“Oh, that will not be a problem, get ready for the best damn dinner of your life, McKenzie. One order of forgiveness coming up.”
Chapter Six
“The food was amazing, Clarissa. We have to go there when you come to visit. I have never tasted anything like it,” I say excitedly to her. It really was the best thing I’ve ever had.
“So you forgave him?” she asks in a serious tone. I didn’t tell her everything, definitely not about the neighbor. Just that he was being a jerk, but she still had her mom voice on.
“I wasn’t so wonderful either, Clarissa. We both said things we didn’t mean. Must have been first week frustration,” I say to her, trying to downplay all this. Cameron has been the friend I’ve never had since I was a child. Yes, there are some feelings there, on my part. He doesn’t know. I haven’t said anything. It isn’t as if I can do anything about it. I can’t even handle being touched. How would that work with someone as experienced as Cameron? Plus, he’s a rock star. I don’t need that kind of spotlight put on me and the fact that he is entirely out of my league makes it impossible.
“McKenzie, it’s dinner time, let’s go,” he yells from behind my door. “If you don’t come out, I’m coming in, you know I can get in there.”
“I will take that as you have forgiven him then?” Clarissa asks.
“Yes, I have, he’s given me no reason not to. You know how I am, you have nothing to be worried about. Everything is fine.” Cameron starts banging on the door like the crazy man he is. “I’m coming, Cameron. Don’t go all lock picker on me.”
“Last warning, Fate,” he says with a few more bangs to my door.
“Lock picker,” Clarissa says from the other side of the phone. Crap, just what she needed to hear.
“It’s an inside joke thing, I have those now because I have friends. Be happy for me. I’m fine, I promise,” I say truthfully to her.
“I will see for myself on Thanksgiving if I don’t see you before then.” Wow, was that a warning? Just then, my door bursts open and I jump.
“Time’s up, say bye,” he says with a serious look on his face, but I can tell he’s fighting to hide a grin.
“I have to go before I get thrown over a shoulder and carried away to dinner. Bye, Clarissa.” Reluctantly, she says goodbye, and I hang up.
“I didn’t know that was an option,” he says, trying to hold that serious look.
“It’s not,” I say and I know he knows I’m being truthful.
“Not yet. One day, Fate.” I give him a look, trying to show my doubt, but he just laughs it off. “I’m going to help you and you’re going to help me.”
“I know what I’m going to need help with, but what could you possibly need from me?”
“You sell yourself short, Fate, there are lots of things I can learn from you. You’re my grounder.” Never have I been so confused by anyone. He says things that make me wonder if he’s truly seeing the real me. “You keep me level, which is something I need. When shit is left up to me, only God knows what the hell I’d get up into. Plus, you’re not bad company,” he says and when I look at him the smile he is giving me makes me want to shiver, but in a whole new way. This is not what I need right now, definitely not with my roommate of all people. This can go wrong in so many ways…all leaving me completely wreaked.
“Cameron,” I say with such desperation. I don’t know what I’m really asking him when I say his name. All I feel is this need to be close to him, to touch him, and I’m just not sure where that would lead.
“Fate, don’t over think anything, okay? I have no agenda here. We are friends. I understand that’s what you need and want.” His words are like something from my own head but they are a bit off.
“What I need is you to be my friend, but what I want is something completely different.” I hear his breath catch and I quickly try to repair the damage I’ve done. “I know I’m not the kind of girl you go for, but you’re a rock star, can’t blame a girl, can you?” I say, trying to come off as joking.
“What do you want from me, Fate? I need you to lay it out for me because sometimes I’m just not sure with you and I don’t ever want to do anything to make you feel uncomfortable around me.” He is putting me on the spot and the attention begins to get to me.
“Dinner,” I say, trying to remind him of his early rush to get something to eat.
“You mean a date?” he says with a grin and I know he’s trying to get a read on me. It’s what Cameron does. Since I have been here, I’ve been watching him. Even when I wasn’t talking to him all that time, I couldn’t help it. He just looked so withdrawn, which seemed to be so unlike him. At night in my room, I’d look at pictures of him and his band. He looked so at peace on stage, it’s his happy place. I had to know what someone like that had to prove by being the way he was to me. I couldn’t shake him off.