Fake It Til You Make It

18

Cameron opened the door and crossed his arms across his chest while he looked at her. His eyes flicker between her and the empty car behind her.

"How'd you get here?" he questioned.

Esmeray awkwardly patted the side of her leg. "I drove," she answers.

"You drove? By yourself?" he asks in slight disbelief.

"Yes. Now can I come in? It's hot." Cameron drops his arms and stands to the side, allowing Esmeray to walk past him. He looked at the car once more, slightly confused, before shutting the door and following Esmeray to the couch. "How was the party?" she asked him to break the awkward silence.

"Oh, it was great. Everyone loved the pool." Cameron tells her, a taunting smirk growing on his face.

Esmeray knew he was acting like this just to get a rise out of Esmeray. "You did that on purpose? You had the party down there on purpose?"

"Why do you care?" Cameron tilted his head slightly.

"I don't," she replies hurriedly. "I don't think I do."

Cameron's eyes explored Esmeray's face. She didn't look like she wanted to fight with Cameron. She looked like she was sad. Like there was something she wasn't telling him, or maybe didn't want to tell him.

"Well, you won't have to worry about me much longer, Díaz. I told you I was done." Cameron reiterated.

"I know. But I wanted to apologize. For everything." Cameron stayed quiet. Esmeray was surprised he was willing to hear her out now. "At the party, I went to the bathroom to talk to Ryan and he kissed me." Cameron's eyes shifted from Esmeray's eyes to the wall. "I mean, sometimes I think about how it'd feel being with someone. I don't know. I thought that with us being fake, maybe I could have a real relationship outside of it—a loving one."

Cameron scoffed and raised his eyebrows in shock. "So I'm not allowed to do so much as look at another girl, but you can have a whole relationship, with Ryan?" Cameron sounded almost disgusted.

"Why do you say it like that? What is wrong with Ryan?"

"Esmeray, he doesn't love you." Esmeray flinched at the words. "He came to my party yesterday. You know what he told me? He told me he got into your panties." Cameron stifles a laugh at how childish it sounds coming out of his mouth. "He just wants to fuck you, Díaz. Just like every other guy that pretends he cares about your feelings."

Esmeray drops her head as she sucks her teeth. That certainly was not what she wanted to hear.

"He doesn't respect you, Esmeray. And..." she raises her head to look at Cameron. "It pisses me off. He speaks to you anyway, he speaks about you anyway, like you're not a real human."

"And you treat me like a human? For all these years, Ryan was the one putting me back together when I felt like everything but human because of you."

"And I'm sorry, Esmeray. I hate that I made you feel like that but he's not being real with you, you have to see it. He's trying to use you. He spent his whole damn life focusing on you. He's never laid eyes on any other girl because he's always had hopes of getting with you. Once he's done, what do you think he'll do?"

"He'll love me!" Esmeray exclaims. "I want to be loved." she dropped her head again, unable to look at Cameron. She sounded so pathetic. Why would she tell Cameron this?

"I don't want to be in a fake relationship forever. I don't want to be alone forever." Esmeray grunts, realizing she was saying way too much and not much of what she came here to say. "Listen, I only wanted to apologize. I hurt you and I'm not happy with myself for it. You aren't always the nicest person but you don't deserve what you go through. You trusted me enough to tell me about your family and I like... shit on it. I'm sorry." Esmeray finally expressed.

Cameron stood up and sat on the table in front of Esmeray. "I get it. I'm not the easiest person to fake date. I was ready to just find someone else to keep this shit going with. But I wouldn't have nearly as much fun with them. I know I was horrible to you and you don't know how sorry I am."

It was strange for Esmeray to hear Cameron being so soft-spoken. "You're kind and you have a big heart. A lot of people need those attributes, they work for them. But you, you just have it, Esmeray. I was mad at you, for leaving me. You made me feel heard. Not a lot of people did that." Cameron says softly.

"I'll never do it again. I won't leave." Esmeray tells him. Their eyes locked and his expression was warm.

"If you think Ryan is the guy for you, go for it. I want you to be happy, Esmeray. We've both been through shit we shouldn't have had to go through." Cameron sighed heavily.

"But he's not." Cameron looked at her confused. "I know he's not the guy for me. Ryan just had me so convinced it couldn't be anyone but him." Esmeray confesses. "You know, Valentina and Ryan still don't believe you could actually want to be with me."

"They're wrong, you're an annoyingly likable person, Díaz." Esmeray laughs and rolls her eyes at Cameron. "I always knew I could want you. I knew I would." Cameron stood up and Esmeray leaned back.

"Why are you standing? Sit down," she says anxiously.

"Ok," Cameron responds quickly before he takes a seat right next to Esmeray.

Esmeray can't hide her smile. "You're so not funny."

"But it's nice to see that smile." Esmeray was beginning to get nervous. She almost felt giddy. Cameron's flirted with her before to piss her off, but this was different. He wasn't trying to annoy her, he was trying to charm her. She hated to think it was working. "What if I'm the guy for you?" Cameron asked. Esmeray couldn't even speak, she just stared at Cameron shocked, her stomach was swarmed with butterflies and she. "Come here," Cameron waved his hand, gesturing at Esmeray to come closer to him. Esmeray leaned in and his hand wrapped comfortably around her neck.

"You're not fucking with me, right?" Esmeray smiled playfully.

"Nah. Not when you look this pretty," he pulls her in and his lips linger inches away from hers. The tension between them grew with each second. His eyes fluttered back and forth between hers. Cameron's eyes were soft. Esmeray was glad to be becoming familiar with this look from Cameron.

She placed her hand on his wrist and seductively moved his hand to her jawline. His thumb grazed her full bottom lip while his hand molded to her chin. He finally smashed his lips into hers hungrily. His hand wandered respectfully and landed in a fistful of her hair, softly pulling her head back. A quiet grunt escaped his throat as he kissed her sloppily.

"I like you, Esmeray," he tells her, his lips against her neck. "I want you."

She nodded her head as his lips gently pressed onto her collarbone. Cameron stands up and grabs Esmeray's hand. She peered up at him through her long eyelashes while she got up and followed him to the staircase. He reached for his bedroom door and spun around to kiss Esmeray before the door swung open.