The New Evil

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Cami emerged from her room, Lexi cradled in her arms, still half-asleep. She had hoped to quietly make her way to the kitchen without drawing too much attention, but as luck would have it, Klaus was already there, sitting at the kitchen island, enjoying his breakfast alone.

Cami hesitated for a moment, considering her options, before deciding to approach Klaus. She plastered on a forced smile, trying to appear unaffected by their recent conversation.

"Morning."-C
She greeted, her voice strained as she walked over to the kitchen island.

Klaus glanced up from his breakfast, a polite smile gracing his lips as he acknowledged her presence.
"Goodmorning, Cami."-K
He replied, his tone cordial but lacking its usual warmth.

Cami shifted uncomfortably under Klaus's gaze, the weight of their previous conversation still lingering between them. She tried to ignore the ache in her chest as she forced herself to engage in small talk.

"How was your night?"-C
She asked, her voice coming out more strained than she had intended.

Klaus shrugged nonchalantly, his gaze flickering briefly to Lexi in Cami's arms before returning to his breakfast.
"Uneventful, as usual."-K
He replied, his tone casual but guarded.

Cami felt a pang of disappointment at Klaus's response, the distance between them feeling more pronounced than ever. She fought to keep her composure as she tried to steer the conversation away from their recent tension.

"Lexi and I had a good night. We watched a movie."-C
She said, her voice softening as she glanced down at the sleeping toddler in her arms.
"She's been sleeping through the night, which is a relief."-C

Klaus's expression softened slightly at the mention of Lexi, a flicker of warmth entering his eyes as he looked at the child.
"I'm glad to hear that."-K
He replied, his tone genuine for a brief moment before the facade returned.

As the awkward silence stretched between them, Cami couldn't help but wonder if things would ever be different between her and Klaus. She longed for the easy camaraderie they had shared in the past, but now it seemed like nothing more than a distant memory.

With a heavy sigh, Cami turned away from Klaus, making herself a bowl of cereal before leaving the kitchen and going back upstairs to eat in her room.

Cami had spent most of the day in her room with Alexandria. The two played and watched cartoons together, and Lilly had joined them for a while until she claimed that she had plans with Victoria and Hazel, which she left to get ready for.

Cami was now lying in her bed, cuddling her daughter while watching a cartoon movie that came out a few weeks ago on her laptop. As they watched, they were interrupted by a knock on their door.

"Who is it?"-C
"It's Elena and I."-CF
"Come in."-C

Cami turned to look at the two girls who walked in the room, taking a seat on Cami's bed.
"Did something happen?"-C
"No, we were just checking in on you. You've been hauled up in this room ever since you woke up. You weren't at lunch either."-CF

"I didn't realise lunch had passed. Lexi and I have been playing around."-C
"That's cute and all, but you need some fresh air."-E
"I don't. I'm perfectly fine. I just decided to relax for a day."-C
"Are you sure there's no other reason behind it? Like Klaus, for example?"-CF

Cami rolled her eyes in her head, tired of the same question on and on again. Not everything she did revolved around Klaus, although one of the reasons she had taken a relaxing day was because of him, but that was beyond the point. Everyone assumed that if she made a slightly wrong decision, it was because something had happened with her and Klaus.