Ice Breaker

Chapter 11: Heated

It was 12:00 and we were all sitting in the hall talking, just chilling. No matter how hard I tried to listen, I couldn't. Thoughts just kept encircling themselves in my brain.

Cameron thinks I'm attractive, I think Cameron's attractive. Attractive, Cameron thinks I am. I just couldn't wrap my head around it.

After we had confessed out undying attraction for each other, we went upstairs. Like the actual stairs and not the elevator. And. We. Held. Hands. It just felt so perfect, not a Nolan kind of perfect or a Lucas kind of perfect. It was a Cameron kind of perfect, and I absolutely loved his perfect.

In the hallway, Cameron sat diagonal across from me, which meant that we could see each other. I would try to keep my gaze off him but it just felt like my eyes were a magnet and Cameron was a giant refrigerator.

Every time I would decide to look at Cameron, he would already be looking at me. I blushed whenever we made eye contact. I couldn't help that butterfly feeling in the pit of my stomach. What I wanted to do was jump up and down screaming but that would be a little noticeable.

"Hey Lauren, how are you feeling?" Nolan whispered to me. I hadn't talked to him since my almost rape at school.

"Why are you talking to me?" I asked him, trying not to make our conversation noticeable.

"I can't talk to you anymore?" He asked, looking hurt.

"No that's not what I meant. I mean after almost a week you decide to talk to me now?" I asked.

"I just wanted to ask why your cheek was all red." He said.

"No reason. I hit myself." I blurted out. Real smooth Lauren, that'll fool him.

"You, hit yourself?" He asked, not looking convinced.

"Yep." I said, avoiding eye contact.

"You told Cameron, Liam and Lucas. Why can't you tell me?" He asked, his eyes were a sea of sadness.

"Fine. But you can't tell anyone else if they ask you OK. It's not a big deal." I said. I was getting tired of my little pity party. I hate when the guys think I can't handle myself.

"Promise." He said, holding out his pinkie finger. I brought mine to his and we pinkie swore.

"So I was exploring when I ran into those Lancaster guys on floor 7. River, the head of the team or whatever, he grabbed my wrists and slapped me when I tried to get away." I explained, summing things up.

"Lauren." He said sadly, looking down at my bandaged wrists.

"Don't feel sorry for me." I demanded.

"How can I not?" He asked.

"Just don't think about it. I'm not a weak link Nolan." I explained.

"Lauren, you're not as strong as him. On Tuesday you were almost-" Nolan said.

"No, don't mention it please." I begged.

"They're after you Lauren and you know what they want." He said.

"Yeah well not everyone gets what they want." I snapped.

"Be careful Laure." He said.

"Careful is my middle name." I said.

"No it isn't, it's Angelina." He said laughing.

"I like your sweatpants." I said, looking down at his superman pajama pants.

"I want to kiss you so bad right now." He whispered. I tensed at his words.

"No." I scolded him.