Chapter 16
I continuously poked my food with my fork, honestly not in the mood to eat. Kamille was messing with my mind, a lot. She wasn't even doing anything. Well, except for looking beautiful. And smiling at me. And always trying to get me to laugh.
Kamille cared about me in a way that barely anybody did. I mean, Laughlin, Nick, and Taylor never tried so hard to make me laugh and smile. They just let me keep the scowl on my face. But Kamille was telling me jokes every day. Cheesy and stupid jokes that weren't worth laughing at, but I still did anyway.
On the bright side, it was easier for me in the play whenever Kamille and I had a scene together. I didn't really have to act like I had feelings for her.
"Munro," Laughlin said, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I looked at him. "What?"
"You haven't touched your food," he said. "Come to think of it, you never eat your dinner anymore. Is everything okay?"
I shrugged. "Sure."
"He's in love," Nick said.
"I'm not in love," I objected.
"Uh huh," Nick said. "Laughing at her cheesy jokes, smiling at her, calling her yours. Me thinks you're in love."
"I'm not," I objected. "I'm just....I just really like her, okay?"
"Ooh, he's not denying it anymore," Nick said. "That's a first."
"And what's wrong with liking a girl?" Elliot asked.
"That I'll have to open up to her," I said. "Tell her everything. Dig into my past that I'm trying so hard to get rid of. I'm not ready for a relationship now. Maybe in a few years."
"A few years?" Laughlin asked. "You are turning eighteen in a few months."
"So?" I asked. "Not everyone has to get married before they turn twenty just because you and Elliot did. So I don't have to date if I don't want to. And I really don't want to."
"Give it a try," Nick said.
I ignored him. "Hey, Laughlin, can I actually go for a walk and finish the dinner later? I think I need some fresh air."
"Yeah, I guess," Laughlin said.
"Thanks," I said before getting up from the table and heading to the door. I put on my shoes before walking out of the apartment, then the building. I couldn't wait until we moved out of the apartment. It was getting way too small for the six of us, but luckily Laughlin and Elliot were looking for a new house.
The was a park nearby the apartment, so I decided to walk through that for a bit. I really needed the fresh air after my mind was constantly jumbled with thoughts of Kamille.
And speaking of Kamille....
I saw her sitting on a park bench and it looked like she was crying. I walked closer to her. "Kamille?" I asked. "Are you okay?"
Kamille looked at me and wiped her tears away. "Yeah....No....I don't know...."
I sat down beside her. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"I can trust you, right?" she asked.
"Yeah, of course," I said.
Kamille took a deep breath before pulling up the sleeve of her sweater. Her wrist looked red and it looked like it was bruising. "The reason why I decided to join the school play is to actually stay away from my home as much as possible," she said. "I sometimes get abused from my mom and my dad doesn't even do anything to stop it. He just let's it happen."
"I'm sorry," I said. "That must....that must suck. I'm sorry, I'm not good at making people feel better."
"It's okay," she said. "I thought you should know."
I didn't know why, but I was about to tell Kamille part of my past. Not all of it, especially not the parts I really wanted to hide. Just some of it.
"I don't have great parents either," I said. "I don't really have parents. My older brother, Laughlin, has been raising me and Nick ever since he was eighteen. Nick was eight and I was twelve when he got custody of us. And before that, it was our grandparents raising us since I was about seven."
"Is that why you didn't talk about your parents for the family presentation?" Kamille asked and I nodded. "What happened to them, if you don't mind me asking."
"I don't want to get into all of it," I said. "So, in a simple way, my dad was arrested and my mom took off. Then when my dad got out, my mom returned and later on, she was arrested and my dad took off. I've always had to depend on Laughlin my whole life."
"Wow," Kamille said. "I didn't know that. I'm sorry."
"I don't really tell anyone," I said. "Taylor knows, but only because we were friends when Laughlin got custody of me."
"At least you have people to support you," Kamille said. "I just want to leave my home. I doubt my parents would care anyway."
"Do you want to stay at my place for a couple days?" I asked before I could even stop myself. Why did I ask that?
"Really?" Kamille asked.
I nodded. Even though me being around her more when I had feelings for her was going to be really hard, I couldn't let Kamille go back to an abusive home when she didn't want to be there. "We live in an apartment and even though there's four bedrooms, it's quite small so it might be a bit crowded, but it you want to get away from your home, you can stay for a few days."
"Are you sure?" Kamille asked.
"Yeah," I said. "I'll just have to ask Laughlin but if you're fine with him knowing what goes on in your home, we will let you."
"Okay," Kamille said. "Can I come now? If I go back home to get my clothes, my parents will try stopping me."
"Yeah, sure," I said. "And I'm sure my brother's wife will let you borrow some of her clothes."
Kamille gave me a thin smile. "Thank you, Munro. I'm glad you're my friend."
I smiled back before calling Laughlin to see if it was okay if Kamille could stay. She let me tell him about what goes on in her home and once I did, Laughlin automatically said she could come.
I guessed Kamille was staying at my house for a while. Things were not going to be any easier for me with her there.
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Sorry for the long pause, once again. cx I think I have a few ideas, but a bit more long pauses might come because next month, I will be out of town for about ten days and when that happens, I do have wifi but I'll only work on two of my books then.
And like I said before, this is probably going to be only 30 chapters, so we're halfway there. cx But then Nick gets his book. :D
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Troubled One (Wilde #2)
Fiksi Remaja*cover by harleenhollow* Munro Wilde is as troubled as they come. But who can blame him? His dad was in prison for five years and his mom took off, then returned only to be sent to prison. He thought his older brother having custody of him wo...
