A Lesson Never Learned [✔]

s i x t e e n

"And this is Danny," Cam said, pointing out the man in cowboy boots. The man smiled at me with a cigarette hanging from his lips.

"How are you?" he asked, winking. I couldn't help but shy away into Cameron's hold. Cam smirked and rolled his eyes.

"M'good." I mumbled, still shaking. It had been two days since I found out about James being my brother. Vic had sent his mother off on a vacation with his father so Cameron and his gang could use it as a safe house to help me adjust. It was already extremely terrifying for me to put my faith in these people who I had always been taught to run from. Cameron grunted as he sensed my discomfort.

"Over here now, love." he said, pulling me away from Danny. "This is Ben, and Sam." The two guys smiled and I gave them a crooked one back. For all I know, they could just be pretending about this whole thing...Oli could be looking for me...they could have paid off Eric to lie to me too. They could just be plotting to kill me.

"This is Kellin, Jack Fowler, Matty, and Kellen, with an 'E'."

I remembered Ron saying in the car the night before Josh died that Kellen, Jake, and Anthony were going to abandon the gang, but from the looks of things, they stayed...which only raised my suspicions further.

"Over here, is Alex, Jack, Rian, Zack, Anthony, and Valentino. Austin, Alan...Jesse, Gabe...Justin...you know Eric..." Cam sighed and I sank my teeth into my lip.

"C-can I just...just be alone for a while?" I asked carefully. Cameron hesitated and James opened his mouth to protest, but I cut them off. "Never mind. I wouldn't expect you to let me anyway." I pouted and looked out the window dramatically. "Oli never let me either."

Cameron looked defeated. James coughed.

"Of course. Of course you can be by yourself, if you want...just tell us where you're going to be." James said, ignoring the glare he was receiving from Cameron. I nodded numbly.

"Can you tell me how to get to the park?"

Cam sighed through his nose and James nodded, giving me the directions.

I took note of them in my head and then started to leave, opening the door and exiting the house. I was amazed at how easy this was...at home with Oliver, I wouldn't be able to even dream of leaving the house without an escort. I blinked into the sun and took a step outside of the house.

A steely arm wrapped around my wrist and twirled me around, pressing my body against his.

"Lily," Cameron's voice hissed forcing me to stop breathing for a few seconds, "I know what you're thinking about doing. You're thinking about going back to the Sykes', aren't you?"

I bit my lip and looked up at Cam, my mouth insanely dry.

"N-no-"

"Don't lie." he spat, wrenching me out of the house and he slammed the door shut behind him. "You're going back there, aren't you...? I know you are! Fuck! You're going to get killed, Lily. Is that what you want?"

"No, I don't want to die." I snapped, shoving him away from me. Cameron let go of my wrist, but he still stared at me with a poisonous glare. "Who wants to die like that? I like the park because my mother and I used to go there all the time."

"And Oliver will be there." Cameron said dully. "He knows you can't stay put in one place for too long, isn't that right? He knows you'll be going to the park-"

"And if he's not at the park, he knows I'm at Vic's. He sent me to Vic's! If he wants to kill me, he'd come right up to Vic's house and kill me. It's not a secret that I'm here. Fuck off, Cameron!"