Cruel Summer| Cam Cameron (1)

Meeting

"Brie!" I yelled, wrapping my arms around my best friend for the first time in over a month. "God, I missed you.  Thank God it's finally the fourth."

She smiled and pulled away to talk to me, "So when do I get to meet your boy?"

I felt my cheeks turn red, "Cameron will be here soon. Please nice, don't side with the idiots. Please?"

"Oh relax, Em, I just have a few questions for the kid," she laughed. "Oh come on, it's my job as your best friend to make sure he's right for you. And you better listen to me this time."

I put my hand up to stop her, "You liked Easton at first so I don't want to hear it."

She rolled her eyes before hugging me again, "Which will only make my interrogation more intense."

The rest of the family all except Jere made their way into the room where we were, "dad's not coming," Conrad whispered.  "Hey, Swiss."

"Ah yes," Brie laughed. "I missed you and your cheese nicknames, Conrad Fisher."

He wrapped his arms around her, "I know you missed me the most, I'm secretly your favorite twin."

"Ha!" I laughed, "Please if anything you are the least favorite... Jere might have us both beat."

"No... it's Emmy Lu. It might be Jere some days though," she laughed.

Conrad faked a gasp, "So just not me?"

"Suck it, Connie," she whispered.

Brie got her hugs and hellos from the rest of the group before Jeremiah made his way into the living room.

He smiled when he saw her and ran up to her, wrapping his arms around her and spinning her in the air, "How long are you staying?" He asked, with the biggest smile on his face.

She brushed a few curls out of his face, "I'm not super sure. I know at least until Saturday though."

Jeremiah and Brie have a relationship that not even they can describe. If you ask me, Connie, or even my mom...we will tell you they are in love. If you ask them, they will say that they are just best friends. Yeah, sorry kiddos, friends don't look at each other like that.

"Saturday," he whined.  "That's only THREE days. Please please stay longer. We can do the volleyball game together!"

She shook her head and tapped him on the nose, "We'll see, Fisher."

***

"Cameron is here!" Mom yelled.

I jumped up and ran to the door, "Hi beautiful," he brushed his thumb on my cheek and kissed me softly before I let him in. "You look stunning as always."

I glanced down at my outfit, knowing it would be something Easton would kill me for wearing in public. My all-white shorts had little flowers at the bottom, I had on a red bralette, a navy blue kimono, and a pair of brown strap sandals. It was an outfit that I loved, but would never consider wearing around Easton...not that I had much say in what I wore or didn't wear when we were together.

I took his hand and walked him into the room filled with my brothers and Brie ready to pounce on him the second I blinked my eyes. All of them together will end in nothing but utter chaos.

Speaking of chaos, "Well, well, well, if it isn't trouble," Steven laughed, giving Brie a quick hug. "Belly is off with Nicole picking up the other Deb girls."

"Okay," I laughed, "now that all of you are here let's get this over with. Brie, this is my boyfriend...Cameron. Cameron, this is my best friend...Brie. Please like each other."

Brie smiled and stuck her hand out to greet him, "It's nice to meet you, Cam Cameron."

My eyes darted at Jeremiah and he quickly ran up to his room, causing me to miss the first part of Brie and Cameron's conversation."

I hid my face in my hands, "Please don't call him Cam Cameron."

She smiled to herself, "Fine. It's nice to meet you, Cammie Cameron."

"I hate you."

"You love me," she smiled, using her finger to draw a halo over her head.

"Shut up. And put that. Stupid angel face away."

He scratched the back of his neck, "No no, it's funny, it's fine. Um... Brie, Emilia was saying that you wanted to go to college for Marine Biology?"

Her 'intimidating' look shifted to a smile, "Yeah?"

He smiled a smile that could make my heart jump out of my chest. "Yeah? Yeah. Me too. That's cool."

She smiled bigger and I could tell this could be the thing that I connect them on so she talks to him about that and not the 'future plan' with me that he definitely doesn't have made yet, because why would he? We've been together for a month and a half.

"You know..." I said, with a proud smile, "Cameron works on a whale-watching boat. You should join him while you are here."

Jeremiah pouted, in all honesty, I didn't think he was even listening to this conversation. "No, because that means she is going to get up early and leave me and that is not okay."

She shook her head, "No, wait... really? You wouldn't mind?"

Cameron smiled, "No not at all. Yeah, come, for sure."

Thank God.

"Really?" Jeremiah asked, rolling his eyes at the idea of anyone other than him or I spending time with Brie. "Ugh, come on. How come no one ever wants to play with me?"

I tapped him on the nose and kissed his cheek, "You're cute. Let her go do her dream."

"I should be her dream," he mumbled.

I rolled my eyes, "Dude, drop it."

Cameron walked over and put his arms around me, "You're adorable."

I scrunched my nose at him "Why?"

He kissed the top of my head and whispered into my hair, "Because you are doing everything to keep everyone together and it is the sweetest thing I have ever seen."

Oh, Cameron... you have no idea what I am trying to keep together right now. But yes... pretty please think that my biggest issue is making sure you, my brothers, the Conklins, and Brie all get along. If you think that is the worst thing I have going for me, then maybe you won't ditch me and decide I am too much one day. Cool? Cool.

Belly and the rest of the Debs all came inside to our little huddle. Jeremiah took Belly by the hand and spun her, "You...look...hot," he exclaimed.

I really wish I could tell you what was going on inside of the mind of a boy who flirts with his lifelong best friend one minute...and his other lifelong best friend the next. Cool, so I can tell you if Jeremiah was a romance book he would be childhood friends to lovers, I just can't tell you the love interest yet.

At least I know mine.

My love interest... I mean Cameron, kissed me softly on the top of my head, "I still can't get over how pretty you are," he whispered.

I love you. I'm in love with you Cameron Han. I love you. "Aww, thank you."