Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
KAMILA
“ F irst off, it was rude not to invite us when you found out other guys were there,” Jake says dryly.
Levi sighs. “Agreed, but let’s focus on the subject at hand.” He looks at me intensely. “You kissed him? I thought you hated each other.”
“Is this the guy who you made me look up the information for? Because I owe someone a favor for that,” Jake asks while looking at his Uno cards.
“That’s the guy.” Emma puts her own card down.
Shooting her a dirty look, I continue to keep my mouth shut.
“I’m still confused. Why would you kiss him if you hate him as much as you do?” Levi asks.
“There’s a fine line between hate and lust.” Jake smiles wickedly at him. “Combine the two, and it might turn into the best sex you’ll ever have.”
Levi ignores Jake. “Is this really the first time you two have kissed?” He pauses. “You’ve already slept with him, haven’t you?”
“Will the both of you please shut up?” My voice comes out louder than expected, but their shameless nosiness is driving me insane. “Yes, we kissed, yes, he is the guy I asked you about, and no, we haven’t slept with each other. Also, Uno.” Putting down my second to last card, I smile at their momentary silence.
It’s been two days since the bar, and on Sundays, when we can, we have a game night at Em’s and I’s suite to catch up on our week. I stupidly believed that it was going to be a good distraction from what happened on Friday, but that’s all the three of them want to talk about.
“So why did you kiss him? Don’t get me wrong, I understand the appeal. He’s hot and has the whole bad boy thing going on, but he’s your sister’s ex.” Levi tries to say it gently, but it still feels like a punch to the gut. Em said something similar the morning after it happened when we went out for breakfast. Even completely sober, I still don’t know the real reason as to why it happened. It just did.
“Wait. He’s your sister's ex?” Jake puts his cards down to look at me . “How didn’t I know about this?”
Okay, I guess we’re taking a break.
“Yes, he’s my sister’s ex. I know, it’s messed up. All of us used to be best friends in high school until they ended things.” I take a sip of the beer and sigh. “And to answer your question, I don’t know why we kissed. It. Just. Happened.”
“Well, it wasn’t just any kiss now, was it?” Em mutters under her breath.
“Emma!”
Levi drops his cards next. “Can we please get the full fucking story?”
“Seriously, you two. I’m not one to meddle in people’s private affairs, but enough with the cryptic shit,” Jake agrees. “Just spit it out.”
“Fine, fine.” Defeated, I tell them everything that happened that night.
The truce, Mike, the kiss in graphic detail, and what happened after Em found us.
The boys exchange a look .
“What?” I ask them. My patience is hanging on by a thread at this point.
Levi takes a swig of his drink. “If I ever see this Mike kid in person, I will beat his ass.”
I snort. “Unnecessary, but nonetheless appreciated.”
He disregards my answer. “It seems…” Levi trails off.
“Immensely complicated?” Jake finishes the sentence.
“That.” Levi nods.
“Tell me about it. I was the one that had to witness them dry humping.” Em shivers dramatically.
“We were not dry humping.” I smack my remaining card down.
“It kind of sounds like you were.” Levi smirks.
“Levi, stop letting Emma influence you like that! You’re supposed to be the sweet one.”
Jake settles his beer down on the floor and leans towards me. “Enough laughs and games, Kami. Let’s cut the bullshit. The kiss sounded hot, and the mutual dislike you have for each other could be building up some sexual tension. It happens. I’ve been there, not including the whole twin sister’s ex thing. I wasn’t lying when I said that the sex can be great, but it does come with consequences, and in your case, there’s a lot more at stake. The red flags are big, my friend. Setting the alarm, throwing you over his shoulder, the kiss itself, they’re obvious warnings.” He leans back and gives me a pointed stare. “My unsolicited advice, stay away from him.”
This elicits a surprised face out of all three of us. Jake really isn’t one to give advice. I’m not ignorant of the fact that what I did was stupid and dangerous. I didn’t plan for the kiss to happen, and as soon as I saw Emma’s face when she caught us, I regretted it. It was the first time he and I ever crossed that line. Obviously, something’s changed within our time apart. Maybe what Jake said about there being a fine line between hate and lust is true. It wasn’t a romantic kiss, far from it. It was rough, messy, and hot. It felt like years of pent-up anger all thrown into one simple act, and it felt good. But he’s also right about me staying away from Cameron.
