The Perfect Promise

Chapter 35: It was always you: Part 2:

~Chapter Song: All Of Me, John Legend~

Cameron's POV:

"You better not screw this up, Cameron.", Harry said for the fifth time today.

"I won't. I promise you."

We were in his room, ready to set our plan in motion. I had thought about it a lot, and I knew exactly what I had to do.

He placed a hand on my shoulder, "Look man, Winter... she loves you. Even if she doesn't know it. Even if she doesn't realize it. You and I both know she does. For whatever reason. She just doesn't think of herself as someone special enough to find love that lasts. So, you better not screw this up, 'cause I swear, you hurt my sister, I'll hunt you down and hurt you."

I stayed silent, half scared, half trying not to laugh. Harry was never the overprotective type. It was strange watching him be that way. But a good kind of strange. It meant that things had changed in the best way possible.

I nodded. "I promise. I love her."

"I know you do. That's the only reason I agreed on this.", he glanced at the window that connected his room with Winter's. "Give me a second."

I was trying not to eavesdrop, but I couldn't not hear Winter's screams at Harry, who was now opening the blinds in her room and forcing her to sit up.

Even in all the stress, I was under, that made me laugh.

I knew exactly how the next conversation would go down. I knew Winter wouldn't say anything. She would just stay there, looking at me, shocked. And I was okay with that.

I was okay with her not telling me she loved me back when I said it. I was okay with her taking some time. I was okay because she was worth everything. All the past pain, torture, and weird encounters.

Cause all the awkward parent run-ups. All the best friends' evil plans. All the death stares. And dad talks. I was willing to face all of that and many more if it meant a chance with her.

Winter's POV:

Being heartbroken surely hurts. Fake or not, it fucking hurts. Maybe because in both cases you lose someone you... cared about, one way or another.

It's been four days since I've talked to Cameron and it felt like I was losing my mind. I went from seeing him every day to not at all.

Christine and Ben had been trying to contact me, but I left my phone off, having absolutely no contact with the world outside of my room.

If it was in my control, I would stay there forever, but it was not. The vice principal called, with the threat of me not passing senior year. I've missed enough days for him to hold me back, which with the whole university and not sure about my future career shit, didn't sound so horrible, but my parents didn't like it as much.

So, the next day I would go to school and face everyone. But for now, I was locked in my room.

The sound that meant Harry was in my room, was heard.

I turned to him. He smiled at me sympathetically. Great. More people felt sorry for me.

"Hey. How are you?"

"Why don't you just let me root here in peace? I really don't feel like talking."

"Yeah. That's what I thought. So... I'm sorry for everything that may or may not happen in a few moments. Please, don't hate me. It's for your own good."

"What? What are you-?", he stopped me and started opening blinds and windows, letting daylight in. He pulled my hair tie, my hair falling from the messy bun to my shoulders.

"Why are you doing this?", I yelled, trying to get away from him.

"I have my reasons."

He shuffled my hair like I was a dog and then left through the window.

"All yours.", I heard him say.

And guess who got in from the window? Cameron.

Maybe I said his name at that moment, maybe I didn't. It's all a blur of a memory, now.

He looked as bad as I did. His eyes were red and puffy, his hair a mess.

"Hey, Winnie.", he made a few more steps closer to me and took a deep breath, like he was building up the courage for something. "I... I am not confident. You know that. I just pretend to be in front of everyone. Everyone except you. You are the only one that I feel confident being around. I don't overthink it or get worried about what to do or say in front of you because I know you. I know what you think, and how you act. I know what you are about to say. You are going to say that you don't know. That you think that if we ever date, our families will be weird and awkward, and... you're right. They will be. But I also know that that's not the only reason you don't want to risk it. Deep down, you think you aren't worth it. You think because you can't quite acknowledge your feeling, you aren't good enough to be someone's girlfriend. That love isn't worth the pain that comes with losing it. But to be completely honest... I don't give a shit. I don't care what you think about yourself. Because I have to say it. Because we had to fake break up for me to...", he paused, gathering confidence, "to realize that I... that I love you, Winter."

"Um... I...", tears running from my eyes.

I felt so worthless at that moment. Useless. How could you not know? the little voice on my head yelled at me.

"You don't know. I know you don't. That's why I came here. I needed you to understand what you mean to me. Take as much time as you want. Just know, that I care about you more than anything else in my life. That I love you more than anyone else. And that I think, there is no one else more worth my love and time than you. More worth the trouble with our parents and friends. And... Well, that's all I guess.", he looked awkwardly around, trying, to figure out what to do next, and then he just left, "Bye, Winnie"

He loved me.

He loved me.

I stood there with my eyes stuck on the window when Harry got in.

"Please don't kill me.", he said.

I picked a pillow and threw it in his direction. He dodged it.

"He told me he loved me, Harry."

I threw another one, missing again.

"He told me he was in love with me."

Another throw. That one hit him on the head.

"And I just stood there."

He started coming closer, and I was out of pillows, so I grabbed the first book I found in front of me and raised it above my head.

"I did nothing."

"No. Not the books", he yelled and grabbed it from my hand.

I tried to push him away, but he grabbed my wrists.

"I said nothing.", tears were streaming down my cheeks.

He forced me to his hug, even if I didn't want it.

"It's gonna be okay."

"He loves me.", I repeated it again, and again, like I couldn't believe it.

"I know. I know."

"He loves me."

~~~

A/N:

Hasn't this been quite the roller coaster?

Cameron loves Winter! Which you probably already knew, but... yay!

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