Chapter 10
1534 Words
Camille stiffened.
"No. What does that have to do with anything?" she asked.
"Well maybe if you told her then she would understand."
Camille gave him a look. "Understand what?"
He smirked. "The tension between us."
"What?"she spluttered. "There is no tension between us.”
They both knew that was a lie.
"What about what happened at Hal's? You were practically ready to jump me that night," he reminded her smugly, "I mean if you would just stop denying—"
She interrupted him. "I am not denying anything. There is nothing between us. And I believe you were the one who had your hands all over me,” Camille scoffed then shook her head. “God, why are you trying to ruin our relationship? Do you know she yelled at me all night long because of you," she admitted then looked away. “Then she just left,” Camille mumbled.
"Why didn’t you just tell her what had really happened?" Jace said.
Camille looked at him. He said it as if it would have been the easiest thing in the world to tell Alice the truth. As if it had been no big deal that Jace had been kissing her that night while Alice had stood just a few feet away.
Did he want her sister to hate her?
"Are you serious right now?” Camille said. “You are going to destroy my relationship with her. You’re already ripping us apart. You’re—"
"Okay. I get it. But you really need to stop blaming me." he paused for a second. "Obviously, you're not that close with your sister if I can just come in and drive you guys apart just like that.”
His point was hitting a little too close to home and Camille didn't like that. Not one bit. She balled her hands into fists.
"You know what Jace, f**k you and stay the hell away from me," she snapped.
"One: when and where?" he hopped off the counter and walked towards her. "Now? On the couch, the counter, the table, the wall, the floor ….the possibilities are endless." He stopped a few feet from her and stared at her intensely. "And two you are in my home and the door is right behind you, just so you know," he pointed out coldly.
Camille bit her lip hard as she turned and walked towards the door. She twisted the knob, but stopped when she suddenly felt a hand on hers.
"Camille," Jace breathed, his body trapping hers. She could feel the heat radiating off him.
"What Jace?" she said.
"Stay," he told her.
"What so that you can continue to try and humiliate me?" she said.
"Look,” he began, "you came here for a reason…so stay."
His hand came off hers and his body heat disappeared. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.
She didn’t want to stay another second.
But if she left now then the rest of the band would suffer and that wouldn’t be fair to them. She sighed one more time and turned to face Jace.
He was leaning against the counter. His intense grey eyes bore into hers and she couldn’t help but to look away.
"I'm only staying for the rest of the band," she told him.
"Fair enough," he said.
A knock suddenly came at the door and Camille opened it to see Asher with a guitar slung over his shoulder.
"Camille!" he exclaimed, pulling her into a big hug. She hugged him back, glad for a distraction.
"Am I interrupting something?" he teased as he looked between Jace and her.
"And just what would you be interrupting, Asher?" she asked with a raise of an eyebrow.
His lips twitched into a smile. "I have a few ideas…." She hit him playfully. "Jeeze Cam, bruise a guy will ya," he said as he clutched his arm.
"I didn’t hit you that hard," she laughed.
"That's what you think," he mumbled before dazzling her with a smile. "But I know what you can do to make it better…." He trailed off, his blue eyes sparkling.
She smiled. "And what’s that?" she asked playfully, feeling more relaxed than ever before.
Camille knew that she had just met Asher, but she felt like she had known him all her life already.
He challenged her with a look. "Well…" he started, "you could—"
“What the hell are you doing Asher?” Jace said.
Asher looked towards him. "Oh Jace. How are you?" he smiled innocently.
She caught Jace's stare and saw that he wasn't amused by Asher's antics at all, which made her even happier.
"Where's Mike and Derek?" Jace asked, obviously not in the mood to play games with his band mate.
"They are," the door opened again alerting to Derek and Mike's presence, "right here," he finished with a grin.
Both guys had a pizza in their hands and bags on their shoulders.
"About time," Jace said. "And you know they would have delivered the pizza right?"
"Yeah yeah. But the last time we had to wait nearly an hour and I'm starving," Derek replied.
"Oh, hey Camille,"Derek greeted as he walked over to the kitchen to put the pizza down. Mike followed suit.
"Hey Derek," she said, then added, "Mike." He nodded at her.
Camille wondered if Mike talked when she wasn't around or if he was always this cold and withdrawn.
"We didn't keep you waiting too long? Did we?" Derek asked. "I mean Jace kept you entertained at least, right?" he said.
Camille gave Derek a look.
"He didn't?" Derek asked in mock surprise. "Jace…tell me it ain't so…" he laughed while holding his chest. Jace ignored him.
"C'mon let's get this thing started," Mike grunted.
"Why in such a rush Mike? Have something waiting for you at home?" Derek said jokingly.
"Yeah. His hand is getting restless," Asher laughed and Camille snickered a little before she could stop herself.
"Shut up i***t," Mike grunted."Unlike you, I actually have girls to do that for me.”
"Pshh….I can have any girl I want," Asher said, arrogantly. "I mean Camille just met me and she already wants me. Isn't that right, Cam?"
Camille blinked.
"Asher I wouldn't be with you even if you offered me a million dollars and bagged that thing you call your face," she told him.
Derek and Mike burst out laughing, while Asher looked shocked.
Camille watched as the corner of Jace’s lips twitched upwards.
Derek let out an 'ohhhhhh' while tiptoeing up to Asher and poking him in the arm. He pulled away abruptly and let out a sizzling sound.
"Oh! I can still feel the burn on you!" he laughed.
Asher clutched his chest dramatically. "Camille, you wound me," Asher pouted at her, before turning to his friend. "And just so you know Derek, that was lame.”
Derek didn't falter in his laughter. "Whatever. It’s not like I’m the one who just got insulted."
Camille laughed. “Sorry Asher.”
"It’s okay. I know how you can fix this,” Asher said to her.
"And how’s that?" she asked, deciding to humor him and play along.
Asher tapped the right side of his cheek. Camille complied and moved to give him a peck. However, before she even reached his cheek, he turned his face and brushed his lips against hers.
The laughter stopped abruptly and a deafening silence quickly enveloped the space.
Shock coursed through Camille, but that shock quickly became anger as she clenched her fists and punched him right in the face…albeit awkwardly.
Howls of laughter filled the air once again as Asher gripped his nose.
"We gotta teach you how to punch Camille," Derek said, coming over and slinging his arm over her shoulders. "But good one,” he laughed.
“That’s what you get Asher for pulling that stunt. Don’t play with our girl Camille,” Derek continued saying as he walked back over to the pizza.
Asher came up to her. "You know I didn’t really mean anything by that, right, Camille?" he said. “I was just messing around.”
Camille narrowed her eyes at him. "I don’t care. You shouldn’t have done it.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. Won’t happen again,” Asher said as he put up his hands in mock surrender while pouting at her sadly.
Camille thought he looked so cute that she couldn’t help the small smile that appeared on her lips.
"Does that mean you’ll forgive me?" he asked hopefully.
"We’ll see," she said.
“I’ll take it,” Asher responded as he gave her a lop-sided grin.
Derek clapped his hands together. "Alright let's get this show on the road. The sooner we do this, the sooner we’ll be famous."
The guys began moving the TV and couches over and brought in the drum set from one of the other rooms. Camille took up the video camera from the dining table and saw that there was a red light flashing on the screen.
Had it been recording this whole time?
Had it captured her whole argument with Jace?
Camille decided she would worry about that later.
- Writer