“Point taken. However, I do have class twice a week with the guy, and he’s my partner for the rest of the semester. I'm stuck with him for now.”
The room goes silent. “I think this calls for something stronger.” Jake stands, goes to our fridge, and takes a bottle of vodka out along with some chasers.
“When did you put that in there?” Em asks.
“When you guys were getting the games ready.” He looks around the room. “Where are your shot glasses?”
“One last breath, in and out.” Moving my arms up, inhaling deeply, and back down on a strong exhale. I clap my hands, letting everybody know that the class is over, and thank God it is. Those vodka shots last night were a mistake. I only had three, but mixing them with two beers, it was enough to make today’s workout a lot tougher.
Since none of the guys could make it to my class due to our ever-conflicting schedules, it gives me the opportunity to use the pool for the first time this semester.
I’m done packing my things and start heading toward the locker room to change when I get a phone call from Ana. Shit, I haven’t spoken to her on the phone for over two weeks now. With a deep sigh and guilty conscience, I click the green button.
“Hey, Ana.” My voice sounds a lot happier than I feel.
“Hermanita, hi. It’s so nice to hear your voice, and before you ask, no, I’m not drunk. That’s not why I’m calling.”
That relieves some tension off my shoulders. “Okay, hermanita, good for you. Why are you calling then? Is everything okay?”
“Everything is fine. I called to ask you about our birthday plans for this weekend. ”
Well, that’s new.
“Mom and Rafael have our usual at-home dinner planned, but our tía and cousins can’t make it for some reason or another. I zoned out when mom explained why.” That sounds more like the Ana I know. “Anyways, are you up to going out, maybe to a club with my friends?”
Not her friends. They’re the absolute worst kind of people. The drunks who expect you to babysit them or the other kind of drunk that picks fights for no reason. Besides, I’m only staying home for one night, she knows this. I’m coming back Saturday afternoon to celebrate with my friends that she’s always refused to acknowledge. On the other hand, I went out with her and her friends multiple times since she met them, and every time, they somehow got into trouble and never dealt with it properly. When I tried to talk to Ana about it, she refused to listen. So I stopped hanging out with them, always coming up with excuses whenever I’d be invited to tag along. This is the first time she's asked me to come out to a party in months.
“Can we stay in and watch some of our favorite movies with Mom like we used to? We’re both going out Saturday night anyways.”
Please say yes. Please say yes.
“But why? Why don’t you ever want to go out to the club with me anymore?” Her high-pitched, whiny voice causes me to pull the phone away.
“I can’t risk missing my bus to get back on campus because of a massive hangover. I promise we can go out during winter break,” I say, feeling bad for not being able to go out together on our birthday.
“You promise?”
“Yes, I promise.” And I mean it.
“Okay. I’ll see you this weekend, hermanita. Love ya.”
“I love—” and she hung up.
I press my forehead against one of the locker doors and groan. I’ll never be able to get drunk around her again now that I’ve kissed Cameron and might blurt it out. She doesn’t even know that he goes here. If she did, she’d be all over me with questions. Que desastre .
Putting everything into my locker after I’ve changed into my full-body black bathing suit, I grab my towel and head toward the pool. The pool in this gym is used for a couple of things, half of it being split up for classes or lounging, and the other half is separated into four sections by lane rope for people who want to practice their laps. Classes in the pool are done for the day, so I hang my towel up near the door of the locker room and step onto the side where everyone is relaxing. Once I’m in a comfortable spot, I close my eyes while I float, relax, and clear my mind.
About three years ago
I’m seated in one of the chairs at the planetarium, waiting for Cam. He’s running late again. I don’t exactly know what’s been going on between him and my sister lately, but it’s starting to complicate things. Ana and him have been seeing each other for almost a year now. It’s crazy how well everything worked out right after they got together. The group dynamic was going strong for a while. Of course, they had their alone time, too, but I never minded as long as I didn’t lose my best friends.
Now, I’m starting to get worried. Cam is never late this often. He’s gotten grumpier lately, too. The planetarium is our safe haven where we can talk about anything and everything. That’s why I’m going to approach the subject tonight. The shows are over for the day, but the place lets people come in to look at the artificial night sky till closing. Finally, I hear the door open, and Cam comes in wearing jeans and a dark black T-shirt.
