Cam never texted me back last night and I felt a little disappointed. What did I expect after I blew up on him? He probably realized I'm not worth the time and effort. I tried not thinking about it too much and told myself I can dwell on it later when my family goes back to the east coast.
My mom and aunt are making breakfast in the kitchen while my dad and uncle are drinking coffee stealing food being cooked from the stovetop. Carla, Giovanna, and I are in the living room dreading my dad for waking us up before noon since we stayed up late. Carla is flipping through the channels on the television while Giovanna is typing swiftly on her phone.
The doorbell rings and I quickly stand, "I got it!" I yell out more to my parents than to our guests.
My stomach dips as I come face to face with Cam. A million questions run through my mind as to what he's doing here. The fact that he's here while my dad and Uncle Vinny are here is also terrifying.
He scratches the back of his neck as he nervously meets my gaze, "Hey."
I blink rapidly before I can get the word out, "Hi."
He clears his throat, obviously still nervous, "I came to apologize."
"Apologize?" Uncle Vinny walks into the front room and I want to groan. I really wished he would've texted back. "For what?" He asks as he frowns looking over my shoulder to where Cam is standing.
"For being an asshole." His blue eyes meet mine, ignoring my Uncle Vinny, "I just thought Thomas was harassing you again, you have to understand the level of disrespect there is. I had-"
"Harassing? My baby girl?" My dad speaks up next to uncle Vinny now and this time I do groan out loud.
So it is about being disrespected.
Cam meets my eyes before looking at my dad and he shifts on his feet, "Well he comes off sort of strong with, Livy. I just-"
Uncle Vinny pats his shoulder as he guides him inside the house and I panic a little. I don't like where this is going, "You do what you need to do to keep our Liv safe."
I shift on my feet and cross my arms across my chest, "He's not dangerous. He was just a little persistent when we first met."
Both my dad and uncle scoff but my dad's eyes meet Cams again, "You don't apologize for protecting my baby girl, you got me?"
"Dad!" I want to tell him that he was in fact being an asshole, but Cam beats me to it.
"Livy tried calming me down but I also blew up on her for letting him close and I know I have no right to act that way." He turns to me, "I really am sorry I was being such an asshole."
I feel my defenses drop a little at his genuine apology.
My dad actually meets my gaze with his green eyes as they harden, "So let me get this straight? Cam's your boyfriend." I nod my head when he waits for me to confirm, "Thomas is a little punk who apparently is persistent and doesn't give a shit if you have a boyfriend. Cam over here tried to deal with that situation and you tried to tell him to calm down?"
I can only nod which makes my Uncle Vinny chuckle, "Honey. I hate to break it to ya but your boy here has every right to go off on that kid when you claimed him as your boyfriend."
I guess in a totally normal relationship that made sense and I guess I can now see how Cam felt disrespected but what about me? What about him and Zoey? Where's her respect for me?
My dad smiles proudly at Cam, "I think I like you kid." I want to roll my eyes.
Cam shrugs nonchalantly, "What's there not to like?"
Chuckling my dad, pushes him further in the house, "The fact that you're scrawny."
Cam genuinely laughs, "I'm not scrawny. I'm lean. I work out every day. What about you? Looks like you're letting yourself go."
Uncle Vinny laughs as my dad smirks, "Do you run?"
Cam smirks and scoffs, "I'll smoke you. Have you seen how old you are?"
I look over at Giovanna and Carla who's mouths are hanging wide open and I want to laugh it if it wasn't for the fact that I need to talk to Cam on my own.
"You're a little shit." My dad says this with a smirk so I know he's playing and so does Cam as he stands confidently smirking at my dad.
Uncle Vinny says something about them going to the gym room to work out to see if Cam can really beat them and I move quickly grabbing his arm.
"Wait... Can I talk to him without all of you here?" I look over at my dad.
"For what?" Uncle Vinny asks like it's the worst idea ever.
My mom steps in closer which I didn't even realize she had come into the living room, "Let the boy grovel. If he's gonna be an ass to Liv then I need him to grovel." My mom rolls her eyes walking back into the kitchen with Aunt Lauren.
I smile at a frowning Uncle Vinny and take Cam's hand, making him follow me out to the backyard passing the sliding doors in the living room.
When we're clear out of earshot, I look up at him to find he's smiling widely, "Is that your uncle or something? You guys share the same resemblance."
I nod as I bite my bottom lip before answering. "Yeah. That's my Uncle Vinny. They came from the east coast to visit."
A small smile plays on his lips and when we stand there for what seems like ages. He searches my eyes as I can see a battle going on in those deep blue eyes. I deeply wish I knew what he was thinking.
I open my mouth to apologize for my behavior yesterday, but he beats me to it as he takes hold of my hand, "I'm sorry for the way I treated you, Livy. It should've never got that far."
Clearing my throat, I look down, "I'm sorry too. I didn't need to get riled up the way I did, but then Thomas said..." I look around at nothing, in particular, to think about a way to say the words, "It's just your friendship means a lot to me now. I don't want to lose that."
