Should Have Known (Camren)

Chapter 40

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes as I stretched my legs under the covers, feeling the warmth from Camila still sleeping next to me. I smiled as I watched her chest rise and fall with each peaceful breath, a faint smile on her lips and her hair falling into her face. I sat up and reached across the sheets to brush a strand of stray hair behind her ear, my heart jumping in my chest when her hand met mine and our fingers locked together. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled, and I couldn't bear to ignore the happiness that was swelling inside me after seeing her first smile of the day once again. Her deep brown eyes scanned my face and I smiled back at her, reluctant to release her hand as she pulled out of my grip and sat against the headboard.

"Morning," she half-whispered, her voice still hoarse from a long night's sleep.

"Good morning," I reciprocated. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah, I actually did," she answered, a hint of surprise in her tone. "It's actually the first time I've gotten a full night of sleep in months. It feels like I haven't slept at all in like...half a year."

"I know the feeling," I chuckled lightheartedly, trying to push the image of yet another nightmare out of my mind.

Camila sat forward and crawled on all fours until she was situated in front of me, one leg crossed over my own and a hand on my knee.

"Can we go to the lake today?" she asked.

"We went to the lake yesterday," I reminded her, attempting to ignore the burning feeling of her skin on mine.

"I know..." she nodded. "But I mean...I want to go with you. Just you."

I was silent as I contemplated her request in my mind. I was confused to say the least. I didn't understand why she wanted to spend so much time with me all of a sudden. She wanted to room with me, she joined me on the porch the night before, and now she wanted to spend the day on the lake with me and only me, yet she still wasn't showing any signs of interest. Maybe she wanted to be friends. Maybe she figured that if we spent more time together we would become closer, but the way she was demanding my attention all at once and without hesitation made me wonder if something else was motivating her. Could she have known that the more time I spent with her, the harder it was for me to be around her?

"Okay," I agreed. "Yeah. We can do that."

"Yay!" she squealed, shooting off the bed and running into the bathroom. "Get changed and I'll meet you outside."

I pulled myself out of bed and rummaged through my suitcase, pulling out my bathing suit and slipping a hoodie on, not too eager to jump straight into the ice-cold water. I made my way down the hall and past the other girls' rooms- who were evidently still sleeping- and skipped down the stairs. I pushed the screen door open and stepped outside, closing it quietly behind me so I didn't wake anyone and risk cutting my time with Camila short, and walked down to the dock. I found a seat on the edge and let my feet dangle in the water, anxiously awaiting Camila's arrival as the morning sun reflected off of the surface.

It sure was a beautiful place. It was so serene and peaceful- not another house for miles, surrounded by the forest, the deep blue of the lake surrounding me no matter where I turned. The sun was bright and for once, so were my spirits. It was perfect. I let my imagination run wild for a second too long and found myself picturing a life with Camila somewhere similar, after our careers had ended and we had nothing else to do but live our lives together. What I wouldn't have done to be able to wake up every morning and see a smile brighter than the sun that shined through my window. Of course, that wasn't the case, but maybe it could have been. Maybe it would have been in the future had I not let her go...

I felt the vibrations of the boards underneath me as Camila sprinted down the dock, shooting right past me and jumping straight into the lake, water spraying everywhere and drenching my sweatshirt. She surfaced seconds later, a smile on her face as she assessed the damage she had done.