Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
KAMILA
O ne night with Cameron. One night. I got this.
While talking to him and realizing how hard this was going to be, I came up with an idea on how to distract myself. I’m going to put all of my focus into making a plan on how to help Zoey and Will get together tonight before anything happens between him and Rachel.
Cameron is in front of the group, leading us toward the dance floor, and Em is following behind me.
“You okay?” she asks.
“Yeah, we called a truce for the night.”
She sighs. “I assumed so. Sorry for leaving. Thought it was a good idea to give you guys a minute alone, especially after he went all alphahole on you.”
That was something that surprised me too. It was a side of Cameron I’d never seen before. It makes me wonder if he was ever like that with Ana—nope, not going there.
“It was probably for the best.”
We arrive at the dance floor and manage to find a space where we can all be together in one small circle. On either side of me are Zoey and Em. Rachel and Will are next to Zo, and Cameron is between Em and Luna. The DJ’s playing EDM, which I despise. It’s aggressive, too loud, and there are no lyrics. Everyone’s jumping and bumping into each other. Basically, injuries waiting to happen. To hell with this.
I pull my phone out and send a quick text. My roommate looks over my shoulder while I show her who I’m messaging. She smiles and nods. I look over at Nick, who’s the DJ tonight. He’s friends with Levi and has been wanting to hook up with me for a while. I haven’t given him any false hope, but I did manage to get his number from Levi to request music from time to time. Now being one of those times. He should be receiving my text on his computer screen in about five seconds. I take a long sip of my drink and stare at Nick until he finally looks up into the crowd. Waving my hand, he finds me, smiles and shakes his head no. I pout and mouth the word please while placing both my palms together in a begging motion. His focus is now back on his screen, and I feel my phone vibrate.
Nick: Fine.
Me: Thank you. You’re the best DJ in the world!
Nick: You bet your ass I am. Tell Levi I said hey.
Me: Will do :)
Em is still glancing over my shoulder. She rolls her eyes and smiles.
“Of course, he said yes. He still wants to get into your pants.”
Nick’s voice comes through the speakers. “Alright, we’re going to head down south for a bit.”
Hell yeah, we are.
Stuffing my phone back into my purse, I look up to see Cameron eyeing me with his head slightly tilted. The song “Soltera (Remix)” by Lunay, Daddy Yankee & Bad Bunny comes on. As I start to dance, I realize Cameron is still staring, waiting for some sort of explanation about the sudden music change and how I got involved.
“I may or may not know the DJ.”
Amusement laces his eyes. “Of course you do.”
Luna grabs my hand and drags me to the middle of the circle, rolling her hips to the beat before I follow suit while yelling the lyrics. I forget about everything and everyone around me, focusing on the music. Then I remember my plan. Grabbing Zoey’s hand, I pull her in between Luna and me.
“Is this okay?” I ask her, wanting to make sure she’s not uncomfortable.
“Yeah, I love this. I needed to let loose.” Zo looks relaxed, and after a couple of seconds, she matches our rhythm.
I can’t help but glance over at Cameron, who is watching Zoey and I next to Em, who has started dancing with a random guy. Well, dancing is a loose term. The guy is stiffer than she is. Ignoring Cameron’s stare, I focus on Zo and take one of my hands off her hip to bring in the next girl.
Rachel is still dancing on her own next to Will, who is indeed looking at Zoey.
“He’s watching you,” I whisper into Zo’s ear.
She blushes. “Who?”
“You know exactly who. Your secret’s safe with me, just don’t look at him yet. Grab Luna’s hips like I was yours, she won’t mind.”
“Okay,” Zoey says nervously, but relaxes once Luna puts Zo’s hands on her hips herself.
I let go of her and grab Rachel’s hand, twirling her into the group and setting her behind Luna before she can object. None of them pay much attention to where they are. They’re more focused on letting loose than anything else, thanks to the drinks I convinced them to down quickly.
For my next move, I have to wait for the following song, hoping it’ll be a slow one. Shutting my eyes for the next minute and a half, I allow myself to feel the vibrations of the music. My body matches the beat of others, grinding my hips into Zoey’s and being in my own little world for a minuscule moment. I truly love dancing in any form. Whether it be at clubs, in class, or while doing chores. It makes me focus on something other than the problems going on around me. Like now .
Before I know it, the song comes to an end. Nick’s in the middle of a transition when I twist Zoey around until she’s facing me. I give Luna a signal for her to do the same with Rachel. She gets the message, probably thinking it’s just a simple change in moves for the next song.
Tipping my head over my shoulder, I see Cameron talking to Will while they both stare at all of us. “Downtown” by Anitta & J Balvin blasts through the speakers. Might be a little older, nonetheless, it’s the perfect song. Nick just did me a solid without realizing it. It’s slow enough for people who don’t know how to dance, just in case Will doesn’t, and sexy enough for this moment. The only problem is that it’s short.
