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cami was curled up on the couch, watching a tv show but not really paying attention. madison and madelyn talked in the other room, and cami took a sip of the tea in her hands, her eyes dull and empty and staring into space. she was so filled with emotions that she didn't have the strength to do much of anything. she was disgusted, repulsed, by herself. she felt incredibly guilty, like it had been her fault that the man had decided to violate and wreck her beyond repair.
he didn't even know her.
how are there such terrible people in this world? cami wondered sadly.
she was scared of seeing drew. yes, she knew deep down he wouldn't do something like that to her, but she was in such a fragile state of mind that anything seemed possible.
cami was staying far away from her phone, not wanting to feel obliged to talk to anyone. she knew madison was leaving the next day, but maddie was staying in the city for two more weeks and offered cami the place to stay for as long as she needed. cami had quickly and gratefully taken up that offer.
the girls came in and cami sat up straighter, trying to make her face seem more pleasant. they had glasses of wine and clue with them, and settled around the table. they knew better than to ask cami if she wanted a drink—she had already told them in a half delirious state of sadness that she swore to never drink again.
"come on, girl! time to bust out your moves!"
the two girls surrounded cami, ushering her over to the table. they knew that clue was her favourite board game, and that she was crazy good at it. they started playing, and maddie and madison were laughing, and joking—it was almost like normal.
cami found a small smile on her face when she checked herself, and hoped it wouldn't go away. maybe things would get better.
5 days later . . .
music was playing throughout the apartment, and cami was sat on the couch once more. she absentmindedly combed her fingers through her hair. she had showered not long earlier, and her hair was still slightly damp with the smell of vanilla and lavender, as was the rest of her body. cami hated showering—hated looking at the bruises littered on her body from the night when her whole life changed.
unbeknownst to her, drew was talking to maddie just outside the apartment. pleading to let him in. finally, maddie gave in, and let drew into the apartment. he immediately set towards the living room, as if he knew where cami was.
cami heard a noise, and the apartment door shutting—"maddie?" cami called out cautiously, getting up and taking a few light steps towards the outside of the room.
drew heard her voice—how empty it sounded. he turned the corner: and there she was. clothed in sweatpants and a hoodie, both baggy on her frame, with wide, dark eyes and dark circles under them, she looked so feeble. tragic.
cami couldn't believe he was standing in front of her. she had missed him more than she had realised—her rock, her safe place, finally back with her.
she had tried to be strong, but she could feel the tears slipping down her cheeks. drew came towards her slowly, cautiously, and when he reached her he enveloped her in a hug. he touched her gently, like she was fragile; and perhaps she was.
she clung to the collar of his jacket, sobbing quietly into his chest. drew felt so terribly sorry. he wanted to burn the world, right then and there, and he just might've if cami wasn't holding onto him so tightly. so he rubbed her back and calmed her gently, whispering, "shhhh, it's alright. i'm here, darling."
"drew, i'm sorry," she cried, looking up at him with tear-stained cheeks.
he cupped her face with his hands, confused. "why are you sorry, baby?" drew asked softly, wiping her tears. "listen to me—it's not your fault."
she shook her head slightly, mumbling—he turned her graze back to him, looking down at her sombrely and repeating his words. "hey; it's not your fault."
she finally nodded, taking a deep breath. to hear him say that, ever so matter-of-factly, calmed her more than she thought it would.
"let's go back home, okay? i miss you."
she just nodded again, still clinging to him. now that drew was here, she was never letting go.
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notes: ik it's a short chapter but we'll get back into it next chapter i promise 🤞
