Chapter 51 Cameron
FIFTY-ONE
CAMERON
Ispin around. A teenage girl is standing in the doorway to the changing room, her phone already outstretched. “‘It’s limited edition!’” she parrots, laughing. “God, you’re always on my feed. My friends are going to die.” Her phone camera shutter clicks.
Summer goes blank. It’s like all of the light inside her shuts off, and she’s suddenly a mask. She plasters on that sparkly smile that I hate.
“Hi!” she says sweetly. “It’s so nice to meet you! Um, would you mind not taking pictures, please?”
The girl ignores her completely, snapping away. “We can get a selfie too, yeah? I have to put this on my story. You’re, like, an icon.”
“Um—”
Alec is suddenly at the girl’s elbow. “She said no,” he tells her flatly.
“Aye, learn some manners,” Fraser snaps. “What’s wrong with you?”
The girl snorts, tapping at her phone. “Um, okay? You can’t stop me from taking pictures. We’re in a public place? Hey, what are you wearing that dress for? You look like you’re going to prom.”
I don’t take my eyes off Summer. She’s still smiling brightly, but I can see her chest rising and falling rapidly. She’s shaking slightly.
I put a hand on the small of her back. “Come on.” I herd her back into the cubicle, pulling the curtain shut behind us. Summer flops against me as I pull her into my arms.
“Sorry,” she mumbles. “I’m so—”
“Shh.” I hold her tightly, feeling her quiver. “She’s a shit. Most people are.”
“I don’t mean to get upset,” she mumbles into my jumper. “I just…forgot for a second. It’s going to be like this when I get home, isn’t it?” Her voice gets choked, and she tilts her head up, blinking furiously. She’s trying not to cry.
“Cry. It’s okay. I don’t mind.”
She shakes her head furiously, curling her hands in her dress like she can forcibly clamp down her emotions. Irritation burns in me. Has everyone been so cruel to this girl that she really thinks she doesn’t get to cry when she’s been publicly humiliated?
“Summer. Let yourself cry. It’s okay.”
“No. I’m overreacting. I just need a sec—” She tries to turn away from me. I grasp her closer, holding her head to my chest with a cupped palm.
The cubicle curtain gets yanked open, and Fraser and Alec step inside. “She deleted the photos,” Alec says shortly. “Are you all right?”
Summer pulls away from me. “What? How?”
“I can be persuasive.”
She lets out a short laugh. “Oh my God. You used your sheep-dom voice, didn’t you?”
“Aye, she practically rolled over,” Fraser says, pulling her into a hug. “God, what a wee brat. I could’ve strangled her.”
Alec’s phone beeps. He checks it. “We’re due to do those deliveries. I’ll reschedule,” he declares, tapping out a message.
“What?” Summer says. “No, go do your work. Sorry, I didn’t mean to get in the way with my drama.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re upset. That’s more important.” He slips his phone away.
“But—” she protests.
“Summer. We’re not doing the deliveries today. Tell us what you want to do next. You want food? More shopping? Want to go home?”
Fraser nods. “We should have a coffee break. I bet you’ll be wanting one of those coffee-flavoured milkshakes with the skooshy cream, right?”
Summer blinks at him. “What?”
“Skooshy cream. You know.” He mimes either shaking a can of spray cream or jacking off. It’s hard to tell. “What do you call it in England?”
“Squirty cream?”
“You’re all filthy, the lot of you.”
Summer looks down. “Um, Cameron said he got me a nail appointment, so I should get ready for that?” She tugs at the dress. “I’ll just put this back, and then we can go.”
I frown. “You don’t want it?”
“I don’t need it. I have nowhere to wear it.”
“Wear it around the house.”
She shakes her head. “No, no. It’s silly. Over the top. I should be sensible. I already bought so much stuff.”
Alec, Fraser, and I share a look.
Suddenly, I’m mad. I’m mad she gets made fun of for what she likes. I’m mad her mother threw away her sketchbook. I’m mad she constantly feels like she has to hide shit about herself.
I yank the tag off the dress. “Give me the shoes.”
Summer’s shocked. “Cameron!”
“Just scan the box,” Alec says, handing it to me.
Summer sputters. “Wait, Cameron, you can’t buy those for me!”
“I like the dress,” I say. “And I’m the reason your favourite shoes got ruined. I owe you a replacement.”
“That’s not even true, you just…didn’t tell me there was mud. Cameron, that dress is, like, expensive—”
I don’t care. I’d pay anything for a gift that makes her as happy as this dress.
Besides, I have plenty of money. Fraser and I get free bed and board at Lochview, and Alec pays us a ridiculously generous salary on top of that.
I’ve never had anyone to spend it on before.
“Bye,” I say, heading out of the changing rooms. At the counter, I hand the cashier the tag and the empty shoebox.
“She’s still wearing ’em,” I explain at her confused look.
“I see.” She scans the barcodes. “Did everything fit her okay?”
“Fit her perfect.” I hand over my card.
She rings me up and passes me the receipt. “Is there anything else I can help you with today?”
“Aye.” I lean in. “Do you know what a cake pop is?”