Chapter Twenty-Two:
Prom?
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Sophia's POV
"Remember when I said that maybe you and me could go to the beach together?" Cameron asked me. We had been driving for only 15 minutes and I was getting really suspicious about the location of this date.
"Yeah. You said that when I came to your house for the first time." I smiled at the memory.
Cameron just let out a happy sigh and continued to steal glances at me like he has been.
I reached forward and turned the radio on with the little button on the dash. It made a noise that sounded like a man's voice and then shut off. I gave Cameron a weird look and he pressed his lips into a thin line before taking the heel of his palm and smashing it down on the top of the dash. I jumped, not expecting the loud noise.
"It's kind of broken. It will play for a minute -or more if you're lucky," he winked at me and I grinned, "and then it'll shut off for another minute and redo all that."
"I don't think smashing it will help," I smiled a toothy grin at him and scooted up further on the seat so I could look at it. The seat belt made it impossible to reach the radio fully but I managed.
"What are you doing?" Cameron with curiosity. I shrugged my shoulders and turned the dial so I could get a good station to come on the radio. You know, when I could hear it to know what song I liked.
Finally, I found a station I liked. It was playing "God gave me you" by Blake Shelton. Of course it was a love song, guys, that's what most songs are about today.
"Okay, when the radio is playing and we can hear the song, sing to it. Then, when it goes off, you keep singing to see if you can keep up it." I explained and Cameron narrowed his eyes at me, "what if I can't sing?"
I rolled my eyes at him. "I've heard you sing before. You aren't bad at all." I told him. It wasn't a lie. I went over to his house one other time to hang out to take a break from building the tree house, and he was singing in the shower.
He sighed heavily, not feeling arguing with me. The song came on and I started singing with it softly so I wouldn't make his eardrums bleed from my voice. I nudges Cameron's side to get him to sing with me. He glanced at me and started singing along with the song and then it suddenly went off. I continued to sing with and so did Cameron, the competition was on.
It went like that until that song went off.
"Whoever stops singing first has to.... has to give the other a ten second kiss." Cameron added to the game. I smirked at him, what kind of award was that? Even the loser would be rewarded.
"Deal," I smiled at him and we kept playing the song game for the next hour.
Eventually, Cameron did win. He must listen to country more than I thought he did because when the song "Little Moments" by Brad Paisley came on, he knew just about every word. I crossed my arms over my chest and popped my bottom lip out.
"I don't think it's much of loss, is it?" He asked smugly. I rolled me eyes at him.
"That'll be our song." A grin formed on his lips. I smiled at him and scooted to the middle of his truck so I could be right beside him. "I love you," I half whispered as I wrapped my arm around his and kept my eyes on the side of his face. I could have slapped myself for saying that.
Not that I didn't mean it, but... I felt weird. I can't explain the feeling.
"I love you so much more," he said, glancing over at me. I smiled leaned up to kiss his cheek softly. Goosebumps formed on his arm and I chuckled at my own power. He does the same to me.
"You have goosebumps," I stayed the obvious. He kept his eyes straight ahead at the road.
"It's cold in here." He told me. Such a lame excuse.
"We don't even have the air conditioner on," I made a "duh" face.
The weather was really nice for late April here in Virginia. I couldn't believe it was almost the end of the school year, either. This summer was going to be a good one, I could tell.
I let the subject of goosebumps go and leaned my head on his shoulder to pass the time. The radio continued to go in and out and eventually got on my nerves. As soon as I tuned it off, though, Cameron pulled into the beach parking lot. This wasn't Virginia beach. It was a smaller one that was much closer to our small town than Virginia beach was. We get more snow that the people that live near the big beach, this beach was called Mountain beach since there was a big hill beside it. Not a lot of people came here, it was kind of small and most people prefer Virginia beach. I knew a lot of kids my age came to this beach to hang out, but I never actually went.
I sat up and watched while Cameron slowly backed down closer to the shore line, the back end of the truck closer to the water. Of course, it wasn't that close, though.
He put the truck in park and sat there for a moment. He looked over at me and a smile formed on his lips, throwing my heart into overdrive.
"C'mon," he grabbed my hand and pulled me toward his door, helping me out onto the sand. I couldn't get the amazement off my face enough to stop smiling.
"Wanna go for a walk?" Cameron pulled me along beside him after I nodded my head.
"Wait," I unstrapped my sandals and tossed them onto the back of the truck so I could feel the sand between my toes, "I like to feel the sand on my feet." I explained to him quickly.
He gave me a warm smile and we started to walk down along the shore. The ocean water water was freezing cold and every time it touched my feet I jumped closer to Cameron since he was closer to the drier sand.
"Cold?" He asked in a playful tone, eyes bright with amusement. I nodded my head. He suddenly scooped me up in his arms bridle style and walked a little ways. I could feel my cheeks burning red from his sudden gesture. He chuckled and kissed my cheek.
Not much further down the beach, Cameron put me down and I walked along side him, his arm over my shoulder.
"Look," he gestured about ten feet in front of us. I squinted my eyes against the setting sun and we picked up our pace to get to the sticks I could see in the sand.
