Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4
C an We Talk?
Maribel
It’s been a week since I’ve been staying at my cousin’s place. I stop by the dorm every day to at least be seen there. I’m so glad I had options because that dorm room stinks and my roommate’s side of the room is filthy.
No way would I have been able to put up with that shit and keep my mouth shut. I’m having a hard time not telling her off as it is. I have no doubt that others are going to begin to complain about the smell coming from that room.
“I’m starving, want to get some Chinese food?” Taylor asks from the couch.
She has actually turned out to be really cool. We have a few classes together and I run into her a lot on campus. One thing led to another and we’ve become friends.
She’s keeping my secret out of pity. She’s been to the dorm room. Not to mention her roommate is a bitch to her all the time. She’s been camping out here the last few days to have some peace and to keep from throat punching her roomie.
I pull a face and side-eye her. “Chinese in Texas. I’ll pass.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“No offense, finding good Chinese food out of state is a task. The rice be greasy, the chicken flavorless, or the egg rolls are trash.”
“I’ve been to this one place. I promise you it’s a good one. Come on, just try it,” she says.
I laugh as the microwave dings and the scent of butter and popcorn fills the air. It’s the second bag she’s popped in the last thirty minutes. My mouth waters and I realize I might be hungry too.
“Okay, fine. We can go before you eat all my cousin’s popcorn.”
“I’ll pick up some more.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m going to hit the store tomorrow to stock up on some things.”
“I’ll give you some cash. I don’t want to freeload.”
I shrug and go to throw my sneakers on. The weather is fickle here. Yesterday was chilly, but today was hot as fuck. I have on a sports bra and running shorts.
I swipe on some lip gloss and I’m ready to go. It was too hot earlier to think about doing more with my hair than a messy ponytail. I blew it out earlier this week, but the ponytail has been a saving grace for getting up and going.
“Okay, I’m ready. Lead the way.”
“You won’t regret this. I’m telling you, this place is clutch. You know, we should try to see if they will switch us up and trade our roomies.”
“I wouldn’t toss that situation on anyone.” I shake my head and pull a face.
“I guess you have a point, but that bitch would deserve it.”
“It will work out. Besides, this area is cool. Not too far from campus and still has a cool vibe. My cousin doesn’t mind at all. She doesn’t get to use the place.”
“Which is insane. Who pays for a three-bedroom condo they never see?”
“I think she used to have a roommate or something. Then she had all these plans for a business she was going to run on the side out of the other room. Things picked up at work and she doesn’t have time, but it all worked out in our favor.
“As long as we don’t get ratted out, it’s perfect. I’m not moving back to that dorm. They can’t make me.” I pout.
Taylor laughs. “Unfortunately, my parents would have a fit. Boarding is expensive and they would freak over the lack of campus security.”
I roll my eyes. “Not once they get a look at those guys. They are either out of shape or creepy. I swear that one dude be following me.”
“The one with the shifty eyes?” she gasps.
“Yup, you know exactly who I’m talking about. I can’t stand his ass. I keep my pepper spray on me.”
“You and me both.”
My phone rings as we get to the entrance of the restaurant. I look to find it’s Dez. I want to ignore him, but I’ve avoided his last few calls.
“Hey, I need to take this,” I say to Taylor.
“Want me to order for you? My treat.”
“Sure, I’ll have whatever you have and an egg roll.”
“Got you.”
She bounces into the restaurant with that infectious smile of hers on her face. I like Taylor a lot. She’s made this all easier.
“Hello,” I say into the phone.
“I thought you forgot about me. What’s all this about you going to college out of state? I thought we were going to spend time getting to know each other more.”
“I’ve always wanted to get my degree. I got accepted and was offered a scholarship. I don’t see why that or my dreams had to go to waste.”
“Pretty and smart. I might have lucked out after all. You’re coming to stay with me on your next break. Our fathers agree it will be a good thing.”
That’s nice for them. I’m so happy they are enjoying planning my life. I roll my eyes but hold all that in.
I’m fuming by the second. They are forcing this on me, and no one has asked what I want. Not to mention the fact that I never gave Dez my number; my father did.
