But what if I had started to fall for him? What if Cameron had caught me at a very vulnerable time in my life and I started falling in love with this guy? Playing with someone’s emotions like that could’ve ended very badly, especially if a person wasn’t in a good place mentally.
I crawl into my bed and pull the covers up to my neck. It’s barely ten o’clock, but all I want to do is go to sleep and forget this ever happened. The problem is, every time I close my eyes, I see Cameron laughing at me and it makes me angry. What he needs is to be taught a lesson that toying with people’s emotions is not okay.
Maybe I’m the one who needs to teach that to him.My alarm wakes me up early on Saturday morning, for work. I still feel like shit, but at least work will distract me. I pull back the sheets and sigh, because I’m still dressed in last night’s clothes. I know that’s going to raise too many questions, so I shower first, get dressed and then go in search of caffeine.
“Hey,” I mumble to Mom.
She looks up from her breakfast and studies me.
“How was your night out?” she asks. “We got home at just after ten and you were in bed already?”
“Yeah, I was tired, so I postponed it,” I lie. “A late night when I had to work the next day wasn’t a good idea anyway.”
I force a smile, but Mom isn’t buying it. I ignore her eyes on me and make myself the world’s strongest coffee.
“Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?” she asks, looking concerned.
“I said I’m fine,” I snap.
Mack walks into the kitchen, whistling to himself. He stops in his tracks when he sees we’re in the middle of something. He grins, looking from Mom, to me.
“What have I missed?”
“Don't worry,” Mom assures him. “You haven't missed much. My daughter is in a very foul mood and I’m trying to figure out why.”
“Ah,” Mack nods knowingly. “That time of the month?”
I glare at him.
“What?” he shrugs innocently. “My friend Zach has four sisters and he says they’ve synced.” His eyes widen as he speaks. “He reckons that time of the month is an absolute warzone and not just because of the fighting either. He says its pure carnage. The blood is everywhere.”
I open my mouth to reply but decided to shut it. What’s the point? He’s Mack. He plays by his own set of rules, much like everyone else in his family. I used to wonder how Jim could produce such an asshole in Cameron, but two sons?
Maybe the problem runs deeper.
“I'm going to work,” I sigh.I really don’t want to be here.
The morning is dragging to the point where an hour feels like three. I’m hanging out for lunch, just so I can sit outside in the sun. More than once, I’ve caught myself looking at my phone for messages from James, and then I’d remember that it was Cameron all along.
When my lunch break finally rolls around, I head outside to eat, like I do nearly every day. It’s much nicer out here, especially under my huge tree, and it also means I don’t have to deal with the politics in that staffroom. More than once I’ve heard my name mentioned, along with Jim’s. I know everyone thinks I’m only here because of my connections, and I guess I am. Only now I don’t want to be here at all.
I toss my sandwich back in my bag, not hungry. Then I shiver when a gust of cool air hits my arms. I lean back against the tree and close my eyes. I sigh, wishing I was anywhere but here.
“We keep running into each other like this.”
I look up and smile at Linton.
“You know they give you a staffroom you can eat in,” he adds.
“Is that the same staffroom that makes me feel like I’m back in high school?” I joke.
“One in the same. You can’t tell me you weren’t one of the popular girls,” he teases as he plonks down next to me. “Oh wait, you weren’t out here to be alone or anything, were you?” he asks as an afterthought.
I shake my head. “Of course not.”
I’m secretly thrilled for the company.
“Good, hope you you’re just saying that?” he asks. He frowns at me. “Because you kind of look like you want to murder somebody today. I’m just making sure it’s not me.”
“Murdering someone sounds pretty good, but no, it’s not you,” I say, smiling at him. I like Linton. He has an infectious personality that you can’t help but enjoy.
“Good,” he nods. “So, is it a specific person we want to murder or is this the random thrill killing you’re into? Because just so you know, I’m up for either.”