Page 56 of Hard Rock Sin
I groaned and rolled over to sit up in bed, dangling my legs over the edge. I stared at the floor, wondering if there was any way to change Cameron's mind.
When nothing came to me, I gave up and started getting ready for bed. When I opened the closet doors, I remembered when Cameron had checked it for monsters in jest. When I pulled on a pair of yoga shorts and a tank top, I remembered what he'd said about me looking cute in them.
Maybe Cameron was right. If there could never be anything between us, maybe it was better if I left. Wouldn't it just hurt more to be near him every day and not be able to be with him?
I'd probably have to move back in with Noah and Jen, at least until school officially started and I could move into the dorms.
That wasn't so bad, I tried to tell myself. I would get to see more of my brother. And I liked his girlfriend. We got along well.
Not as well as I got along with Cameron.
Because we did get along well. We made each other laugh just as much as we pushed each other's buttons. He did thoughtful, sweet things for me, like leaving me ear plugs for his party. I liked to think I did nice things for him, like keeping him company during his movie nights.
We were friends.
We were becoming more than friends.
And despite knowing my brother would disapprove, I couldn't help thinking maybe Cameron and I would be good for each other. We'd gotten to know each other. And we'd come to like each other.
More than like each other.
Cameron was the first boy I'd ever had real feelings for.
The more I thought about it, the more upset I became. It was unfair I couldn't be with someone just because my brother wouldn't approve.
My brother didn't approve of a lot of things when it came to me and how I lived my life.
I knew I'd never get him to see straight when it came to this, when it came to me and Cameron. I was his baby sister, the one he was supposed to take care of and protect. Cameron was irresponsible, a party animal who slept around and never took anything seriously.
If that was all Cameron was, I might have been able to understand. But Cameron was so much more than that. Noah couldn't see past it. But I could.
Even after everything that had happened, Cameron and I were still friends. I didn't want to throw that away.
I decided I wasn't going to let Cameron hide from me any longer. We had to talk about what happened, talk about his reasons for kicking me out.
I had to convince him to change his mind.
I came home from classes late one evening, having stayed at the library late, resolved and with a purpose. I'd find Cameron and force him to listen to me.
Another party was in full swing when I arrived. Music blasted from every window and drunk partygoers spilled out from every entryway.
Cameron hadn't mentioned throwing another party. Then again, he hadn't mentioned anything to me at all over the last few days.
It had been days since I'd last seen him. He went back to hiding from me. That was how he dealt with me with whenever something happened between us. Running away.
I'd lived in dread that every day would be the day Noah showed up to bring me home. So far that hadn't happened. Maybe Cameron was putting it off. Maybe he was just as reluctant as I was.
And maybe he just couldn't figure out a way to explain to Noah why he wanted me to leave without incriminating himself.
It was going to be hard to find Cameron in this noisy, boisterous crowd. The mansion was large enough it might have taken more than an hour to explore every floor trying to track him down.
I shoved and squeezed my way through the mass of people, searching the mansion room by room. I couldn't find Cameron anywhere. He wasn't in the kitchen. He wasn't out by the pool. He wasn't even in the movie theater room. Those were the places I always looked for him first.
I texted him, asking if we could talk, but as I expected I didn't receive an answer.
Dejected, I contemplated whether to just head to my bedroom and try to sleep through the noise, or whether to shake it off and join the party. Without Cameron to shut off the speakers in the third floor, it was going to be a long night.
On my way to my bedroom, I caught the sound of a familiar voice. It was definitely Cameron. The party was too loud and the tones were too low for me to place the other.
