The Heartless Persona

18

Keri, Cam, and Jack sat at a round table at a nearby restaurant. A blanket of darkness was cloaked on the night's sky. Keri suggested to take Jack because she had felt the awkward tension between her and Cam before they left.

Cam kept his eyes low, toyed with his straw wrapper, and spoke very little. Meanwhile, Jack was blabbering away. Keri kept her attention on Cam, though. She was trying to figure out what was wrong.

Did she do something? Did she say something? Why was he acting like this all of a sudden? Why had he put a wall up? Again?

It seemed as if they both had walls up during this trip.

She placed her hand on his arm, causing their eyes to meet. "What's wrong?" She murmured.

Jack continued talking about who-knew-what, not even noticing that Keri and Cam had started a conversation.

"Nothing. I just feel like you and Mason are keeping something from me."

Keri's heart fell to her stomach and her mouth had parted a little. "No," she finally formulated her words. She knew that Cam sensed that she was lying because he knew her better than she knew herself. "I mean, it is something, but I can't tell you right now." It was like everyone was trying to force a confession out of Keri.

Like that would ever happen.

"Okay," he said. His hand had shifted to hers and stayed there for a moment. Keri couldn't stop the change of color in her face.

"Guys, are you listening?" Jack snapped the two out of their trance.

They both exchanged a small smile.

"Of course we are."

Jack continued rambling on about whatever he was talking about throughout the entire night. Once Mason returned, Keri excused herself because she was "getting tired." Instead, she snuck off to Mason's room to finish their conversation.

"He knows that something is up," Keri whispered to Mason.

"Then why don't you just tell him?" He began unbuttoning his shirt.

"You don't understand," she groaned.

To be honest, she didn't understand. She didn't want to have these feelings, but she did. And what would happen after the vacation was over? Would her feelings disappear? Or would she have to spend every minute trying to stop them.

Keri's eyes had widened, her heart had sped up, and her chest had tightened. She pushed her hair out of her face and paced back and forth.

She had to get rid of these feelings. There was no other option. Feelings made her uncomfortable and she didn't know how to handle them.

"Keri, calm down," Mason changed his shirt, noticing her reaction. "You're overreacting."

"No, I'm not. Cam sees right through me and I can't lie to him without him finding out. And now that you know about...this. Whatever this is," she threw her hands up in the air. "There's the chance that you might slip up and-"

"I'm not going to tell him. But, if I were to give you advice, I'd tell you to just tell him."

"No! Are you crazy!?"

"Nope. Just the middleman."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged his shoulders and took a seat on his bed. As he started to take off his shoes, his eyes met hers and he began talking.

"It means that I know things about you from Cam, and I know things about Cam from you. I thought it was pretty clear," a small smirk was on his lips.

"So he does talk about me?" Her eyes had lit up.

"I never said that," he laughed. "All I said was that I'm caught in the crossfire."

"What has he said?" She asked excitedly.

"You should ask him yourself," he winked at her, throwing his shoes to the other side of the room. "I have to change my pants now. Care to stay?"

Keri rolled her eyes and walked out of his room.

At least she had gotten some information out of him.