Pastel Dreams || editing

four - public display of affection

I woke up to the news that Lucca and I were dating. 

According to Us Weekly, Star, People and other sad excuses of newspapers, the paparazzi captured us leaving the restaurant and were making ridiculous assumptions about our love life. I called my publicist and public relations department who both asked me whether or not this was true. If not, they told me, you should definitely consider making it true. We've had significant raises in sales. I hung up, livid.

I felt embarrassed and furious at how much this had escalated. Looking out my window, I shuddered as I saw furious flashes illuminating downstairs.

The color drained from my face as my mind ran through all of the potentially dangerous situations that could occur now that they knew about me. Was Lucca that known of a writer?

Calm down, I told myself, this is nothing.

After having settled my security detail, I downed a cup of coffee, still clad in pyjamas. It was Saturday morning and I usually headed to work but today I had arranged to work from home.

I had just finished wiping my countertop when the intercom rang. Weary, I looked through my peephole. My apartment building didn't let people in unless I had notified for them to do so, so it must be one of her parents.

A hooded figure with sunglasses and dressed all in black stood right outside the door. It rang persistently, and I shuddered again, sudden chills running down my spine.

He's here, he's found me once again. Those thoughts circled my mind. They rendered me deaf and I gasped for breath, hyperventilating, weakened by those thoughts that screamed in my brain.

"Camellia! Open the door!" Lucca yelled, and that threw me out of the hazy mess.

I managed to reach the door handle and held onto it, removing the locks one by one, slowly. I heard him run inside immediately, and sensed him staring at me.

Uncontrollably so, I mumbled incoherently to myself, inaudible. Immediately, Lucca wrapped his arms around me and brought me close.

"Camellia. It's gonna be okay, I promise. Breathe, baby."

"Cam," he uttered softly, again. "Look at me."

I shook my head, crying harder.

"Cam, let's do 4-7-8. You remember what that is, right?"

"Breathe in for four seconds, hold it for seven, release for eight. Let's do it together, Cam."

Slowly, he calmed me down until my breathing felt as if it were back to normal. I wouldn't meet his gaze after that, and stood upon wobbly legs to escape from his gaze.

"Cam...don't run away," Lucca murmured. "Stop running away."

"I'm not..." I replied shakily.

"You are," he countered easily.

I was perplexed and couldn't find anything to say.

"Why are you here?" I frowned, suddenly furious, still breathing unevenly.

"You let me in, remember? What just happened?" He questioned me, angry himself.

I flinched at his aggressive stance.

"I thought you were someone else. Nobody comes up unless they're on a ... list."

"I know, it took ages for me to get here," he complained, taking off his shoes and coat with the rest of his strange attire. It was raining outside and his locks were slightly wet.