“Keep in touch, my girl . Don’t do anything you shouldn’t out there. I don’t like sharing what’s mine.” He hangs up before I can reply.
However, I didn’t miss the hint of a threat in his words. I’m not his and he can kick rocks. His words make me want to find the next guy who smiles my way and pounce on him.
I turn to head into the restaurant and plow right into something hard. I stumble back a little and look up to see what the heck I just ran into.
My eyes lock with intense blue-gray ones. The guy stares back at me until recognition fills his gaze. A grin comes to his lips, causing his dimples to pop as he begins to look me over from head to toe.
“Sorry about that,” I murmur.
I feel so gross now that he’s appraising me. Not because he is but because of what I look like. This is the second time I’m seeing this guy while looking a hot mess.
“You were at freshman orientation,” he says with that sexy smile turned up a notch, deepening his cute-ass dimples.
“Yeah, I was.”
He shifts his bag of food to his other hand and sticks the now free one out. I look at his hand, then look back up at his eyes. This guy is drop-dead gorgeous. I take his hand and smile.
“I’m Cameron, but you can call me Cam,” he says—with a Texas accent that’s so attractive with his deep voice—as he shakes my hand and runs his thumb back and forth across my skin.
“Amina,” I lie.
I have enough on my plate with Dez. This one here is a red flag for sure. I don’t plan on interacting with him ever again, so I think nothing of the lie that slips from my lips.
Although it’s not a complete lie. I am Maribel Amina Jones. Mami calls me Mina, Amina when she’s pissed off.
“Nice to meet you, Amina. I’ll see you around.” He winks and releases my hand to walk off.
I turn to watch him go. Damn he’s fine. He’s crazy tall, so I don’t have to worry about wearing heels around him and he’s built. Tight ass, broad shoulders, and corded arms.
His blond hair is thick and shiny. He could definitely pull off a few shampoo ads. I’d watch them on repeat.
I shake my thoughts off and turn to head inside. All thoughts of Dez float out the window. In four years, I’m going to figure out how to avoid marrying that man.
He’s five years older than me. He needs to keep it pushing and find someone who wants to be married to him. I have nothing I want to offer him.
I enter the restaurant and find Taylor sitting texting on her phone in the little waiting area for takeout. I go to sit next to her, causing her to lift her head. She looks at me with excited, wide eyes.
“You won’t believe who was just here,” she exclaims, nearly bouncing in her seat. “I had to text Joelle. I totally thought I was going to faint or something.”
I only met Joelle once, yesterday. She’s cool, but she’s obsessed with the jocks and all the school sports. I tuned out after a while.
I look around, trying to figure out what I missed. She’s acting like Michael Jackson just walked through the place. I’ll be so pissed if I missed someone good.
“Who?”
“Cameron Perry from our baseball team. He and his twin brother are set to take over this place. He looks like an angel dropped from heaven. Oh my God, he smelled good too,” she gushes.
I fight to keep myself from rolling my eyes. It is not that serious. Just my luck that guy is going to be a highlight around here—that much harder to avoid.
He is fine as fuck, but she’s acting like he’s a walking god. I get it. A lot of the girls around here have dreams of snagging a jock freshman year in hopes of riding on through with them to the pros.
Not my thing. I’m here to get a degree that might open up my options. I’m willing to walk away from my trust as long as I have something to fall back on—heck, three years ago, I didn’t even know I had one. Although I can totally get why some girls might get all goofy over Cameron.
“Girl, you and Joelle need to take a cold shower. I thought you saw some celebrity or something.”
“Are you freaking kidding me? He is a celebrity. I’m getting season tickets to whatever team calls them up. Even if I have to get a second job once we graduate to do so.”
I burst out laughing at her. She’s dead-ass serious. I’m a Yankees fan and I’m not that dedicated.
“So you’re telling me you’d get season tickets for the Rockies just to see this dude? You don’t live anywhere near Colorado.”
“I never said I was committed to moving back to Connecticut.”
“You’re crazy.”
She shrugs and gets up as our number is called for our order. I’m taken aback by how many bags of food she has, but I rush to help her.
She didn’t lie. Once we get back to the apartment, we kill all the food. It was definitely top tier.
