Should Have Known (Camren)

Chapter 48

April, 2014

I stood in front of the window in my apartment, gripping a cup of coffee and letting the warm aroma drift throughout the open space. The sun was just beginning to peek over the skyline but the city was already bustling. All the time on the road had my body used to being up before dawn and I wasn't quite back on LA time yet, although we had already been back for a week. I hadn't slept much in the seven days that we had been back, but when I did sleep, I slept well. My mind was constantly racing with thoughts of Camila but the weight of her head on my chest and her arms around my body kept me comfortable and peaceful at all times. I didn't mind the lack of sleep, simply because I knew that the sooner I started each day, the sooner I would be able to see her smile.

I took a sip of my coffee and sat against the windowsill, pressing my shoulder against the glass and resting my head against the frame. I felt calm. My mind was racing but the rest of me was at peace. Camila was safely tucked under the sheets in our bedroom just a few yards away and it felt like home. I felt like I was right where I was supposed to be for the first time in a while. I looked down on the streets below and watched the lights of the cars speeding by and the specks of people along the sidewalks and couldn't help but find myself thinking that I wouldn't mind a life like that with Camila- one day when music was no longer our escape and we only had each other to turn to, when we could walk along the street, hand in hand, or look out of our apartment window and know that home was wherever we were together. It was probably stupid of me to think of something like that when I didn't even know what we meant to each other, but it was so hard not to. I couldn't picture myself with anyone else.

I stood up and made my way into the kitchen, sitting my coffee down on the countertop and tip-toeing to the cabinets. I pulled out a bowl and then retrieved a box of cereal and milk, pouring myself a bowl and then hovering over it as I ate it. My heart jumped in my chest as I felt a pair of small arms wrap around me from behind, but I knew instantly that it was Camila. I could feel her warmth through the hoodie of mine that she wore and I could tell by the way she rested her chin on my shoulder and kissed my neck gently.

"Please come back to bed," she begged quietly.

"I can't sleep," I told her.

I turned around to face her but her arms remained around my waist, only she leaned back a little to get a better look at me. She brought her hand up to the side of my face and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, smiling at me in the process.

"So? Come lay with me," she insisted.

"I don't know," I teased. "I think I might need a little motivation."

She leaned forward and pecked my lips quickly, pulling back before I could react as the corner of her mouth turned up into a smirk.

"I'm going to need more motivation than that..." I chuckled.

"Fine...if you come back to bed, I'll kiss you until I fall asleep again...and we can cuddle. What more do you need?" she offered.

"Sounds inviting," I smiled.

She intertwined our fingers and began walking backwards towards our room, pulling me along with her and turning around when she reached the door. She crawled into bed and motioned for me to join her. I did as she said and climbed under the covers, instantly feeling her body pressed to mine and her face buried in the crook of my neck.

"I like cuddling with you," she told me. "It makes me happy."

"Yeah, it makes me happy too," I replied.

She sat up slightly and planted another kiss on my lips, this time lingering long enough for me to become addicted to the taste. She pulled back but I placed a hand on the back of her neck and pressed her lips to mine once again. I felt her smile in the midst of the kiss as my heart fluttered in my chest.