Cruel Summer| Cam Cameron (1)

Relationships

The sun was just starting to set on the horizon of the ocean. We were walking hand-in-hand, and the only noise surrounding us was the waves crashing onto the shore. It was familiar, it felt like home and I hated how well Cameron fit into my idea of home and familiar.

He stopped, and pulled me towards him slowly, leaving less than an inch of distance between our bodies. My face glowed with blush as I stared into his deep brown eyes, only deviating from them to watch his tight curls tangle in the breeze.

He cupped my face with one hand and whispered softly, "You look beautiful tonight."

I closed my eyes and went in to kiss him but was met with his forehead smashing into my nose. He dropped his hand from my face.

I backed away from him with my hand to my nose, "was that your first kiss?" I laughed.

"I- no," he said, clearly offended. "But are you okay?" He asked, brushing his thumb on the tip of my nose.

I smiled, "I'm fine. I'm sorry, I just figured it was because how else would that have happened?"

He put his hands in the pockets of his shorts and looked down at his feet, "I guess I was just nervous."

"Oh," I said with a smirk he probably didn't even see. "I make you nervous, do I?"

He looked back up at me, meeting my eyes, "Yeah, a lot."

You make me nervous too, worse than I make you. I'm scared that I'm falling in love with you. I'm terrified that you make me feel this way. I'm dreading that you are going to break my heart into more pieces than I can put back together. But for whatever reason, I don't care.

I took my hand and cupped the back of his neck. I stood on my tippy toes and leaned to his ear, "Don't be nervous," I whispered.

Our lips met and my heart went from doing backflips to performing a whole gymnastics number. The softness of his lips combined with the smell of his cologne; the most beautiful mix of flowers, the salty air from the beach, and a touch of mint, were everything I needed to know that this was right. I felt his hand on the small of my back and he bent down so I could finally come off of my tippy toes. His hand moved to the back of my head, as his fingers firmly but still gently tangled their way into my hair. When we finally pulled away he finished the kiss with a light and delicate kiss then softly touched my lip with his thumb.

"My first kiss?" He asked. "You're blushing again, Miss Fisher."

***
He walked me to the door kissing me softly and taking my hand, "I hope you're willing to go on another date."

"Definitely," I said, without thinking. "Yes, please. Oh hey... text me when you make it home safe?"

He smiled, "You are absolutely adorable...I will. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Cameron."

Conrad was standing at the door when I walked into the house. "You kissed him?" He asked, disgusted.

"Sure did, and you watched. That's creepy."

"Where did you guys go?" Jeremiah asked. I couldn't tell if he was helping Conrad or if he actually cared.

I kicked off my shoes and grabbed a hair tie from the counter, throwing my hair in a messy bun. "We went to dinner and then walked around on the beach."

I started to walk up the stairs. As much as I hated that I was going to be washing off Cameron's perfect lingering cologne I couldn't wait to get in the bath to help my hips and the headache that was forming.

Conrad stood in front of me, "Not so fast. It doesn't take five hours to eat dinner and walk! It's almost ten, Emilia."

I rolled my eyes and waved my phone in his face, "it's nine-thirty. And I don't have a curfew."

"You were out with a boy," he spat.

"Wow! You know you're really observant this summer."

Jere let out a small laugh, "did you have fun?"

I forced a smile, "I did. It was wonderful."

Conrad put a hand on my shoulder, "do you really like him?"

"I do," I whispered. "And I'm terrified so I need your support."

He pulled me into a hug and kissed the top of my head, "Promise you'll tell me if anything happens? If he does absolutely anything. Not just when it gets so bad you can't hide it?"

I guess Easton really fucked us all up, "I promise. But I don't think Cameron is like that."

"Yeah!" Jere said proudly, running to join our hug. "I mean if Emilia Fisher turns the shade of a tomato when I boy barely kisses her, he's special. And I mean it's Cam Cameron."

Conrad laughed, "You don't even know the kid."

"We call him Cam Cameron and he smiles. He's fine," he smiled.

I looked between both of them smiling, "I love you both. I'm going to bed."

"Night Peaches," Conrad whispered, hugging me.

"Goodnight, Emmy lu," Jere sang, kissing the top of my head.

I walked upstairs to enjoy the silence and really remember the date with Cameron. When I opened my door to grab my pajamas I saw my mom and Belly sitting on my bed.

"So, my beautiful girl. How did your date go?" Mom asked, standing and wrapping her arms around me.

I hugged her back, melting into her touch, "it was perfect. Like really really perfect. We talked about real stuff and ate dinner and I didn't even freak out. And we kissed but it was so sweet but so intimate."

Belly smiled, "I still can't believe you tell your mom all that."

I smiled, walking with mom over to my bed and laying my head in her lap. "She's the reason for ninety percent of my happiness. She has a right to what the other ten percent is."

She kissed the top of my head and took my hair out of the bun and ran her fingers through it. "Take your makeup off before you sleep, darling"

I smiled, "I will. I love you, mommy."

"I love you, sunshine," she whispered. "Okay, Bells... let's bother her more tomorrow."

I spent most of my time in the bath thinking about mom. And the time I had left with her. I put on my favorite pajamas, the ones that she had gotten me for my sixteenth birthday, and walked to her room to see the light was still on.

"Mom?" I asked, knocking on the door.

She put down the book she was reading and smiled, "what's up, sunshine?"

I walked over to her and sat on the bed next to her. She quickly moved the covers, tucking me in under the sheet and the thin summer comforter. "What are you doing?" She asked with a laugh.

I smiled and snuggled up next to her, "I'm just happy to be able to talk to you about stuff. And I'm laying here because neither of the idiots thinks to anymore... and dad isn't here."

She kissed the top of my head and brushed her fingers through my hair again. "I'm so glad that you tell me everything... almost everything. And I will never get over you laying in bed with me and needing me."

"I always need you."

No matter how old I am, how strong I claim to be, or what I've overcome...I'll always need my mommy. I make it through life with Mom, Connie, and Jere. I don't know what I'm going to do when mom is gone, and when Jere and Connie aren't themselves anymore.