Our Selection

Chapter 18

The next day we are all sitting at the breakfast table when Cameron stands up and looks at us
"Today, you will be having your first photoshoot. The outfits you will be wearing are in your room and I hope that they are to your liking, please meet in the Great Hall in one hour" He says and sits down. A photoshoot? Really... Why am I still here? I don't like anything that we do here, but it's like there is some invisible force telling me to stay. I walk up to my room and see a long red dress with velvet sleeves that come off the shoulder lying on the bed. My maids help me into it and I stand there awkwardly while they do my makeup and hair. I stop them from doing too much makeup as it makes me feel claustrophobic with all that powder on my face. We all meet in the Great Hall wearing exactly the same dress, I wonder why? Then I realise. We are doing a photoshoot with Cameron. He walks in and catches my gaze and wiggles his eyebrows at me, I roll my eyes at him and turn away. I am the last of the 20 girls as I am from the lowest caste. I watch completely uninterested in what is happening but I see Lola running her hands all over Camerons chest and arms. Can she not contain herself for a second? The time ticks away and very slowly all the girls trickle out the room, bored because they aren't with Cameron anymore. I am staring into nothing when Cameron walks over to me and takes my hand
"Come on you daydreamer, it's your turn" He says softly and I look up at him
"Sorry" I say still half not here. He leads me over to the camera man and introduces me
"This is Michael, he is our family's photographer and he's the best in illea" He says while grinning at him. Michael looks to be around 60 and his face is kind, he has smile lines around his mouth and he seems to be one of the nicest people I have met here. Michael chuckles and pats Camerons shoulder
"I have known this one since he was a baby, such a cheeky bugger you were" He teases and Camerons laughs "Go on, get over there, I need to take some pictures" He adds and I follow Cameron to a white background
"Red looks stunning on you my lady" He whispers into my ear and even though it is warm in here, I feel a shiver go down my spine "I'm not so sure, I think it looks horrendous" I say with a grimace and he laughs, he slips his hand around my waist and I tense up, he notices and leans down to my level
"Relax, it's just me, I'm not going to hurt you" He whispers and he raises his hand to my neck where he brushes away my hair and I feel his fingertips brush the back of my neck and it sends tiny electric shocks into my skin, Michael is busying himself with his cameras to give us more time but Cameron pulls away and nods at him to start taking the pictures. Cameron pulls me closer and I smile, following his lead, and the cameras start to flash. "Wait a sec" I say and Michael stops immediately and Cameron looks at me confused. I pull all the pins and plastic things that they used to tie my hair up, a maid rushes over to help me but I dismiss her and roll my eyes "God... You would think I was disabled" I say quietly and Cameron snorts, I flash him a cheeky smile. I shake my head so my hair is loose and part it so it is over my shoulders. Cameron looks at me confused "It was hurting" I say and frown but he gives me a smile
"I didn't say I didn't like it" He says softly and he puts his arm around my waist again and squeezes it slightly. Michael carries on taking pictures and Cameron guides me on where I should stand and what I should do with my arms. After a couple of different poses he goes behind me and wraps his arms tightly around my middle, his head is resting only shoulder and I tilt my head to look at him. His eyes are astounding and everytime I look into them I feel as if I am drowning in their colours. There is a bright flash as Michael takes the picture and Cameron stays there a second longer than he needs to before he pulls away
"Can we get some on the couch?" Michael asks and Cameron nods, he leads me over to the small couch and I sit beside him, he takes my hand and interlocks his fingers with mine
"I can lift all those weights now for 10 seconds... Beat that" He whispers and smirks. I laugh and the camera flashes again
"Try fifteen" I whisper and he hits the sofa with his free hand
"God sake! I am going to ban you from the gym, I need to beat you!" He frowns and I laugh and shake my head. We take a couple more pictures and then a guard comes over to us and I stand up and move away
"Wolf... Come here for a second" Michael says quietly and gives me a reassuring smile. I walk over "What did I do?" I ask confused and he chuckles
"Nothing, except, have you seen the way that Cameron looks at you?" He smiles and I feel my throat tighten,
"What d- what do you mean?" I ask, my voice shaking
"He cares about you, that's all I'm saying, he didn't look that happy in any other pictures... I'm telling you. Just trust him, he really does care about you... I think you could win this thing, just show him the real you and see how things go from there" He smiles and I watch Cameron as walks out the room. "Uhh... I thought he was into Lola?" I say quietly trying to hide my disappointment. Michael chuckles "Did you see him? He looked so uncomfortable! It was hard to stop myself from laughing" He laughs and I give him a small smile and a curtsy and walk back to my room thinking about what he just said. It can't be true. So I erase the thought from my head and walk into my room, and change into the sweatpants and white tee shirt that Cameron gave me, they smell of him and often I sleep in them, because for some reason, it comforts me... I walk out onto my balcony and look out at the pink sunset, a moment later something touches my arm and I spin round, my heart racing.
"Suprise?" He laughs and I give a relieved sigh "Don't ever do that again, fucking hell you scared me" I laugh and shove my hands in my pockets to stop him from seeing that they are shaking.
"Sorry" He laughs softly and I shove him playfully. He looks me up and down, probably wondering why I haven't given him his clothes back and I suddenly feel embarrassed about wearing them "I uh... Was going to give them back except... Except, umm, they jus-" I say nervously but he cuts me off
"Wolf... Don't worry about it, I want you to have them" He reassures me and brushes my hair away from my face
"Cameron... I was told that, you had, umm... That you cared about me... I just want to know where I stand" I say quietly and look down, his fingertips leave a burning sensation on my neck and I have to fight the urge to shiver. He looks away and the sunset light softens his face
"This is all so humiliating... I didn't think I would find anyone who I connected with, and I certainly didn't expect you of all people to be that person" He whispers and I can see that it is hard for him to say, I place my hand softly on his cheek and guide him so he is looking at me again. His eyes are deep and I can feel myself getting lost in them
"Don't be embarrassed, it's perfectly normal" I say softly and he looks at me, there is a look of hunger in his eyes, something that I have not seen before, and for some reason, I have an overpowering desire to quench it. I move my hand to the back of his neck and pull him to me, my lips meet his and I feel a feeling that I have never felt before, a sense of safety that not once have I ever experienced. His hands slide onto my waist and I run my hands through his hair and he pushes me softly against the wall but I pull away
"Cameron, stop... This is crazy" I say quietly and avoid looking into his eyes
"We are going to take it as slow as you want, I'm not going to force you to do anything that you don't want to" He says softly and rubs my cheekbone with his thumb. I walk back inside my room and he follows me in before moving to the door
"Goodnight Cameron" I say quietly and he embraces me
"Goodnight Wolf, sleep well" He whispers and kisses my forehead, he shuts the door quietly and I crawl into bed and fall asleep instantly with a smile on my lips...