My breath caught in my throat once we got up to it and I'm sure the color drained from my face. I looked up at Cameron and he turned his head to meet my eyes.
In the sand, arranged in a bunch of tiny to huge sticks, was the word "Prom?". I smiled widely and threw my arms around Cameron's neck and wrapping my legs around his waist. I must've caught him off guard because we rumbled right to the ground, him landing on his butt and me on his lap. My face, once again, turned beet red.
"Yes, of course I will." I cupped his face in my hands as I said this. His smile grew wider, "mind if I have that ten second kiss now?" I nodded my head.
His lips connected with mine and he pulled me closer to him so that my feet were crossed around his torso. This kiss was toe-curling and heart fluttering a hundred times over.
"C'mon, the date's not over yet." I rolled off of him and he helped me up to my feet. We walked slowly back to the truck with mostly the waves as our background noise.
"Sorry I practically attacked you back there. It's just that no one has ever really asked me - or shown as much interest in me as you have. And I'm really blessed to have you, Cameron." I said sheepishly. I hated laying things on heavy and deep like they do in the books I read sometimes, but that's how I got my point across best. He squeezed my shoulder with the hand leaning on it. "That's okay, really. I like it when you get excited like that." He chuckled lightly and I blushed once again for the millionth and probably not the last time tonight.
We reached the truck and Cameron reached in the truck and turned his radio on. I was clueless about what he was doing until he put his tailgate down and pulled me up to him.
"We need some practice for next month, prom." He told me with a smile on his face. Lucky for us, a slow song came on. I wasn't sure of the name, but I could tell it was an older country song.
He pulled me close so we were chest to chest and our fingers laced together. His hand was holding the small of my back while I had mine on his shoulder. I couldn't believe he knew how to dance.
"You're just talented, aren't you?" I asked with a wide smile playing on my lips. This night was going amazing.
"Totally," his tone just made me giggle. The radio started playing its games, so, when it went off, Cameron continued to sing along to the song. He got them mostly right.
He twirled me a few times before the radio went completely off and Cameron had to turn the truck off so the battery wouldn't go dead.
"How about food? Are you hungry?" He asked me once he got back up onto the bed of the truck. He had laid a blanket out so we would have something soft to sit on. I noticed a few more blankets and some pillows piled in the corner of his truck for more comfort later.
"Hmm it depends on what you brought." I narrowed my eyes playfully at him. He continued to smile as he reached into the truck and pulled out a small blue lunch box.
"Oh, just some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and some watermelon. Callie cut it for us." He added.
I nodded my head and made a mental note to thank his sister later. I haven't seen her in a while, hopefully she's remember me. The watermelon ended up being shaped like stars which made Cameron roll his eyes. I ate my peanut butter and jelly sandwich in silence as I dangled my feet off the tailgate and stared at the ocean and pink and orange sky.
"You didn't have to do all this stuff. I'm not high maintenance." I told Cameron softly. He was sitting beside me, eating and dangling his feet off the end of the truck as well.
"I wanted to. Do you like it?" He asked me with a serious expression as he looked over at me. I nodded my head eagerly, "yes! Of course I do. It's the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me."
He shoved his last piece of sandwich in his mouth and stood up. I watched over my shoulder as he straightened the blanket out on the truck bed and piled the pillows against the back for us to lean on. He took my hand and helped me up. I straightened my dress out and sat down beside Cameron. The sun was almost completely down and it was getting a little dark. He pulled the blankets over our laps and we got comfortable.
"So, I have a question." I said after a while of waiting for the stars to come out.
"What?" He asked quietly, his fingers playing in my hair.
"What if Matt's cancer comes back?" I didn't move a muscle so I could focus on him answering. I felt his chest rise and fall one big time.
"Bloody noses are bloody noses sometimes, Sophia." He reminded me. His hand made comforting circles on my back.
"Sometimes," I echoed his words in a whisper. I have no idea where the dreadful subject of my baby brother. I instantly sat up and faced Cameron without actually moving.
"I'm sorry. I just brought down the happy mood." I told him shamefully.
I reached up and touched underneath of my eye with his thumb. I hadn't even realized I was tearing up. I grabbed his wrist and held it close to me for a minute, my face blank of emotion.
"You don't have to be sorry. You have that heaviness of Matt on your heart all the time. It's okay to let it out sometimes. Remember what I told you?" He held the side of my face with his hand. I was rolled over on my stomach pressed to his side while he was relaxed on his back with one hand behind his head.
"I don't always have to be so strong?" I asked quietly. He didn't have to answer me for me to know that's what he was talking about.
I rested my head on his chest with my arms around his torso. Tears were sliding down my cheeks all warm and salty when the leaked past my lips. I made sure I wasn't making any noise so Cameron wouldn't try to be superman. If he would.
"Thank you, Cameron." I smiled even though he couldn't see me. His hand was running down over my hair like it has been for a while now.
"Anything for you," was his answer.
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I worked really hard on this chapter and I hope it's not bad, or too lovey dovey for those of you who don't like that! It's okay for me, but I don't like it when it gets too deep haha!
I have several more things planned for this book but it's coming to and end soon. I hope you like it!