Forget Me (Adore You Pt. 2)

Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Dinner with Nicole and Cameron was awkward, not because I felt like a third wheel or anything but because they were obviously overly sensitive around me. It was the first time Robbie and I broken up all over again.

We ate dinner at a pizza shop near the Manhattan bridge. It was very touristy, and the food wasn't all that great. I think it was part of the tour Cameron had been giving Nicole, so I kept my opinions to myself.

"Do you guys want to pass by the beach?" I asked.

"In this weather?" Nicole asked, shivering.

"Yeah, it could be nice," I said and added silently to myself: and loud and windy, and not really allowing us an opportunity to have stunted and awkward conversations.

"It could..." Cameron agreed.

'You're a good man Cameron,' I thought to myself and walked ahead of them to lead the way.

I loved beaches, even subpar New York ones. The water always made me feel at peace. Something about its vastness always made calm.

When we got to the beach, I grabbed Nicole's camera from around her neck and slipped it over mine.

"Go on, spend time with Cameron; I'll take pictures; maybe you can use them for your project."

She gave me a hesitant look.

"Seriously, I'm fine; I want to play with your fancy camera for a bit," I said while I messed with the aperture nob on her DSLR.

There were a lot more people on the beach than I expected there to be. I always forgot that while the weather seemed cold to Nicole and me, it was probably just really nice to people who were used to frigid winters.

I snapped pictures while Nicole and Cameron strolled along the sand. Of them, of the beach, the pier, the Ferris wheel. It was actually fun; maybe I should have taken a photography class instead of one of the many APs I stacked on my schedule this year.

When we were back in the warmth of my apartment, I made us tea while Nicole showered.

Here I said, handing her a mug as she sat on my bed.

"So," she started.

"So."

"What happened?"

"A lot of bullshit."

"Care to expand on that?" She asked.

"His family...is...difficult. They can be...terrifying," I said, choosing my words carefully.

"Robbie doesn't seem like the type that would let himself be bullied."

"Well, you don't really know him," I muttered.

"I guess not," she said, studying me carefully, "Lia, you would tell me everything, right? We always tell each other everything."

"Mhm," I said, swallowing some warm tea. At this point, I could teach a masterclass in lying. I could do it better than a rug.

"Okay," she said, dropping it...for now. Knowing Nicole, she was already planning the FBI investigation she would perform as soon as she was alone with a computer.

"So," I said, changing the subject, "I see things are good with you and Cameron. You guys are adorable. I think, in my unprofessional opinion, I got some pretty nice pictures of you two."

She smiled really big and lay back on my bed, "We're really good; he's amazing. Actually.." She said, her eyes bright with excitement.

"What?" I asked, knowing there was something she wasn't telling me.