“Hey, you’re late. Again . We only have half an hour.”
“Sorry about that.”
I look over and see him with his head tilted up. His jaw is clenched, as well as the muscles in his arms he started to grow within the past year .
“Alright, enough moping. We’re the only two in here so we’re going to talk. What has been up with you lately?”
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about, Kami,” he says, bored, his eyes still focused on the stars.
“Cameron, look at me.” I grab his hand, and his eyes meet mine. His dark brown eyes seem to be a little glossy. I’ve never seen him this way, and now I’m really worried. “Have you been crying?”
He shakes my hand off and straightens his back. “It’s none of your business, Kamila.”
Enough is enough. “As your best friend, it is my business. Stop acting like a child and talk to me. What. Is. Going. On?”
He turns and blurts everything out. “Ana and I have been fighting a lot lately for the stupidest reasons. Reasons I can’t even remember half of the time. I love her, you know I do, but I don’t know if I can keep doing this.”
Exactly what I suspected. Still, I didn’t know it was affecting him this much. I take his hand again, and this time, our fingers intertwine.
“Have you tried talking to her? Maybe telling her and yourself the truth?”
His face is unreadable. “What truth would that be?”
“That you’re thinking about ending things.”
It was the words he wasn’t willing to say out loud.
“No.” He sighs. “Sometimes it feels like you can read my mind.”
I smile. “I know that she can be a lot. After seventeen years together, I am well aware. Still, I think that you have to be straight up with her. Tell her that you guys need to start communicating better, or else you’re going to have to end things. Period. End of story. That’s the only way to get through to Ana. I know she loves you too, and you guys can fix this.” I’m not sure if that last part is true, but I reassure him because right now, that’s what he needs.
Cam puts his arm around me and pulls me into one of his bear hugs. “Thank you for being so cool about this. I’ll talk to her tomorrow. I know it can’t be easy having your sister dating your best friend and then having to hear about their problems.”
I shrug. “It’s fine. I’m used to it by now. I just want everybody to be happy. And besides, you and I are going to the same college, so we have to stay friends no matter what.”
He laughs and nods.
We pull apart and sit back in our chairs. “Can I ask you something?” he says nervously.
“Anything,” I reassure him.
“It’s kind of weird, but it’s something I’ve been asking myself for a while now. I’ve just never had the courage to say it aloud.”
“Spit it out, Kahlo.”
He shifts uncomfortably in his seat. Cam doesn’t get nervous very often. The action makes me antsy.
“Can we keep it between us?” His voice is still a little shaky.
This sounds serious. I turn my eyes slightly to see if his face can give me a hint as to what he’s about to say, but there’s nothing there. He’s looking at the stars like I was.
I lay my head back. “Sure. Now ask.”
“Did you feel it too?” he whispers.
I’m confused. “Feel what?”
“First day of junior year. Did you feel like we were meant to meet each other? That somehow we belonged in each other’s lives?”
I lift my head to find his eyes on mine. “I really hope you’re not about to admit that you’re deeply in love and can’t live without me because I don’t do sloppy seconds. Especially my sisters.”
He barks out a laugh. “Glad to know how you feel, but no. What I’m trying to say is that it felt like we were soulmates in some kind of way, at least for me. I don’t believe that the only soulmates we have are the people we end up marrying, I think there are all different kinds, friends, family, pets even. Just deep connections and it felt like that with you.”
Too stunned at his words to respond, I stare at him. We’ve had deep conversations before, but woah. This is not what I was expecting.
“Never mind. Maybe it was a stupid question, let’s just forget ? —”
“I felt it too,” I say quickly because he looks like he was about to book it out of here. It’s the truth, though. I did feel it. “You’re the only friend I’ve ever felt that with before. ”
Cam smiles and puts his arm back around my shoulder to tug me into his side. “No matter what happens between Ana and me, you’ll always be my soulmate, Kamila.”
I’m so lucky to have this boy as my best friend. It’s what I’ve been looking for since I was five. “Who knew that Cameron Kahlo could ever be this sappy.”
