Song: "We are young" - Fun ft. Janelle Monae.
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Mikayla looked equal parts confused and mad. Daxton wasn't sure which emotion she was focusing on. He hoped for the former.
"I'd like to know the same thing," grouched Cameron. He looked mad. His hands had stopped shaking so violently. His fear had dissolved into frustration. Daxton could handle that. He couldn't handle a scared Cameron. It was the only think that weakened him.
"I don't have time to talk about this." He answered them quickly. Both Cameron and Mikayla glared at him.
"You're hiding something." said Mikayla. He nodded. He wasn't going to deny it. He didn't want to make things worse. It didn't mean he was going to expose his secret though.
"What are you hiding from me?" asked Cameron. "What has you so set on fixing my reputation?"
"It's complicated," muttered Daxton.
"It involves my life. Uncomplicate it."
Daxton pinched the bridge of his nose. Cameron was immature and ignorant of the world. Things were always so simple to him. Where Daxton would see a massive, intricate web of chaos, Cameron saw one string with one solution. His brother failed to see the seriousness of any problem. He was delusional and he was simply proving it more. This was one problem he was set on ensuring Cameron never tried to solve.
Daxton bent down to collect his laptop. He looked at his watch and groaned. He had a meeting to go to. "I need to go." He told them.
"Where are you going?" asked Mikayla.
"It's almost evening," commented Cameron.
Daxton ignored them both as he gathered his things in his bag. He grabbed his car keys before looking at them. "I've got a meeting with Crazy Pipes Studios. There's a film they're in the process of producing and I'm trying to convince them to hire you as the lead. If this meeting is successful, we're on track with our plan. Things will finally be looking up for us."
Cameron's smile widened. His previous anger vanished as he rushed towards Daxton and hugged him tight. "Yes! This is fantastic. What's the film about?"
"Not sure of all the details. I'll find out now at the meeting."
"Well, go then." Cameron pushed him towards the entrance. Daxton was happy he'd forgotten about their little disagreement. Mikayla still stood in the entryway. He stopped in front of her and frowned at her crestfallen expression.
"What's wrong Mickey?"
"Nothing," she whispered. "I'm glad everything is working out. At least I've been of help." He watched her swallow. "I need to go to my room." She left quickly with her hand travelling along the wall. He watched her with a crooked brow. Something was off. He just knew it. If only he could figure out what was wrong.
Daxton turned to look at Cameron. Cameron's eyes were also trained on where Mikayla had left. "That was odd, right?" he asked his brother.
Cameron nodded. "What do you suppose got her so upset?"
Daxton sighed. He rubbed at his neck and then glanced at his watch. "Shoot! I really need to leave. Will you keep an eye out for her? Maybe talk to her and see what's bothering her so much?"
Cameron nodded. "I've got your back. Besides, she's my fiancée, right? I've got to support and comfort her." He winked at Daxton and strolled towards where Mikayla had disappeared. Daxton felt like throwing up. Too bad it would need to wait until after his meeting.
~~***~~
Mikayla had been in her room for only ten minutes before there'd been a knock. She'd shot up thinking it were Daxton. When the door opened and she heard a delicate, "hi," she slumped in her seat.
"What's wrong Cameron?" she asked him.
He laughed. "I actually came to ask you the same thing."
She shrugged. She heard him drag his feet across the floor before he sat beside her. She felt his hand on her knee seconds later. "What did my brother say to upset you?"
She nibbled her bottom lip. She wasn't sure she could open up to Cameron. Cameron, for his part, had been nicer and they'd got along better. Mikayla still had her reservations about him but, she couldn't shake her anxiety. Perhaps reassurance from him was what she needed.
"If this meeting goes well, what does that mean?"
Cameron hummed. "Well, it probably means I can finally get out of this house." He laughed but Mikayla stayed silent. "Tough crowd," he mumbled. He moved around until his body faced hers. He put both hands on her legs and pat once. "It'll mean that our hard work is paying off. Crazy Pipes is a big production studio. They were one of the first I worked with. If I get the lead, it not only means they've got faith in me again but, that others should too. Give it a couple of months and I could be back on top of my career where I was before all this happened."
