The Perfect Sin (Camren)

Ch 28-You Owe Me

Some of the roses pedals had turned completely brown, while others were simply a darker shade of red. Some of them had tiny holes in them, like they'd been wounded in a battle they didn't sign up for, but still managed to survive. The most recent ones were still a defiant red, almost as if they were unaware that the fate of those around them would happen to them as well. 

While my eyes glanced around the scattered roses my ears were tuned into the sound of Camila's voice. We haven't left the tree house in hours, it's already dark out. It's like we're both afraid that if we leave we might face the reality that this had all been a dream.

Thankfully, it wasn't. 

Still, I don't want to let her go. 

At this very moment, Camila is sitting behind me with her arm wrapped around my shoulder as she texts her mom that she will be home soon. We had been catching up on everything we had missed out on during our time apart. 

I told her all about Chris's situations and very lightly grazed over Taylor's. I told her I was now living with Javier while she informed me of all of the research and therapy she has undergone to reach where she is today. 

I couldn't be prouder of her. 

And right now? With her arm around me, as she periodically places kisses on my temple, I couldn't feel safer. 

"I do eventually have to go" she mumbles with a chuckle. I knew that, but I was certainly going to take advantage of every second that I am allowed to spend with her. 

"I know," I said placing a soft kiss on her arm that was so closely wrapped around me. 

There was something that I wanted to ask before she left though, and I wasn't sure how to bring it up. 

What did this mean for us? Was she my girlfriend? I was afraid to ask simply because last time her answer was simple, she was mine and I was hers. 

And as sweet as that sounds, it wasn't definitive. And with Camila? I needed a clear line to be drawn. 

"Camz," I say, still without really thinking through how I was going to phrase this. 

She hummed in response as she put her phone aside and I felt her eyes land on me. I kept mine focused on my fingertips tracing random shapes on her arms to get rid of some of the sudden nerves that had come up. 

"What does this mean for us?" I asked, "Are we in a relationship?" 

I could hear how her breath hitched before she responded with a shaky, "Do you want to be?" 

"Yes," I breathed out way too soon 

She chuckled at how my cheeks blushed immediately after and, though I could try to fix it, trying to seem cool, I decided to be honest instead 

"Listen, I understand if you want to go back to how things were before, for a while, since this is still new to you." I began "But you've made a lot of progress and I'm willing to do that if you need but I, at the very least, need to know that a relationship is where we're headed." I say "I need more than being ignored until you decide to stop time and calling you my girlfriend would be that. When you're in a relationship it makes it harder for someone to leave, you owe that person something and I want to be responsible for making you happy, I want to owe you something" 

Silence falls upon us when I feel a pair of perfectly shaped lips press softly against my cheek. As I turn I can see Camila's lips turn into a smile as she replies 

"I want to owe you something too" 

An indescribable feeling settles in the pit of my stomach as I giggle