“Are you still okay?” I ask her, searching for any discomfort in her eyes.
“Yes, this is the most fun I’ve had with girls in a while,” she giggles.
“Good, I’m glad.”
I spin her around until she has her back to my chest and now we’re both facing Cameron and Will. The sudden spin catches their attention. Ignoring Cameron’s odd intense gaze on me, I focus on the plan that could get complicated and awkward if not done right. Either way, it’ll still be uncomfortable for Cameron and I. I turn Zoey to face me again, knowing I need to hurry since the song only has a minute and a half left.
“Ready?” I ask her.
“For what?”
She hasn’t realized that while twirling her, we’ve ended up directly in front of the boys. I slowly take Will’s hand and put it on my hip, forcing him and Zo’s bodies to press together. Her behind touching his front. She tenses up, and Will lets out a sharp breath. Casually, I lean into Zoey.
“Relax.” She takes my advice, trusting me as I nod at Will in encouragement. He grabs her by the hips and starts dancing with us. He’s not bad. They’re both still a little unsure, and I’d rather not make what currently looks like Will and I both wanting to make out with Zo a reality. Not that I would object if they didn’t have actual feelings for each other.
I finally push my head up to see Cameron, whose eyes are wide with shock and understanding. I’m close enough to grab his hand, and I take advantage of the proximity between us. As soon as our fingers touch, he stiffens.
Yeah, well, I don’t like it either, but this shit was too much damn work to stop now.
We have a moment of silent communication like we used to and he finally understands my end goal. Before Will or Zo can change their minds, I twirl her to face him. Pretending to lose my balance for a second in order to make it look like an accident. Cameron grabs me, pulling me up right. Finally, after what feels like way more than two songs, Will and Zoey are looking at each other. I hold my breath, hoping they’ll continue to dance and that all of that wasn’t for nothing. The desire is clearly there and the physical closeness they’ve had for the past two minutes has to count for something, right?
Come on.
Eventually, they relax in each other’s arms and lean their foreheads together. Thank God.
Letting out a deep breath, I turn around to see Cameron. He’s looking at them with a genuine smile on his face.
“Well?” I ask smugly.
“Well, what?”
“No ‘thank you’ or ‘well done’ or ‘I’m impressed?’”
He doesn’t take his eyes off Will and Zo. “Nope.”
I elbow his side lightly.
“Fine. You did a good thing. Happy?”
I feign surprise. “Well, would you look at that? A compliment.”
He scoffs. “Hardly.”
“We said tonight was for Zo. So, I put all my focus on her.”
He nods, and it’s followed by awkward silence. Whatever, I didn’t do this for him, and one night isn’t going to fix all the damage from the past. At least it was fun playing matchmaker.
We remain in the same spot, not talking, till Nick’s voice filters through the speakers again.
“We’re gonna throw it back a little bit more now.”
“Obsesion” by Aventura starts playing. A snort escapes me at the coincidence. Eventually, Cameron gives in and chuckles.
“You remembered it too?” he asks.
“Are you kidding me? How could I forget? My mom trying to teach you to dance bachata, and you bumping into almost all of our furniture, then tripping over the rug? You were awful, thank God—” I stop myself before saying my sister’s name. Cameron must notice the change in my demeanor. His smile falls.
“Our temporary truce is ending soon, Morales. Let’s not ruin it by talking about the past.” I nod, agreeing with him, and stare ahead. “I’m going to get some more water. Do you want any?”
“Sure, thanks.” Without saying another word, he walks away. It was stupid of me to mention the past. Stupid of us to laugh about it.
Making the decision to look for Em and the others, I stroll around and bump into someone.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to?—”
“Oh, Kami, hey.”
Why? Why me?
I plaster on a fake smile.“Hey Mike, what’s up?”
“Just thought I’d go out with the guys since you were going out with the girls.” He pauses and looks around. “Where are the girls?”
Clearing my throat, I avoid all eye contact. “I was just heading that way, they’re waiting for me. I’ll see you later?” I attempt to go around Mike, but he blocks my exit, almost making me trip.
“Kami, come on. Let’s dance. You owe me at least that.” He harshly pulls me into his chest and the smell of alcohol on his breath invades my nostrils.
A wave of nausea hits me as I start to panic.
“No, Mike, please. I don’t feel like dancing right now.” My feeble attempt at trying to push him away only makes him pull me in closer. He blocks my view and shoves me against the wall where nobody else is able to see us.
Now I feel like throwing up.
“It’s been too long. Just one dance, one kiss.” He grabs my ass, and I can feel his hardness on me.
Did he not hear me say no? My chest tightens as I start to panic.
“Mike, no, stop.” I’m about to try a self-defense move when he decides to get off me. Scratch that—he’s being pulled away from me.
“She said no,” Cameron’s voice booms over the music.
