Should Have Known (Camren)

Chapter 9

November, 2012

I stretched under the covers, feeling the soft fabric against my skin as the early morning light filtered through the curtains in my room. I rolled over on my side and opened my eyes, taking a deep breath and exhaling it slowly upon coming face to face with a still-sleeping Camila. She was lying on her back, one hand hanging off the side of the bed and the other now just inches from my lips, her head turned so that she was facing me. A slight smile was painted on her lips and I couldn't help but notice how she made such an average activity like sleeping so enchanting.

I pressed my lips to the back of her hand just enough to where I could feel the heat of her soft skin radiating through me. Her eyes fluttered open momentarily but shut again, and she shifted her position so that she was lying on her side, her forehead now even with my chin and her fingertips resting on the hem of my t-shirt. I smiled at the sight of her sleeping form and I couldn't bear to wake her up. I felt rested despite the three A.M. events that took place prior. It wasn't even that I felt rested from a good night's sleep, I just felt refreshed, like Camila's company knocked a two ton weight off my chest and kept it off. I felt genuinely happy.

I thought about the night before and what she had said about the kiss being perfect despite us being in sweats and without makeup, and at that moment I finally understood what she meant. Seeing her lying next to me, her chest slowly rising and falling with each breath she took, I knew then that the messy-haired, awkwardly adorable, crooked-smiled Camila was my favorite Camila, because it was purely and truly her. I wanted to caress her skin without feeling makeup, and I didn't want two layers of stage clothes between us. I didn't mean that in a sexual way, either. I just wanted to feel her without anything in between us, and I wanted to kiss her lips and taste nothing but her skin.

I leaned forward and kissed her forehead, my lips connecting with the mole hidden in her hairline and then finding the tip of her nose, and finally her lips.

She cuddled up closer to me, her head against my chest as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Good morning," I said quietly as she craned her neck to get a better look at me.

I could see the last few remnants of sleep draining from her face as her smile spread from ear to ear.

"I have a feeling that any morning that starts off with a kiss from you is a good morning," she complimented, kissing my cheek and wrapping one arm around my torso.

We laid in silence for a moment, each of us taking in the new day and reflecting on the events of last night.

"So you kissed me," Camila recalled.

"You kissed me back," I teased.

"I know I did, but I mean like...you kissed me," she continued.

"Yeah, I thought we established that," I laughed.

"I just can't believe that happened. One minute you had a boyfriend and now we're in bed together."

"It's not like we slept together," I argued. "Well, not like that anyway."

"I know, it just seems so surreal...like a...a dream come true," she finally decided.

"Well, it happened, and now here we are, so what do you say we go get some breakfast because I don't know about you, but I'm starving," I suggested.

"You're just full of great ideas aren't you?" she cooed.

We both got out of bed and put our hair up, attempting to look as decent as possible before entering the breakfast buffet in the same sweats we wore the night prior. I located my room key and stuffed it in my pocket, turning and heading for the front door.