Chapter 1.3 - Judgement

Amber's thoughts kept drifting back to that night, the night where she couldn't quite remember everything that happened. She couldn't stop thinking, trying to regain those memories. Some details were coming back to her. She remembered jogging through the town, she remembered stopping for food and drink, she knew she spend the evening chatting to someone, but she couldn't remember where she was or who it was she was talking to. It was so strange, she wasn't one to forget things easily, so why was this happening? Was it something supernatural? Was there really magic in Moonlight Falls?

"A workout...That should help clear my head." Amber thought to herself. She hadn't left the house for anything but work since that night, she was too worried about having another black out.
She turned on the tv, nothing but static appeared on the screen.
"Stupid thing!" Amber said, to nobody. And proceeded to hit the top of the tv firmly until a picture appeared on the screen.
"I really need to get a better TV at some point." This was just one thing on a very long to-do list for her house. But whenever the bills came through she only just had enough money left to get by. There definitely wasn't any spare money for a new TV.
Amber switched over to the 24/7 music channel and started to do her workout. Eventually her mind cleared of the worries that had been plaguing her and before she knew it she was drenched in sweat.
"Time to hit the shower." Amber muttered to herself. "Then I shall have some dinner."
After an incredibly quick (for it was freezing cold!) shower, Amber was having a look in the fridge for some ingredients for a meal. She decided to do a big pot of macaroni and cheese. that way she could save some in the fridge for later to save her from cooking everything all the time.
Just as she finished cooking, the doorbell rang. It was a short but somewhat firm ring, with a sense of urgency somehow.
"I'd better answer that. It could be important" Amber thought to herself, although she was not expecting any company this evening. She felt that she absolutely had to open the door.

It was Ayden Van Gould at the door. Despite her memory loss recently, Amber found that she knew Ayden straight away.
"Mr Van Gould!" Amber exclaimed, incredibly happy to see his thin, pale face in front of her.
This brought a slight smile to his sad lips. "Amber, my dear, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Ayden?"
"Of course Mr...." Amber blushed, "I mean...Ayden."
"What is happening to me?" Amber thought, "I'm like a schoolgirl with a  crush!"
Yet again Ayden's lips showed a hint of a smile, as though he had heard that thought as clearly as her spoken words.
"It smells like you were just cooking, have you eaten yet?" Ayden said.
"Oh...erm...." Amber suddenly couldn't remember what she was cooking, let alone if she had eaten anything yet "No...I don't believe I have."
"Well," Ayden said, "I wouldn't want you to starve to death. I would love to join you for...I'm sorry, what are you having for dinner?"
"Erm...you know? I actually can't remember!" Amber said looking sheepish.
"Well, I bet whatever it is you have cooked it will be...nutritious." Ayden said, "May I join you?"
"Of course you can! Come on in." Amber said, "I will go...erm...see what's on the menu!"
Ayden stepped across the threshold and smiled.
Amber was pottering around in the kitchen getting their dinner ready. She reached into a cupboard and pulled out two bowls.
"Looks like macaroni and cheese for dinner." She said, grinning, "Or would you prefer something else? I never asked you what you like to eat!"
Ayden smiled again. "I like all types." He said simply, "I'm sure whatever you do, you'll do just fine."
Amber smiled back and plated up both meals.
They sat in silence as they ate, but Amber didn't feel remotely uncomfortable. She wasn't sure what she felt. She felt similar to how she felt the first time she met Ayden.
"Is this love at first sight?" Amber thought to herself.
"Don't be silly, you're just attracted to him because of his money...right?" A voice in her head said to her.
"I don't know. This feels like something...more, there is something about him, I can't help it!" Her eyes flicked over to him, he was smiling into his bowl of food that was barely touched.
"Do you not like the food Ayden?" Amber said, suddenly worried.
"I do," He said, looking up at her, "I just have very little appetite tonight."
"What's wrong?" Amber asked.
"Nothing, my dear. Would you like to dance? I think it would make my night if you danced with me."

"Right here?" Amber asked, it seemed strange dancing in her house.
"There's no place else I would rather be." He said looking in her eyes.
Amber felt butterflies in her stomach. "Let me just clear my dish." Amber said, getting up to take it to the little kitchen. When she came back to take Ayden's dish, he stood and took her in his arms.
"Enough cleaning. Dance with me." Ayden said.
Amber couldn't refuse. They danced for what seemed like hours. Time flew and stood still at the same time, Amber felt dizzy even though the world seemed like it had stopped moving. It was like being drunk.
"It's late," Ayden whispered softly in her ear, "You look tired. Maybe we should go to bed."
"We?...Oh!"

The next morning was a bit of a rush. The place was kind of messy from the previous night. The oven (along with most of the kitchen) needed cleaning, the dishes needed washing along with all the pots and pans from dinner. The laundry needed doing. And Amber had to leave for work in just a couple of hours!
Ayden woke up and came in, he just sat down and watched TV. He didn't say anything to Amber while she cleaned everything in the house, nor did he offer to help her in any way. He seemed to be ignoring her, and Amber couldn't figure out why.
"Was last night so bad?" Amber thought to herself. 
She scrubbed at the hob trying to clean up any spills and dirt.
"Is he just not a morning person?"
She did the washing up.
"Am I being a bad host, should I offer him breakfast?"
There was so much cleaning to do, and all this worrying about Ayden's behaviour made her feel sick.

In the end, Amber couldn't hold her nausea back any longer and ran to the bathroom to be sick.
"Great!" Amber thought angrily, "Not only did he not offer to help me, he probably thinks I am weak and useless now too. I'm not used to cleaning so much, I grew up with servants!"
Eventually she was dry retching over a now dirty toilet.
"And now I have to clean this damn thing! I know he sure won't!"
So she got the scrubbing brush out and started to clean her toilet. Looking around, it seemed like the rest of the bathroom could do with a clean too. After everything was sparkling to perfection, she hopped in the shower, she couldn't go to work smelling like a cleaner!

When she got out of the shower and went to make herself a quick bite to eat before work, Ayden finally moved off the couch. He approached her with a look of disgust on his face.
"It seems I was mistaken." He said, "I believed you to be a lady of good standing, yet you spent your morning cleaning everything, do you not have a maid to do this for you?"
"No, I do not have a maid. Why is that a problem?"  She said, offended.
"I once had the same attitude as him..." Amber suddenly realised how much she had changed. Maybe this man was too much of a reminder of her old life, with his etiquette and poise. Maybe that's what attracted her to him.
"Can you not...afford it?" He asked, whispering the last two words like it was something she should be ashamed of.
"No, I was disinherited and banished by my family." She said, no longer ashamed of this fact. "And now my life feels more real than it ever did when I lived with my family in their expensive home, having their needs waited upon morning, noon or night. Now I have to do things for myself and I feel like I am actually achieving something."
He looked at her, his face keeping his thoughts a mystery. This only enraged Amber further.
"If you have a problem with a woman who has high dreams, yet has nothing to her name, and is still willing to work for them, despite having everything handed to her in her youth, then you can leave now. I don't have money, but I do have my dignity. I will regain status and wealth, but I have to work for it. It will mean more that way. Now, if you don't mind, I have to go to work, not all of us own establishments that make money for us."
She barged past him, and left the house. If she had looked over her shoulder, she would have seen the look of awe that had appeared on Ayden's face. He obviously liked her attitude, and her ability to stand up for herself.



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Sorry for the delay in this post everybody. I was rushed to hospital a couple of days ago but am on the mend.
Any feedback is appreciated.