One More Year

Chapter 23

Coming out of the shower and into the pair of pajamas I brought to Natalie's, I lay on her bed with her and Penelope. I lay in between them while Natalie cradles my head in her hands against her chest and Penelope hugs me from behind while I cry in their arms.

"I still think your talk will go over well, Livy. I think he's as much into you as you are with him." Natalie pats my damp hair down.

After they made me eat tacos from Jack in the Box and made me down a whole bunch of water, I've sobered up and taken a shower. In the shower, everything that happened came crashing down. Remembering Cam so happy with Zoey hurts. Makes my heart feel like it's being ripped from my chest. I knew it'd hurt, but I didn't expect it to hurt so much that I can't control myself in front of my friends.

Penelope rubs her hand on my arm, "It's time to finally tell him the truth, Livy. You can't keep hurting yourself."

I nod and I'm grateful the only light in the room is coming from the silent TV that Natalie has on. Because I feel exhausted. I manage to swallow the lump in my throat and close my eyes. 

Tomorrow I'll talk to him.

*

Instead of going home, I tell Natalie to drop me off at Cams. The lump in my throat is back and I try to keep it at bay. I don't want to cry in front of him.

"Call me if this turns for the worse and you need a ride home. I'm going to stop at the diner and have a coffee just in case."

Nodding, I smile at her. She really is a great friend, "Thanks, Nat."

Getting out of the car, I take a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. I have to wait about a minute before a sleepy Nash opens the door and his eyes widen.

"Okay, either Lorenzo is gonna beat my ass for sleeping in or he's gonna beat the shit out of Cam for making you cry." He scans my face worriedly.

This is the most concerned I've ever seen Nash.

I frown while squaring my shoulders, "I haven't been crying, and what would make you think Cam made me cry."

"Bullshit." He crosses his arms against his chest, "I can tell you've been crying, and come on. I live with Cam. He can be an asshole sometimes."

Shaking my head to tell him he wasn't being an asshole is left unsaid because Cam opens the door wider, revealing himself already dressed for the day.

"Come here." He takes my hand pulling me inside the house and into his arms.

My heart jumps at the proximity and I instinctively wrap my arms around his lean waist. I breathe him in knowing this might be one of the last times I get to do this.

"I'm gonna change and head to Lorenzo's." Nash says behind me and I can already hear the steps he's taking back into his room, "He's gonna give me a hard time." He groans.

Cam pulls away slightly to meet my eyes. He searches them for a moment before he takes a deep breath and takes my hand, leading me to his room.

"I was gonna go talk to you." He walks me to his bed, sitting me on the edge and he takes a seat on his desk chair. "I'm kinda pissed, Livy."

He's pissed, but he's calling me Livy. That just pulls my heart closer to him. He's not being nasty and mean as usual when he's mad at me.

Before I get to respond and ask why he continues, "You told me you don't do kisses unless they were special. You kissed Thomas before, was he special?" I'm about to shake my head when he stuns me, "So when we kissed at the homecoming dance, that wasn't special? Or all the other times we kissed? None of it is special to you?"