I want to tell him, how he can hang out with Zoey and make me look like a fool, but it'll only unleash my hurt feelings that I put away inside since yesterday. I've realized that if he wants something deeper and meaningful, he'll let me know. If he's someone that wants loyalty then I need that too.
I look up to see his blue eyes staring back at me and I can see they narrow a little as he thinks. Finally nodding, he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, "You mean a lot to me too."
This makes my heart warm and I feel a weight being lifted off my shoulders and his smile just makes me smile with him. He places his hands on my waist slowly pulling me towards him. I wrap my arms around his neck and he leans down to kiss my temple as his lips move closer to my ear.
"I've missed you, Cookie." His voice comes out deeper near my ear and I wonder if he used the nickname because he wants to kiss me. But I can't tell as I'm engulfed in his scent and take a moment to close my eyes and breath him in this close again.
I pull back and look at his eyes more closely. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I think I see the same tenderness I feel for him as he looks at me. I cup his cheek as I rub my thumb on his cheekbone.
Why is this boy so perfect?
"Okay. you guys made up. No more time alone." My dad signals Cam with his hand to follow him, "C'mon kid, let's eat breakfast, and then we can go see how weak you are."
Cam pulls away and takes hold of my hand as he laughs at my dad's joke, "Don't break a bone trying to impress me."
We go inside and despite my dad and Uncle Vinny's jokes, I can tell he's been accepted in my family. Even by my mom who serves him three times and my aunt Lauren who won't stop talking his ear off about his blue eyes. And my cousins who just found out he might be having problems with me, are talking to him like if they're long-lost friends somehow.
Finally, my dad drags him to the gym room as he complains that if he pukes that it'll be because he just ate. I stay back to help my mom and aunt clean up and my cousins go shower while my aunt fires question after question about Cam.
When I make my way upstairs Giovanna and Carla are styling their hair and putting light makeup on. So I join them and start getting ready for the day with them. I leave my hair in its natural waves and just add a little bit of makeup.
There's a soft knock on the door before it opens and Cam walks in confidently walking towards my bed. Plopping himself down, he types something on his phone while he smirks.
"Guess where your dad and uncle gave me permission to take you guys?" He says without looking up.
Giovanna twirls in the chair so fast I almost thought she'd fall off, "Where!" She shouts.
He finally looks up from his phone and meets her eyes, "Santa Cruz." He then meets mine, "That's if Livy is cool with it."
Both Giovanna and Carla turn to me giving me pleading looks, "Please Liv. Let's go have fun!" Giovanna shouts.
"What about what my dad has planned?" I ask Cam and he shrugs as he pats the space next to him for me to take.
I walk over as he answers while watching me get closer, "He said he just planned on staying in, but if I take you then it could be like a double date type of thing with the wives. He said to have you home by tomorrow for sure since he's bringing you a cake tomorrow."
Smiling I take his hand as I sit next to him, "How'd you convince him?"
He rubs small circles on my hand, "I didn't do much convincing. I just said, your friends and I wanted to take you out for your birthday and-"
My back stiffens as it just registers in my mind, "My birthday? How'd you know about my birthday?"
He cups my cheek pulling me close, "Even though I wish you would've told me. Penelope told me about your birthday last night during game night."
Giovanna chuckles softly, "I hope you have a gift ready."
Cam smirks, "As much as I'd like to take credit for the Santa Cruz idea, that was all Penelope and Natalie's planning. I just agreed to set it in motion. So, yes... I do have a gift ready."
As he leans in I feel my heart skip and trip on itself so I interrupt before his lips meet mine, "Does this mean I have to change again. Santa Cruz is warmer than the Bay Area."
Giovanna squeals excitedly, "Yes! Cam get out. We're going to get ready!"
I expected him to laugh and walk out. But instead, he leans in closer, and even though he did laugh, his eyes are locked with mine. His thumb rubs my bottom lip and I don't know what's real and what's fake anymore, but I decide to just enjoy having him back to being nice. His blue eyes meet mine again and this time there's a heat in them I've never seen before.
Pulling me closer, his lips finally meet mine and it makes my heart warm as I reach up to run my fingers through his hair. The kiss doesn't deepen before he places his forehead against mine and gives me one more soft peck on the lips before pulling away.
Kissing my knuckles his blue eyes meet mine, "I really have missed you, Cookie."
My heart couldn't be more over the moon than what it already is. He makes me feel things I've never felt before. Things I didn't even know existed. And yet here I am, feeling all of these wonderful things when it's only one-sided.
He gets up from the bed before winking at a gaping Carla and walking out of the room. I really do like seeing him in my room for some weird reason. It's like he's invaded my space like he's done with my mind and I like it as much as I like him.
Giovanna twirls in the armchair as soon as he closes the door behind him and pulls away from the vanity in my room to look at me with wide eyes, "Oh. My. God. Liv. He's so hot and sweet. How can you be so controlled all the time?"
Only if she knew the truth so I scoff, "Most of the time, I can't."
Carla sits next to me, "Well girlfriend, got any bathing suits?"
I laugh softly as I nod and we all go into my closet to chose what I should wear to look hot as Giovanna said.