After moving to a small town for a semester and a half, Camilla Adams is relived about how great the new place and school seem to be, and how nice some people were.
But then she notices the way students treat one particular quiet guy, some horribly...
A knock sounded on the door, and this time, neither of us moved.
What would you think if you found three people in a restroom at the same time?
Well, not good things, probably.
Kaylee motioned for us to keep quiet, before going over to the door and unlocked it, opening it slowly.
"Having a restroom party without me, I see?" A boyish voice came from the other side of the door, and I couldn't see it from where I sat.
"Get lost," Kaylee muttered, before opening the door completely and I now saw it was Corey. His eyes ran over me and Ryan, a smirk playing on his lips.
Kaylee walked around him with me and Ryan in tow, and just as Ryan passed, Corey stepped in front of me.
"I didn't seem to catch your name, love?" He said smoothly, his eyes a bright green color as he looked down at me.
I know he was Penelope's brother, but that couldn't possibly mean he was as bad as her, and I didn't want to misjudge him and turn out to be wrong later, so settling on being polite and not overly friendly, I gave him a small smile, "It's Camilla."
"A pleasure to meet you, Camilla." He said, taking my hand before me registering it and brought it to his lips, his eyes staying on me the whole time as he kissed my knuckles.
I felt my cheeks burn involuntary, and I found myself taking back my hand from his as soon as he let go. "The pleasure is mine." I said, before proceeding to walk around him again only for him to stop me again.
"That eager to go away from me, I see?" He mused, and I shook my head, "no, it's just Kaylee's waiting for me-"
"I think Kaylee can survive without you for a moment," he cut me off, the smirk still playing on his lips as he studied me carefully.
I internally groaned.
Was he waiting for me to voice my thoughts about wanting to get away from him?
"Hey," a voice called, and Corey turned which gave us both the view to see Shelly, "They're calling for desserts. Mom made a cheesecake" as soon as the word 'cheesecake' was out of her lips, Corey's eyes lit up, and turned to me,
"Sorry, love. But Babe is callin', catch you later?" But before I could utter a single word he was walking away after pinching Shelly's cheeks, saying something to her that made her smile and roll her eyes.
Moving to head back as well, I was stopped by Shelly's hand on my arm, "Ethan's waiting for you in his room," she whispered, "he said it will be just a minute, but I have a feeling it'll be more than that," she smirked, before tugging me to the stairs quietly.
"Try to make it quick before they come bustling on you two." She said, and when she saw my expression and lack of response, she continued,
"It's true that Penelope is like a big sister to me, and as much as I love her, I still hate what she did for Ethan last year." A sorrowful look passed her blue eyes, and that's when I realized that even though Shelly was still fourteen, she was very fond of her brother that she felt his pain and wanted to protect him just like I do.
Although they didn't look close now, I knew they were very close before.
I smiled at her softly, "Thanks, Shelly."
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Taking up the stairs as quietly as possible, Camilla quickly shuffled to where Ethan's door was, and brought her fist up to knock, before realizing it was no use and instead her hand wrapped around the doorknob and twisted it, before pushing open the door slowly.
Ethan was sitting on his desk chair, his back to her when his nose suddenly picked up the scent of coconut and mint. And in one second, he was up from his chair and closing the three-foot distance between them just to stop in front of her with less than a foot separating them.
Camilla was taken aback before she quickly recovered and asked curiously, "How did you know I was here?" And he answered with two taps to his nose. Her eyebrows furrowed, and a small smile crept up his lips when he suddenly remembered why he called her in the first place, and his expression turned sober with a hint of concern.
"Are you okay?" He signed.
Camilla's eyebrows furrowed, before she nodded at him slowly. She didn't know why from all the things she expected him to say, that question wasn't among them.
Ethan eyed her carefully, trying to read her mind from just looking into her hazel eyes. And just when he was about to ask her if she was sure, her hands shot up and held onto his, her fingers slowly spreading between his like she was testing the waters, and when their hands were finally entwined, Camilla gave him the softest and warmest smile he'd ever seen on her.
The hair at the back of Ethan's neck stood straighter, and he relished in the fact that it wasn't the first time she'd reached out to him, that he didn't have to always take the first step, that she would meet him halfway, and he was grateful for it.
And right at that moment, with their fingers entwined and their bodies inches away from touching, Ethan knew he wanted to kiss her.
He didn't care if his ex-girlfriend was just down the stairs, nor that his former best friend that probably still deserved an explanation was somewhere in the kitchen devouring his mother's cheesecake. He just wanted to feel Camilla's lips against his and cherish the feeling of their warmth as her scent invaded his nostrils. And he was just going to do that.
Camilla's face burned involuntary like she had sensed what was coming, even when all she had to do was look at Ethan's eyes as he stared at her intently and she figured it all.
His hands tugged on hers, and she found herself stepping closer. Their bodies touched. Their stomachs, thighs, chests. And then they were breathing each other in. Their eyes locked, and Camilla blushed even a deeper red when she saw his grey eyes that seemed a shade darker now, drift down to stop at her lips.
It was him asking for her permission, and at that moment she didn't know how to answer but to look at his lips, too. His lips were slightly parted, and she thought they looked extremely soft and warm that she wanted to feel for herself if they really were.
Tilting her head up, their foreheads almost touched, and their noses grazed briefly. And just as their lips were about to brush, two knocks sounded on the door and that was all it took for Camilla to slump back defeatedly.
Ethan got it almost immediately when he saw Camilla's apologetic smile, and he didn't bother to stop the groan from emitting out of his mouth. He was frustrated, not at her of course, but at the one knocking.
Camilla chuckled at him before she leaned back up into him and held onto his shoulders for support, before planting a lingering kiss on his cheek.
It wasn't the kiss he wanted, but it was something. And just then, the door to his room opened, and in walked Ethan's ex-girlfriend.