I finally have a place I can go to. They could give my favorite spot back home a run for their money. Full and with the weekend to myself, I fall out on the living room floor in a food-induced coma.
Cameron
Caleb had to stay at the hospital last night after getting stitches. They kept him another night for observation. I’ve been up there all day and was starving once I left after visiting hours were over.
Not in the mood to cook for myself, I decided on Chinese. I had no idea I was going to run into the pretty chick from orientation. She has a pretty face, and I can tell she doesn’t wear makeup. It’s natural.
When she shook my hand, a spark ran up my arm. I wasn’t expecting that. Things are fucked up with Kay, but we haven’t officially broken up.
Kayleen was my childhood friend. I don’t want to end things badly. I need to figure that shit out before I explore something else. I smile as those pretty brown eyes fill my head.
“Hey, Cam, can we talk?”
I come out of my thoughts and find Kay standing nervously in front of my building. I frown but I already know we need to deal with this sometime. I gesture with my head for her to follow me.
“How is he?” she asks as we walk together.
“He’ll be home tomorrow. They just wanted to keep him for observation for one more night.”
We’re silent until we get up to the apartment and I unlock the door. We push inside and I take my food to the island to sit and eat. I spread the containers out.
Kay usually eats off whatever I have, so I grab two forks so she can tuck in with me. I bought enough as if Caleb were home to share with me, so there’s plenty. Kay tucks her hair behind her ear then grabs the shrimp fried rice.
“Thanks.”
“No problem,” I reply as I tear into my own food.
“Cam, you know I didn’t mean for anything to happen to Caleb. Your mama wanted to throw the party and asked me for a list of our friends. I didn’t know she was going to make it such a big deal.”
I stop eating and glare at her. That’s bullshit and she knows it. As much as she knows me, sometimes I wonder if she knows me at all.
“I’m having a hard time believing that. You and my mama are joined at the hip when it comes to me. I explained to you how I felt. This wasn’t and still isn’t about us.
“He was already overwhelmed with starting college. This should have been his time to focus on that and adjust. You went behind my back, trying to get her on your side and now look.”
My voice is rising as I become angrier with each word. I’m not a dummy. I’ve been stewing on this since last night.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I just talked to your mama and told her about how I felt?—”
“How you felt?” I bite out, cutting her off. “Do you hear yourself? Dakota, Thomas, and I are all doing this for my brother. You say you’re upset because you can’t help him because you don’t feel like a part of his team, but you’re not acting like you give a fuck about him.
“You totally made this about you. I call you as much as I can. Before you started this, we were together all the time. The craziest part is that this isn’t my fucking fault.
“I warned you to study. I told you to listen to your guidance counselor. You blew us all off, thinking my daddy and yours were just going to drop some cash and get you into any college you wanted.
“This is on you. No one else, you ,” I bellow.
Her lower lip wobbles as her eyes fill with tears. I’m not falling for that. I see my mama do it too often for it to work on me now.
“I’m here because I want to fix what I’ve done. I get it. I see what I was doing was wrong. I don’t want to lose you, and I freaked out.
“I fucked up. I know that. I can still help out and be a part of his team. I’ll just have to be there for him in another way.”
“This is what I was trying to tell you from the start.”
“I know. Can we fix us? Do you forgive me?”
“I don’t know what I want to do. Is this really what you want? Maybe we’re not good for each other.”
She stands from her seat and places her hand on my arm. I turn on my stool to face her and she steps between my legs. Lifting her hand to my cheek, she searches my gaze with her green eyes.
“I have always wanted you. Yeah, we fight, but we always make up in the end. I love you, Cam.
“The next four years are going to be hard on us. I know we’ll probably fight a lot, but I’ll be fighting for us. If you need some time … let’s take a break for a bit.
“Focus on what Caleb needs and then we can get back to us. I’m here. I want us.”
I pause to think her words over. We do make up after arguing. We always end up together.
The thing is, I’m not sure that’s healthy for either of us. I’m not sure that’s what I want. I want the friendship we have, but I also want some fucking peace.
Everything I do is for my brother. Kay is the one thing I do for me. This shouldn’t be so hard—not when she’s supposed to be the easy part of my life.
I need something to be easy.