Maroon Nights | A Short Story [COMPLETE]

°•° 4 °•°

I sat at the end of the dock in between Cameron's legs with the back of my head resting on his shoulder. Even though the city surrounded us, it was quiet for the night and the sky sparkled with stars. I closed my eyes, imagining a wide open expanse of beautiful maroon as Cam's chest rose and fell to a soft rhythm. I rested my hands on his which were folded around my waist and I thought that, maybe, for once, my dreams were real. That maybe I had found the peace that I had so desperately longed for.

And while Cam was great, when I opened my eyes and saw that the sky was still just black and realized that I wasn't even supposed to be here, I knew that no matter how hard I tried, there would be no world that had maroon nights or a peaceful family for me.

"What is that beautiful brain of yours thinking about?" Cameron whispered into my ear.

I chuckled quietly, not wanting to disturb the quietness around us. Jonah and Braylin had left a long time ago after our midnight snack of PB and J sandwiches, but I wasn't about to leave until I had to.

"Just... everything," I murmured back.

"Are you scared to go home?"

I huffed. "Literally terrified, but it is what it is."

"No, it isn't. It doesn't have to be this way, Bec. It shouldn't be the way it is." I felt Cameron's chin brush the top of my damp hair as he shook his head back and forth.

"I just live in a completely different world than you," I sighed. "I'm used to strict parents and three hours of violin practice a day and mandatory A plus grades. Your world is made of private beach rentals, custom made Jeeps, parents who don't care if you get a B every once in a while and an extremely beautiful girlfriend."

He laughed, tilting his head so he could look at me curiously.

"But I totally didn't just say that," I corrected, realizing what my joke had implied, my face heating, "because it's not like we're together, together or anything. We just sorta... kissed, but that doesn't mean-"

Cameron cut me off with a peck on the cheek, "No, I like it. I think it's way better than 'bestie'."

I snorted, rolling my eyes. "Way better." I laid my head back on his shoulder once again, my smile dropping. "All I'm saying is that it would be virtually impossible to somehow just pull me into your perfect life. There are a lot of things standing in the way."

He was quiet for a moment before eventually whispering, "Do you really think my life is perfect?"

"I mean, no one's life is perfect, but yours is pretty close."

He didn't reply and I thought maybe I had said something wrong. I had meant it as a compliment but maybe it sounded more like I was ridiculing him. I glanced up, searching his face to see if I had hurt him, but his expression was smooth as he stared far off across the lake.

"Do you remember about six weeks ago when my parents and I drove up to Edwards County to visit my brother?"

I squinted my eyes, trying to recall back to when he was talking about. "Yeah. He lives up there, right?"

Cam nodded. At first, I thought that that was all he was going to say, but after about a minute of silence, he breathed, "My brother was diagnosed with stomach cancer."

A slight breeze fluttered across the lake, but I didn't think that was why a shiver ran down my spine. "What, really?"

Again, he nodded his confirmation.

"I'm so sorry, Cam. I didn't know... But why didn't you tell me?"

He sighed, looking down at his bare toes that brushed the surface of the water. "He asked me not to say anything. And Jordan doesn't ask me to do a lot of things, so I knew that he really didn't want people to know. But I guess you aren't just 'people'." The corner of his mouth upturned slightly as he looked down at me.