Rose Thorns & Love Letters

49 ➪ Love, Requited

•Phoenix•

Am I pushing my luck? Probably. Am I having fun while doing so? Most definitely. But am I shivering with the nerves that something might go terribly wrong and leave her running for the hills? Abso-fucking-lutely.

But I can't help myself. The girl who has consumed my every thought—awake or not—is standing here right in front of me looking better than I ever remembered. And that is saying something because I don't think there is a single thing I have ever forgotten about this girl.

The week has been a tough one. I've had to lay low, waiting for the perfect moment to insert myself back into her life. Truthfully, I should have waited a little longer, should have waited for her to find peace of mind in a new place.

But because of the selfish bastard that resides within me, I decided that I couldn't wait any longer. Because while Camilla probably can't even consider me an afterthought, she has been playing in the forefront of my mind for months.

When I first saw her in all those layers, a few hours ago, leaving the house—the one that I sat in front of from the comfort of my own car all night long when I first arrived in Indiana—it felt like a breath of fresh fucking air.

I hadn't realised how constricted my lungs were until all she did was step through a door and release the desperately clenched organs that were my lungs. Truthfully, if they were not so busy unravelling all the invisible ties around them, they would be emptying because the sight of my girl is enough to take my breath away.

My girl. It feels freeing to be able to consider her mine after beating myself up over it. She may not think herself to be right now, but with time comes healing and I have learnt the hard way that patience is a virtue.

I will wait for her. I will wait for you.

Camilla stares at me blankly and unmoving as though she believes that if she pretends to misunderstand my suggestion, my request will wither away. It won't.

"You need me to repeat myself, sweetheart?" I ask as she only continues to stare. Her nostrils twitch and her hands at her sides curl into small fists and I find that the image is comical at best. The smooth façade I am keeping up to appear unbothered by the fact that this is the first time we have met in months is what forces a smug smile to paint my lips.

"You," She sneers as she stalks towards me, appearing as a predator ready to catch its prey. But one that makes no attempt to hide its intentions. She stops in between my knees and jabs a finger into my chest before retracting her finger like she has just been burned.

She clears her throat and regains her composure just as quickly as it fled. "You do not have the power in this situation. You hear me? I am mad at you. You don't get to order me around and expect me to follow."

I only smile up at her. "Yet here you are."

A swift glance to the window tells her that we still haven't taken off. Camilla most probably thinks that this is an opportunity for her to hold power over me. What she doesn't know is that this entire situation is a testament to how powerless I am.

"As long as we're still on land, I still have the opportunity to run." She cocks a brow.

"Try it."