One Hot Summer

Chapter 19: Forever

Cami and Brett sat across from each other on the lounge chairs by the pool in her backyard.

"What do you want?" Cami asked, curtly.

Brett sighed and said, "You."

"Shut the fuck up."

Cami still didn't believe Melissa's story.

"You don't believe me?"

"Why should I?"

Brett stood up and approached Cami. He put his hands on each side of her, their faces almost close enough to touch.

"Why? I've only been honest with you from the beginning. I've risked my relationship with my own sister. I trusted you to trust me. That means something."

Cami looked at him, her eyes vacant of any emotion. This was her chance to get rid of Brett before she fell any harder. Before it got any deeper. By now, she would've moved states and he would've been just another guy she had sex with. Meaningless sex. But nothing about her and Brett's relationship was meaningless. And she wasn't moving any time soon.

She did what she did best and pushed him away.

"Is that what you say to every girl? Were you even really a virgin?"

She put it all on him and victimized herself so that maybe he'd just give up and walk away.

"Were you?"

Cami's heart sunk, knowing the truth and knowing that she lied to him. Obviously, she didn't know Brett that well. He wanted what he couldn't have. Like in the third grade when his classmate Chad Michaels showed up to school with limited edition Nike's and Brett had to have them. He convinced Chad that his book covers were even more rare and traded them for the shoes. Brett wasn't one to give in or give up.

Brett's eyes sank into hers. He didn't buy her bullshit. But he also wasn't going to argue with her anymore. He'd said all he could say.

"My friend's band is playing with this Indie artist next Saturday at some bar in Hollywood and they asked me to stand in for their drummer because he broke his arm. You should come."

Cami was surprised when he offered her the invite to his show. She was even more surprised to find out that Brett played the drums. What didn't he do? He was a hot drummer skater boy, basically Cami's dream guy.

"I'll text you the details when I leave. No pressure, but it might be fun. And obviously I'd love to see you."

Cami didn't respond and Brett was done. As he stood up and walked out through the back gate,  Cami wanted to call his name, tell him to wait, hold her, kiss her, but she didn't have it in her. She just sat there and watched him leave. She couldn't believe her parents even let him inside.

She wondered if Melissa was going to be there next weekend. She wasn't ready to face it all.

Cami got out of the pool and decided to go to Mel's to eat. She was famished. Cami still wasn't used to the LA traffic and avoided driving at all costs, but she was without Melissa and Brett so she didn't have a choice. She didn't bother asking her parents. Her mom was gardening and her father was on a work call.

She took her mom's car. Both hands remained on "ten and two", her shoulders were up to her ears. She was driving so slow below the speed limit, that every car honked at her and passed her by. Her driving was less transportation and more of an experience, to say the least.

She walked inside and eyed the spot that she and Melissa usually sat at together in the center of the diner. It felt nostalgic. She'd never gone and sat in there by herself. She found a small table in the corner of the restaurant and of course with her luck, Lauren was her server.