pretty when she cries ; fitz

chapter nine

cal put the car in park and unbuckled her seatbelt.

"did i ever mention how sick your abs are?" 

"no, but gracias. i try, mamacita!" 

"mamacita. i like that." 

the blonde and brunette walked toward the house together, as cliche as this sight was. amalie left her stuff in the car, as her and cal weren't sure where they were staying the night. 

cal lifted her arm to knock on the door, but as she was about to make contact, the door swung open. revealing a very drunken swaggersouls.

"come in! come in!" he said, over-ecstatically.

"what's up cunts?" mason said, pulling a bright orange sweatshirt over his head. he poked his arms through their respective holes and shimmied his shoulders after adjusting the bottom hem. 

"hi," amalie said simply, still a bit shy. mason first fist-bumped cal, his tongue being bit by his top and bottom teeth. he closed his mouth for a smile, cruising over to the brunette next and wrapping his arm around her. he guided her over to the couch, where the last open spots on the sofa was next to the arm and next to cam.

cal smiled, grateful that mason and amalie naturally got along so well. mason was usually very quiet, despite the opposite being broadcasted all over the internet. they warmed up to each other quickly. 

unknowing of the tension, mason took the spot next to the arm rest. reluctantly, amalie descended her behind onto the cushion, sinking down in place. 

she nodded once at cam while he watched her intently. accidentally his leg brushed hers, his long limbs needing to spread out. she ignored it, her attention turned to the action happening in front of them. 

matt had connected to a bluetooth speaker, and mason urged swagger to freestyle. matt was on board with mason, agreeing that swagger should--so he searched for a random instrumental on youtube. swagger didn't hesitate once at their proposition and he showed zero signs of nervousness.

as swagger gained the attention of the room, amalie couldn't help but feel unsatisfied. uncomfortable. and she knew it had to do with cam. as much as she never let things get to her, rot her core, and bother her...he was an exception. somehow. 

times like this made her want to just go curl up in bed. which, this was so unlike the brunette to want to do. normally, amalie is an extreme extrovert--playful, rambunctious, eccentric. if there was a problem, it didn't stay like that for long. between the two, there was just empty air. 

they could have talked, but neither knew how to start.

cam's mouth went dry and impulsively, he jerked his leg out so it collided with her personal space. he noticed the brunette bite her lip, her eyes darting to the side for a split second before returning to the mayhem that was now going on all around the room.

she let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. 

she knew by the way he looked at her--that there was something more. amalie wanted to believe that the airport was the universe trying to tell her something, but she didn't let herself accept the fact. 

she was someone who had always been deeply in touch with her inner-self, and now she felt galaxies away. the universe betrayed her. so anything that was thrown at her, she was convinced that it had to be utter bullshit. 

but, amalie also knew that to an extent it was unfair to treat cam with her cold shoulder. how was he supposed to know that they would see each other again? she was upset because of the girls that hung all over him, and that was honestly the only reason. why did it piss her off so much?