It comes and goes

twenty-four

Camila's POV

"Hi", I said frowning after I opened my door and Shawn kissed me before I could do anything else. "Where were you?", I asked confused while he made himself comfortable inside my apartment.

"I met with a friend", he said.

"I called you".

"My phone died. Actually, can I charge it?"

I lent him my charger and he plugged his phone. I was still confused.

"I thought you were with your dad", I told him.

It had been two weeks since Manny had left the hospital and was back home. He was doing great, all things considered.

"I was, but Gina was also with us and then I got the call from Ella to meet so I left", he told me.

"Ella...", that name rolled out my tongue slowly.

"You met her, remember? At the New Year's party?"

Of course I did. How could I forget her?

"Yeah, yeah. I do. How did it go?", I asked trying to sound casual.

"Great. It was fun".

I initially didn't like that he hadn't told me about it, but I had to admit that it was stupid because he was so willing to talk about it. I knew he had nothing to hide and I trusted him, but I had been lied to before and I didn't like how those memories flooded my mind again.

"Are you ok?", he asked me when I zoned out.

"Yeah", I said blinking. "Just tired, you know... last semester of the master while I'm also teaching. It's a lot".

It wasn't a lie, I told myself. It just wasn't the whole truth. We were on the first days of February and I didn't have much time to finish my thesis and finally get my master's degree.

"Come here", he said with a smile and I had to give in because it was one of my weaknesses.

"I missed you", I said honestly and he wrapped me in his arms while I closed my eyes.

"I am right here, baby".

I didn't know how long that was gonna be, that he would be here with me. Manny was still weak and had some last tests coming to confirm the cancer was actually gone, so I knew I had at least one more month guaranteed with him. I wanted to bring out the topic, I just didn't know how to. If he hasn't said anything about it, it was because of something, right? We also had said 'I love you', so this couldn't be just a fling. I knew it was more.

"Do you want to watch a movie or something? You choice", he offered so I could relax.

"Ok", I said.

We got comfortable in the sofa and I pressed play to watch Eat, Pray, Love.

"I'd like to do that", he commented when we were half way into the movie. "Travel around and take pictures".

"Why haven't you?", I asked him.

"I was saving for it, but then my dad got sick and I had to come here".

"You still want to do it, right?"

"I guess", he whispered.

"What do you mean 'I guess'?", I said sitting up to face him. "You have to do it if you want to".

"It's not that I don't want to anymore, I just had bigger plans before and now I don't want to be away from my family for so long", he explained.

"You're so... amazing", I said not finding a better word.