“I blame you and my mom for making me watch all those rom-coms.” I hear the smile in his voice. Cam and I were meant to be in each other’s lives in whatever form that may be, and I can’t wait to see where this life takes us.
“Cameron Kahlo, get your ass out of that pool.” My body stops floating, and I go underwater before quickly moving my legs and arms to float again.
Once I’m steady, I look around the area to find Will and Zo pacing around. I hide beside the closest ladder, hoping they won’t see me. My eyes scan the pool and spot Cameron as he emerges from the other side, where people are swimming laps. Shit. He was on the swim team in Green Hills, and it completely slipped my mind that he also swam at night when he was stressed.
The last thing I need or want right now is to have a conversation with him because of Zo and Will. They haven’t seen me yet, except now it looks like he’s going to hop out any minute, and unlike when they came in, they have to pass by me in order to leave.
Climbing out of the pool as quickly as possible, my foot misses the top step of the ladder, and I slip back into the water, making a huge splash. I sink and swallow a bunch of water in the process. Quickly, I kick my legs till I’m back at the surface, coughing.
“Shit, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” I’m still wiping my face and can’t tell who the stranger is.
“Kamila? ”
Once I’m done coughing, I look up to see Zoey staring down at me in workout clothes.
“Oh hey, girl. Yeah, everything is a-okay over here. Just a small slip. Nothing to worry about.”
A-okay? Hey girl? Who am I?
“Are you sure?” She bends down with concern in her eyes.
“I’m totally fine.” I start climbing the stairs again. “I’ll see you around, okay?”
“Actually.” Just when I thought I was free…“I was wondering if I could talk to you for a second?”
Will and Cameron are still nowhere to be found, so I give her the go-ahead.
“Sure, what’s up?”
“I wanted to say thanks for the other night at King’s Wolf.”
“It’s no big deal, really.” I just need this conversation to end.
“Yes. It was. Will finally fessed up to what he’s been feeling for the past year, and the next morning, he called and asked me out. Our first date is tomorrow night.” A dreamy look falls over her face, and my heart warms at the sight.
“I’m so happy for you, Zo. There’s no need to thank me. The feelings were already there, all you guys needed was a little push.”
She pulls me into a hug, and I tense before hugging her back. Oddly enough, she doesn’t seem to mind that I’m still wet from the pool.
“And what do we have here?” Oh hell. I pull away from Zo. Will gives me a kind smile, while Cameron’s face is, surprise surprise, stoic.
“I was thanking Kami for finally giving us the push you needed to admit your feelings for me.”
“Hey, I would’ve done it eventually.” Will pouts.
“Uh-huh. Yeah, sure. Anyways, I’ll let you leave now, you must be freezing.” She smiles and starts to step toward Will.
“Um, wait.” I really hope I don’t regret this later. “I’m having a small get-together for my birthday this Saturday, and I would love it if you could come, Zo. You too, Will.” Cameron’s shuffling uncomfortably behind Will. Not that he should care about not being invited, what did he expect?
“Sounds great.”
“Why don’t I give you my number, and I’ll text you the details.”
“Sure thing.” She hands me her phone and I save my contact information.
“Great. I’ll text you later.”
We say our goodbyes, and Zo lets go of Will’s hand to head to the women’s locker room.
“Thanks, Kami, I owe you one.” Will winks at me.
“Just treat her right.” Narrowing my eyes, I point to him. “You’re lucky as hell to have her.”
“I know.” He has the same dreamy look in his eyes that Zoey had moments ago as he walks away.
Once they’re gone, I realize that Cameron didn’t leave with them. His voice comes from behind me. “Kamila, I’m sorry about Friday. I shouldn’t have—” he stutters. “It shouldn’t have happened.”
Taking in a deep breath, I turn to face my former best friend. “No. That was a mutual decision. The words exchanged after the kiss, and that ridiculous Cinderella alarm are what you should be sorry for.”
He opens his mouth to speak but thinks better of it.
“Are we done here?”
He dips his chin and I feel both anger and relief at his response.
I’m halfway to the locker room when he speaks.
“I’ll see you in class tomorrow, Kamila.” He passes me by and smiles. The asshole smiles like he’s demented. I see red and slam the doors behind me before I do anything idiotic.