Bad Things

15. Promise

  And it's breaking over me
A thousand miles down to the sea bed
Found the place to rest my head
Never let me go  

- Florence & The Machine.

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"Do you plan to ever talk to me again?" Carlos asked from the driver's side of the car, his eyes shifting to Camila and back to the road.

Camila slumped in her seat and turned to look out the passenger window. She wasn't in the mood to talk to Carlos or listen to his unsolicited advice about her relationship. She was still pissed at him for how he'd barged in on her and Shawn—again—and asked her if she'd slept with him. Like she owed him an explanation of who she decided to sleep? Like he had a right to know? She didn't think so.

"Look. I'm sorry, all right? It's just—whenever I see him with you, it just makes me so—"

"Save it. I don't want to talk about Shawn with you, Carlos," she said through gritted teeth.

Her brother was silent for a moment, then said, "At least you're talking. I really was starting to think you wouldn't."

She crossed her arms over her chest and continued to watch the scenery speed by. "I don't really think you deserve me to talk to you."

"Maybe not, but I'm your brother, baby sis. It's my job to protect you. You can't really fault me for doing my job."

Camila finally turned to look at him. He was staring out the windshield, his jaw set. "So you'd want to kick the ass of any guy I called my boyfriend?"

"Yes." Camila couldn't help but laugh.

"What?" Carlos asked.

"Nothing. You're just a terrible liar."

"I'm not lying."

"Yes you are," she said. "When Niall and I were together you didn't do anything to him. You even seemed to approve of it."

"That was different."

"How was it different?"

Carlos didn't say anything for several seconds, then he looked over at her. "Because you didn't look at Niall the way you look at him."

Camila turned her gaze back to the window and squinted against the light. "And how do I look at him?" she asked, but really didn't need her brother's answer. She was pretty sure she knew how she looked at Shawn.

"Like he's the only thing in the world you can see."