“She’s mine, dude. Back off!” Mike yells.
I’m shaking, staring at them with fear. My stomach is in knots, my mouth is dry, and I’m breathing heavily. A panic attack. Shit. It’s been so long since I’ve had one.
“Even if she was your girl, no means fucking no.”
My breathing exercises come easily, and I match them to the new song that plays.
“Leave. Now,” Cameron hisses.
“Make me, tough guy.” By the murderous look he’s giving Mike, I know shits about to go down, and they’ll both get arrested. Driscoll doesn’t stand for bar fights.
That snaps me back to reality real quick.
I step in between them and lay my hand on Cameron’s chest.
“He’s not worth it, Cam.” I turn to Mike. “Leave now, we’re done.”
He scoffs. “Whatever. You weren’t even that great of a lay anyways.”
Cameron growls behind me like a beast ready to pounce. Quickly, I grab his hand. “I need air, Cam, please. ”
He looks at me and takes in my appearance. Suddenly, he picks me up and puts me into a fireman's hold. I let out a yelp of surprise because what the hell? Out of nowhere, he does something that’s very gentlemanly of him. He grabs a random person’s sweater and puts it over my butt, covering my ass.
The moment we’re outside, I expect him to put me down, but he keeps walking. Surprise has worn off, and I’m officially confused. I start yelling and slapping his back, telling him to put me down. I’m too heavy for this shit. When we reach the store fronts, he plants me on my feet and turns away from me.
“Cameron—”
“Fuck!” he yells so loudly it makes me jump. “Did you see his smug little face? What an asshole. How could you go out with a guy like that?”
That feels like a massive punch to the gut. I didn’t know Mike was such a dick and what happened wasn’t my fault. How dare he imply that.
Angry tears start to form behind my eyes, and I see the moment he realizes what he’s said.
“Kami, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry.”
He takes a step forward, and I hold my ground, not letting a single tear fall.
“I was angry. I’d never blame you for his behavior.” Even though I’m still hurt and beyond furious, I can see that he’s being sincere. “I was pissed. He could’ve hurt you, Kamila.” He searches my face for any physical harm.
“I’m fine”
“You don’t have to fake being okay?—”
“Stop. Just stop talking for a second.” I turn my back to him. He remains silent behind me.
“Why do you even care?” My question is genuine because why does he?
He advances and turns me around. “Because nobody deserves that shit, nobody.” He lays his fingers on my chin, causing me to suck in a sharp breath and tilts it up till we’re staring at each other for what seems like forever. My breathing picks up, and all the panic and sadness from a couple of minutes ago morphs into something else.
Cameron’s pupils are fully dilated. His jaw is clenched so tight it looks like it might crack. The muscles in his arms are flexing behind his black t-shirt, and his calloused fingers remain on my chin.
I barely hear him say, “Fuck it,” before his lips crash against mine.
What the flying fuck? My automatic response is to push him away and slap him, and I do just that. His head barely moves at the touch and he just stares at me.
Concern fills his eyes. “Shit. I am so sorry?—”
I’m not sure why I do it, whether it’s the alcohol, the adrenaline from before, or the need for a distraction because now I’m the one saying, “Fuck it.”
I grab a handful of his t-shirt and pull his body against mine until our lips find each other again. He pushes me against one of the store fronts, letting out a groan. The kiss is intense, unforgiving, and messy, as if we’re taking all of our emotions out on each other in this one action. His tongue sneaks out and I open my mouth to fully let him in. We both moan at the contact before I bite his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, and he follows suit.
He grinds against me and grabs my throat which elicits another moan from me and a growl from him. His hands move down my back until he’s cupping my ass. His length presses against me?—
“Kamila, what the hell are you doing?” We separate, stunned to find Emma standing next to us. Cameron backs away, wiping his mouth while I stand there in shock.
I try to explain what just happened, but nothing comes out. I’m more confused than she is.
Suddenly, an alarm goes off. Cameron takes his phone and quickly hits the stop button .
My brows furrow in confusion while I take him in. Then it registers.
He didn’t.
“What was that alarm for?” I grit out.
Cameron closes his eyes at my question as he exhales slowly.
No response. “Em, what time is it?”
She laughs humorlessly. “It’s midnight.”
He did.
“You timed our truce like you’re fucking Cinderella? Seriously Cameron? And then you kiss me? Was that only allowed until midnight as well?” I say mockingly. “Huh?”
“It was a temporary truce. You know things can’t go back to the way they were. And this,” he gestures between us, “shouldn’t have happened at all.”
“Finally, something we can both agree on.” His eyes meet mine with an unreadable expression. “Thank you for your help earlier. I’ll see you in class.” Em takes my hand.
“I’ll text the girls that we’re leaving.”
“Sounds good,” I respond absent-mindedly, feeling too many things to process this late at night at everything that just happened.
What did I do?