The Lost Ones // Cameron Dallas Love Story

Chapter 16: Secrets

Cameron's POV

The bright sun peaked through the open blinds and onto my face, causing me to stir in my slumber. I groaned softly and opened my eyes slowly, blinking them a few times before covering my eyes with the back of my hand. I pushed myself up onto my left elbow, rubbing my eyes with my right hand. I sat up straight and stretched, eliciting a little yawn as well. I search around my room and my eyes land on the body sleeping peacefully next to me.

A smile appeared on my lips once my eyes landed on her beautiful face. I reminisced last nights events, Emelia stayed over all day and night. We watched a ton of movies and ate junk food, I got to see a genuine smile on her face and a candid laugh escape her plump lips.

She laid on her stomach, right hand near her face whilst her left hand rested underneath the pillow she slept on. Her right leg was bent while her left leg was straight, small snores escaped her lips. Her hair faintly disheveled and small strains spread across her cheek. I leaned down to her, resting on my elbow and reaching to her face and gingerly pushing the misplaced hairs out of her face.

She moved around, causing me to jump back a little. She turned on her back and started to breath heavily, her chest rising and falling abnormally rapid. Sweat began to form on her forehead as her eyes twitched and her eyes moved around quickly under her eyelids.

"Emelia?" I questioned softly, concern and confusion rushing through me. She began to shake and her head turned from side to side, I knew what it was immediately. She was having a nightmare.

I hopped up, the covers sliding off my body as I grabbed her shoulders and shook her, trying to wake her.

"Emelia, wake up!" I shouted, holding her face and lightly shaking it.

She continued to shake and breathe heavily, sweat embellishing her face. I was getting extremely anxious by the seconds, she wasn't waking up and I didn't know what to do. I hopped out of the bed and started to rush to her side when she shot up, gasping for air, the covers flying off her as she tried stand up, grabbing for anything and anybody. She lost her balance and fell to the floor with a thud.

I rushed to her side, pulling her into my arms as she began to hysterically cry. Her cries were shaky and her whole body trembled. I sat down next to her, pulling her into my lap and wrapping my arms around her tightly and securely, rocking her body back and forth as I tried to console her.

"It's okay, it was just a dream." I cooed in her ear.

She shook her head, "That's the thing, I-It wasn't a dream." She cried, "It was a remembrance."

I scrunched up my eyebrows, "I don't understand.."

She pulled away, her eyes bloodshot red and her face almost equally red, "It was a flashback. I'm so sick of holding this in, I can't do this anymore!" She shouted, gripping at the roots of her hair.

"Emelia, calm down.." I grabbed her hands, trying to stop her from ripping her hair from her scalp.

"I-I was abused by my stepfather for a majority of my childhood and some of my teenage years." She uttered, looking down at her shaking hands.

My heart dropped and my stomach did flips, I felt myself immediately become angry, "What?" I breathed

"No one cared, I was all alone. I tried to kill myself more times than I can count on my fingers but It didn't work. I hated living, I didn't wanna be on this earth anymore.." She began, her voice shaky and cracking every few words.

"What about your mom? Where was she?" I asked, getting upset.

She scoffed, wiping her eyes and sniffling, "She let it happen because apparently he was more important than I was. She needed him more than she needed her own daughter. She would sometime watch him beat me and when I'd cry out for help she'd just turn her head like she didn't see or hear anything!" She exclaimed through gritted teeth.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, sliding her in between my legs as I leaned against the wall. She fell limp in my arms as the tears continued to fall.

"The worse part is that she had a child by him, another human being in this world around a fucking monster like him. I never got to meet it and I don't know if it's a boy or a girl, I left before she gave birth." She said lowly, I could hear how hurt she truly was by all of this.

"Emelia, I'm so sorry." I whispered in her ear, leaning my chin on her shoulder.

"I'm stuck with these fucking vivid flashbacks about everything he ever did to me, most of the time I can even feel the pain." She croaked, hiding her face in her hands.

I held her closer to me, my lips planted on her temple as I felt tears of remorse sting my eyes, it upset me to know how upset she was. It pained me to see how much pain she was feeling and has been feeling for this long.

She pulled away from me, unwrapping my arms from around her and grabbing on my bed to gain balance as she stood up, "Im so sorry." She whispered before bending down and grabbing her shoes next to the end of the bed.

I stood up quickly, "Sorry for what?" I asked completely confused.

"I can't be in your life, you have so much ahead for you and I-I'm just gonna hold you back. I'm bad for you, I'm a fucking wreck and you don't need that." She rambled on, closing her eyes shut.

I took a step towards her, "Don't say that." I shook my head.

She took a step back, "Cameron just let me go! I don't want you worrying about me all the time and potentially fucking up your career." She cried.

"What are you talking about, you're completely wrong." I assured, reaching for her.

"I'm just a fuck up, Cameron." She whispered, her eyes wide as she looked at the floor.

"No you're not." I told her, moving closer to her but she took a step backwards and pivoted, turning around and heading for the door.

"Emelia!" I shouted after her, grabbed her wrist and spun her around to face me.

"What!?" She shouted back, throwing her hands up and letting them fall limp.

I didn't know what to say but I knew I wanted her to stay. I looked at her face, her eyes even more bloodshot red, her bottom lip quivering lightly. Her face was a light shade of red as her tears stained her cheeks. I did the only thing I could think of that could possibly make her stay. I grabbed her face and leaned down, smashing my lips against hers.

Her body fell limp against mine, almost as if her knees had given out on her but I wrapped my arm around her waist to keep her up. She was hesitant but after a few seconds she kissed me back, our lips moving together perfectly. She dropped her shoes and rested her hands on my waist, gripping my black t-shirt I slept in.

I pulled away slowly after a few minutes, my lips tingling after they disconnected from hers. Her eyes were still closed and her lips slightly puckered. I held her face with both my hands, caressing her warm damp cheeks. Her eyes finally fluttered opened, her lips falling back to normal.

"Why did you do that?" She whispered.

"It felt right."

She said nothing, she just intently stared in my eyes. Her glossy eyes twinkled as she slowly licked her lips, pulling them into her mouth momentarily.

"I'm not letting you go and I'm not going anywhere." I assured her, "Okay?"

She nodded slowly, "Okay" she whispered.

"Everything's gonna be alright." I engulfed her in a hug, her head laying against my chest as I leaned my head on top of hers.

"Everything's gonna be okay." I whispered, not only trying to convince her but myself.

I cared way too much about this girl to just let her slip through my fingers so easily. She had just told me her deepest, darkest secret, I couldn't abandon her like everyone else in her life had.

She needed me and it was almost as if I needed her just as much.