.

"Thank you so much for agreeing to come." She said warmly, her tone sounding genuinely grateful.

"No problem Lia. I can't wait to meet your Dad."

For the rest of the drive conversation was limited, instead we sang along (pretty badly) to every song that came on the radio. It made the car trip more bearable, having Amelia in the seat beside me. We got to her family home in the late afternoon - it was an old fashioned villa which was surrounded by green, leafy trees and a messy garden. It was a fair drive from York, but it was worth it for the slightly isolated location. The land around the house looked untouched, apart from a few houses visible in the distance.

As soon as I got out the car I was hit with the refreshing smell of country side - after living in London for the past year I did tend to yearn for that scent. It was a part of where I was from also.

"So this is where you grew up." I said fondly as we walked side by side to the front door, carrying our overnight bags. I still managed to drape an arm over her shoulder and keep her close to me.

"Mmhm. I miss it."

We arrived at the front door and she pressed the doorbell. We didn't have to wait long for the door to swing open, revealing a man who I could instantly tell was Amelia's father. The only physical feature that obviously connected them was the eyes, and they were so similar that I could hardly tell them apart. Everything else about him was different from his daughter, so I assumed that most of Amelia's physical traits had come from her mother.

"Hi, you must be John. I'm Joe, nice to meet you." I extended my hand, which he took somewhat hesitantly. My mouth was stretched into the most friendly smile I could muster.

"Hello. I've heard lots about you from this one." He shook my hand and glanced at Amelia as he spoke. As soon as he let go of my hand Amelia crashed into his chest, hugging him tightly as if her life depended on it. He chuckled warmly, patting her back a few times and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. I looked at the floor, feeling a bit intrusive watching such a loving moment unfold.

"Come in, come in. I'm making a curry for dinner tonight, by the way." John said, sounding a little bit proud of himself.

Amelia gave an audible gasp. "You're cooking? Who are you and what have you done with my father?"

We were stood in the front hallway still, in which the walls were covered with photo frames. At brief glance I could see that most of them were of Amelia and her parents. A lump formed in my throat when I caught sight of a women who could only be her mother - I had seen her before in pictures, but it was still a shock to see how similar she looked to the girl in front of me.