Save Me. (Matthew Espinosa)

Chapter 17 - Cameron

Lacey's POV

"Why?"

My stomach drops as soon as the word falls from Taylor's lips. Even with the vagueness, I know exactly what he's talking about. My mood is immediately sunk, sadness filling me with the reminder. It's like I've just been hit with reality.

"What?" I delay my response, pretending I don't know what he's addressing.

"Lacey, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Don't even try to play stupid." And I do know what he's talking about. He must've seen my scars or maybe he just pieced it together when I refused to take off my shorts when he wanted me to swim. I blink at him. My gaze strays to my cup of coffee, now almost gone. Hands fidget on my lap anxiously. The tension in the room is tangible.

When I don't speak, he lets out a sigh and stands up, holding his hand out for me to take. I look up at him confused, tilting my head to the side a bit in question. I place my smaller hand in his larger one, anyway. I scoot out of the booth, allowing him to help me out of my seat. Any means of the night carrying on with an upbeat vibe are lost. Our cups are abandoned at the table for the worker to clean up.

We walk to the elevator and are lifted back up to the floor our rooms are on. We are silent throughout. Feelings of sadness have resurfaced; feelings that I was once so accustomed to, but now are foreign to me after I've had the feeling of happiness while I've been on this tour. My curiosity is spiked as we make our way down the hall, skipping past Matt and my room. Instead, we stop at the one Taylor shares with Nash and Hayes. Upon entering the room, I notice how precious little Hayes looks when he is asleep.

My gaze falls back on Taylor when he strips off his sweater, leaving him in a t-shirt and sweatpants. He slips into his empty bed. The cover is lifted, gesturing for me to join him and something nags at me that this is wrong. I nervously stand there for a moment, fingers anxiously playing with the sleeve of my hoodie. Then, I find myself sliding in next to Taylor. I need a little comfort after our previous conversation and there's nothing actually going on between Matt and me. I mean, we do flirt with each other but that doesn't make us an item.

Taylor's warmth engulfs me as he pulls me closer, but not close enough to overstep his boundaries. "I didn't mean to make you upset," he whispers, referring to earlier. I place my hand over his arm which limply rests on my side, giving it a light squeeze of reassurance. Silence consumes the room once again and my eyelids droop closed. I allow myself to fall asleep in Taylor's arms, the disheartening events from earlier left forgotten.

~*~*~

I wake to yelling.

"What the hell man?!" Matt's loud voice fills my ears. He and Taylor stand across the room, rage infesting their beings. I rub the sleep out of my eyes, hoping that the image in front of me isn't real.

"It's not like she's yours or something- and besides, we didn't even do anything. " Taylor rolls his eyes, voice much calmer then Matt's booming one but still with an edge.

"Then why is she in here?!" He yells, disregarding the first part.

I can't sit here and listen to this. Without a sound, I slip from the bed and exit the room easily without being noticed. I speedily walk down the corridor and to the elevator. As I've done before, I click the button which leads me to the top floor.

My eyes spot the staircase when I step out and I make my way over to it. After climbing the steps, I reach for the door that leads to the rooftop. My hand jiggles the handle, but it's no use. The door is locked. I frown in defeat. I give up and let my body slide down the door, sitting on the top step of the staircase. I slip my head in my hands, tugging at strands of hair in frustration.

What have I done? It seems that Matthew bringing me on tour with him has caused nothing but conflict. Surely, he won't want to keep me aroundafyer this conflict. I don't know what's worse, losing him, or having to go back with my dad. I assume my next flight will be the one heading home. It isn't long before I begin to sob, like I seemingly do so often. However, right now, I couldn't care less. What is at risk is my whole new life- my fresh start in the tragedy that is my life. When I'm forced to leave, I'll be right back where I started. Right back to a place where I'd rather not even live at all than live there.

It's not long before I hear footsteps sounding down the hallway. As Cameron comes into view, I hurriedly wipe the tears with the back of my hand, clearing my throat. He looks up at me on the top step and I avoid his brown eyes.

"You finally found out the truth about Matt, huh?" I look down at him.

"That doesn't mean I don't still like him," I mumble quietly.

"I never said you didn't.. I can tell you do." He climbs up the stairs and takes a seat next to me, slinging an arm around my shoulders.

"I just screwed everything up," I whisper, regretfully, tears threatening to spill again. I look straight forward and avoid looking at his face.

"What do you mean?" I can feel him eyeing me curiously.

"Matthew is going to send me back to Texas after what happened today."

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see him shake his head. "I know Matthew may have done some.. messed up things in the past," I look up at him through my watery lashes, "but I think he's willing to change." My shoulder receives a light squeeze, "For you. He doesn't have the heart to send you back home for what you did. I mean, God, it's not like you guys did anything." He laughs, but then looks back at me. "Wait. You guys didn't do anything, right?"

"No!" I exclaim.

"Okay, good." He chortles and I jostle him lightly, giggle a little myself.

When our laughter dies down, he continued our conversation. "What were you doing there anyway? If you don't mind me asking," He asks, referring to me being in Taylor's room. I catch my lip between my teeth.

"I went to ask him something, and then he started telling me about Matthew." His name makes me choke up slightly. He must be so upset with me. "But he started to ask me about- about my-" An obvious lump in my throat makes it difficult to continue.

"It's okay," Cameron cuts me off. "You don't have to tell me." He smiles at me reassuringly before pulling my smaller frame into a hug.