Page 87 of Hawthorne

I knew it was all for show. I just hadn’t realised there was such a gap between appearances and reality.

“Cami, you came!” Charlie screams over the loud music, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “You look beautiful.”

“You said that at the dinner. Thank you.” I give him a tight-lipped smile.

“Come on, girls. Let’s have some drinks.”

Rachel looks at me in excitement as Charlie beckons her to his other arm, walking between the both of us with a purposeful stride towards the bar.

“What is your poison, ladies?”

“I am not drinking tonight. It’s a long ride home that I can’t bear with a hangover. Can you get me a bottle of water while I find the loo?”

Charlie’s face falls slightly, but he recovers quickly with a nod. “Don’t take too long. We have to catch up!”

With that, he turns to Rachel, who starts to talk animatedly to him. I weave through the sea of people for what feels like forever before I find the hallway that leads to the restrooms. There’s asmall line to enter, too, so I wait for a good ten minutes before I can enter and give my bladder some relief.

The fact that I have been mostly the only one not drinking alcohol since we arrived at the university’s grounds for dinner means that I have been drinking dubious amounts of water.

Walking back is as hard as it was the first time, but I find Rachel and Charlie rather quickly. They’re whispering in each other’s ears, leaning in one at a time, keeping up with the conversation. Exactly when I make myself known is when Rachel’s hand cups his. My presence looming behind startles them both, sending them to opposite positions.

“Don’t stop on my account, kids.” I smile. “You look good together.”

Rachel blushes furiously while Charlie looks away, obviously uncomfortable.

“It took you a while,” he comments.

“Yeah, the queue was quite long.”

“Well, my brother arrived just a little bit ago. He told us to go sit with him and his friend. Are you up for it?”

“Sure, I guess.” I shrug, not caring.

Maybe I’ll stay for an hour more and then find an excuse to leave.

“Cami,” Rachel gushes, linking our arms together. “Oscar’s friend is so hot and dark and broody. Still, such a gentleman! You should have seen him!”

“Who is he?” I turn to Charlie, elbowing him jokingly. “Some high-ranking cousin or something?”

“Not quite,” he grits. “But he surely stole my show. They both did, but that’s what you get for having an older brother. Oscar has been stealing my show for as long as I’ve been alive.”

“Aww, poor Charlie is no longer the centre of attention?” I mock in a baby voice before patting his cheek. “Don’t worry, lad.From what I’ve seen just now, I reckon there’s someone who will still be focused on you.”

“Are you talking about yourself?” He smirks.

“Sure,” I snort. “If my name started with Ra and ended with chel.”

“Cami,” Rachel whines. “Do not put me on the spot like that. We were just catching up.”

“Okay, sweetheart. I’m sorry,” I tell her with a mischievous smile, not meaning it.

“Here. Let’s have a seat.” Charlie pulls us both down on the only free couch in the booth.

On the opposite side is a stranger who looks rather familiar, and it strikes me when Charlie sits right next to him. That must be his older brother. They’re eerily similar, almost like twins. The only difference is the height and the jawline.

Bollocks, good genes run in that family.

“Rachel, Cami, this is my brother, Oscar.”

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