Mikayla nodded while her shoulders sagged. "So, um." Her voice was soft. "It'll mean I did my job right."
"Well yeah. It means people have believed my reformation."
"So, um, then I'm not needed anymore."
His shout came quicker than she expected. "No!" His hands gripped hers tightly. "Damn that's what you're thinking?" She turned her head away from him. "Mickey," he said with a sigh. "You realize you're more important right?" She said nothing to him. She tried to pry her hands away but his grip was relentless. "No, listen to me Mikayla. I know that, technically speaking, if the meeting goes well then your job is done but, it's more complicated than that."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Firstly, it'll take months before other studios restore their faith in me. It'll only happen once news of production on the new movie is out and once there's proof I'm behaving. That'll easily take about six months or more. After that, if this works, we still need to fix the lie we've told."
"I'm not following," she said with a crease of her brow.
Cameron laughed. "I've told the whole world I'm marrying you. They're expecting that. If you and I don't marry, regardless of my reputation improving, we still need to address it."
Mikayla nibbled her bottom lip. "I hadn't thought of that."
She heard him sigh deeply before his fingers were at her chin. He pulled her face towards his. She could hear the smile in his words as he spoke. "What I'm trying to tell you is that you're probably stuck with us for at least a year. Think you can handle it?"
A whole year stuck pretending to be in love with Cameron while she secretly fell for his brother... honestly sounded like heaven.
She grinned. "I'm up for the challenge."
Cameron cheered and jumped from the bed. "Great. Now Dax will probably be gone for a couple of hours so what do you say you and I have our own fun." She gulped at his suggestive tone. Cameron simply laughed. "Don't look so sick. I've been told some fun with me is the best you'll ever have." Mikayla laughed. "I'm just talking some fun out in the city. I think we could use some."
"What about Daxton?"
Cameron scoffed. "We're big, we can make our own decisions. But, if it means anything to you, we'll take Benny and you're two bodyguards."
Mikayla smiled. His idea sounded inviting. She hadn't been out to the city for some casual fun in months. Daxton had done well to keep her, and Cameron locked in the house. Perhaps that was what they both needed most. Surely some time out and about couldn't be too bad.
"That sounds like a great plan. I'm in."
Cameron cheered and grabbed her arm. He began to pull her out the room. "Come on Nelly." Mikayla shook her head at his antics and called for Nelly to follow. She let Cameron pull her out the house and towards the large vehicle. Benny stopped them.
"Can I ask where you're going, sir?" he asked. Mikayla had got used to his gruff, formal tone weeks ago. She'd tried to strike friendship with the man, but he was hell bent on keeping things professional.
Cameron pulled her under his arm with his hand on her waist. "We, good sir, would like to go for a trip out on the town."
"I'm afraid I can't let you. Mr. Daxton has given me strict instructions not to let you leave without his permission. That goes for you too Ms. Hudson."
Mikayla frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "We are not prisoners. We're allowed to leave if we choose too."
"I'm sorry but, those are not my orders."
"Well," said Cameron. "Either you come with us, or we leave on our own." She felt him remove his arm and stand straighter alongside her. She mimicked his actions and tried to appear threateningly for Benny. They were at a standoff. Mikayla wished she could see what each man was doing. She assumed there was a heavy stare down going on.
Eventually, Benny sighed. "Fine. If Mr. Daxton asks, you took me against your will."
Cameron laughed. "Isn't that what I always say?" He moved away from Mikayla towards the car. "Come on you two. Let's paint the town green!"
Mikayla laughed. "I thought the expression was, paint the town red?"
"Red is overrated."
Mikayla chuckled while Benny helped her into the car. "Alright then. Let's spray it all green then!"
Cameron's cheer said everything.