More Than Forever(63)

"Shhh." He pulls me closer and rubs slow circles on my back, the way he always does when I'm upset. "Don't think about it."

"But I have to!" I lean back again so we're face to face, because we need to have this conversation. "I'm not being petty and insecure, Cameron. This is real life, this isn't a fairy tale where everything ends with a happily ever after. What if we go to college and things change? What if something or someone gets between us? What then?"

"Stop," he says, his eyes glazing. "I hate thinking about this."

"I know, but we need to."

"No we don't, Luce. I love you. You love me. That love's forever. Nothing else matters. I promise."

"You can't promise that. You can't predict the future. You can't tell me that we'll be forever when you don't know."

He lets his head fall back onto the headboard and looks up at the ceiling.

"I'm serious, Cam."

"I know, babe," he sighs, then straightens up and holds my head in his hands. Our eyes lock for the longest time. Like we're taking each other in for the first time, or the last. It could have been seconds. It could have been hours. Then he speaks, "I love you, Lucy. I'll always love you, even if you don't know it. So... even if forever isn't eternal, I promise to love you for our forever."

I try to sniff back my sobs, but it doesn't work. "And what happens if our forever is short? What if something happens?"

He kisses me softly, for so long, that I almost forget why I'm crying. He pulls away, but not enough that his lips leave mine. "Then I will love you, for our forever more."





CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO


COLLEGE – SOPHOMORE YEAR

-CAMERON-

This girl has been looking at me strange since class started. I'd seen her before but we've never spoken. I see her get up from the corner of my eye and start walking toward me. She dresses differently than Lucy, not in a bad way. Just different.

The scraping of the chair next to me has me flinching, but I don't look up.

"Hey," she whispers.

"What's up?" I try to keep my tone even. Not unfriendly, but not friendly either. I don't want her getting the wrong idea.

"You're Cameron, right?"

I nod, my eyes staying fixed on the plan I'm working on.

"I'm Roxy."

"Cool."

She laughs quietly. "It's okay," she says, "I'm not trying to hit on you, if that's the reason you're being an asshole right now."

I can't contain the chuckle that escapes. Finally lifting my eyes to hers, I ask, "What's up?"

"You work at Bradman, right?"

"Kind of. It's unpaid. They kind of float me so I can study here."

"Oh." She smiles with excitement. I can't tell if it's genuine or not. "That's kind of a big deal."

I shrug. "Not really. It's kind of an 'I know people who know people' deal."

She continues to smile, her thick long black hair swaying with her nods.

My eyebrows draw in. "Why?"

"Oh," she says, laughing again. She laughs a lot. Not fake, I don't think. More like carefree. "I applied for a job there. It's not much but it's good experience. I was hoping maybe you could..." she trails off.

"Could what?" I ask. I know what she wants but I feel like being a dick.

She smacks my arm with the back of her hand and rolls her eyes. "You're going to make me ask?"

"Yup."

"Fine," she sighs. "Dearest Cameron, if you would be so obliged to perhaps offer a good word in response to myself, that would be more than fabulous. You are also welcome to state the fact that I have fairly large bosoms, if you so wish."

My eyes drop to her tits quickly. And then I curse myself for doing it.

She laughs again. "I was kidding about the tits, but hey, whatever works. Thanks, Cam."

She spins on her heels and walks away.

"What's your name?" I shout after her.

"Roxy!"

"Did you tell me that already?"

"Yes," she laughs.

***

I rush to my dorm straight from classes to get dressed for work. Lucy's sitting outside my door with earphones in and her e-reader in her hand. I kick her shoe with mine. She looks up and smiles. "Hey." She packs her shit in her bag and stands while I unlock and open my door. "I've missed you today."

I shrug out of my clothes and look for my work ones. "Me too," I rush out, dropping to the floor to look for my shoes.

"You have to work tonight?"

She's standing in the middle of the room and getting in my way. I pick her up and set her on my bed so I can find my shirt. "Yeah, babe." I find the shirt under a pile of shit on my desk and sniff it. It'll do.

"When do you leave?"