Summer Went Away | Cam Cameron (2)

Brothers

"Hey," I said, knocking on the door to Jeremiah's room. "Can we talk?"

He closed his computer and moved his blanket out of the way, "yeah, come on in."

I walked in and sat on the bed next to him. "Hey," I whispered.

"Why do you look like you have bad news?" He asked, taping his fingers to his thumb.

I put my hand on his knee, "It's not necessarily bad news, it's just...it's just big news."

"You're scaring me," he laughed nervously.

I didn't know how to explain to him what was happening in a soft of gentle way so I just blurted it out, "I'm moving," I told him.

He looked at me with big eyes, "What?"

I nodded, "Um, yeah. This summer I am going to go up to Cousins and Cameron and I are going to get a house. We found a few good ones, and Mom left the summer house to be so we might end up there."

He shook. His head, "It's the summer house, not the Emilia and Cam house," he snapped.

I pulled my hair back, "It's my house now, Jere. I'm going to do whatever I think is best. It's a conversation that Cameron and I need to have. But it's. Going to be okay because you are going to be off at college doing your own thing."

"It's not like you and Cameron are married. Why do you need a house together...why do you need mom's house?" He asked.

I shrugged, "I don't know. I know that Cameron is the person that I am going to be with forever."

He cut me off, "You said that about Easton."

I stood up to leave, "He is nothing like Easton. You better watch your mouth, Jeremiah!" I yelled, walking out of the room and slamming the door.

Emilia: Can I call you?

Emilia: Fr. I might murder our brother if I can't talk to you soon.

Emilia: Twin SOS. Easton on the brain.

Glasses: I'm in an evening class now. Do you need me to leave or are you good for like 45 mins? Just let me know. Deep breaths. I love you.

Emilia: Yeah, no. Do class. Can you call me after tho?

Glasses: Ofc. If you need me sooner text me, Peaches. I love you.

Emilia: I love you.

I thought about when Easton and I were together and how I truly thought that we would get married. But when I had those thoughts with him, it felt inevitable. When I have the thoughts about it with Cameron it feels like the most amazing thing ever.

Easton led me into his parents' house and kissed me on the cheek. His rough beard rubbed on my face in a familiar way, but at least it wasn't as aggressive as it was the night before. He held onto my hand a little too tight to prove that he had power over me.

"Yeah, mom, yeah dad," he would say. "This is the person I'm going to marry."

They would walk away and his face would fall. He would look me directly in the eyes and laugh, "Chill out, babe. Don't be a spaz," he would laugh. He'd place a rough kiss. On my lips and I would smile like nothing was wrong. Like I wasn't waiting for him to ditch me to the curb until he was ready to have sex again.

Incoming call: Glasses

"Hey, Connie," I said, flopping back onto his bed. "I've taken over your room."

He laughed on the other end of the phone, "I figured as much. What's going on in your world?"

I pulled his blankets up over my shoulders, they still smelled like him. It was almost like I was being wrapped in a hug from him. And let me tell you, I would do anything in the world to get a hug from my brother right now.

"I miss you," I whispered, trying to hide the sadness in my voice. "I told Jeremiah about the move and he got pissed and said some shitty stuff about Cameron and sorta kinda compared him to Easton...or he at least compared the fact that I see a future with Cameron to how I saw one with Easton."

He thought for a minute, "Yeah but you saw Easton as like an inevitable thing, you get all happy about Cam, and we all like Cam so how the fuck is it the same?"

I smiled, "That's what I said. Or at least that's what I thought...see this is why I need you back here. I need to just...I need a big brother hug," I whispered.

"Oh, Peaches," he whispered. "I will be home for Easter then there are only three weeks after that until the summer."

I nodded even though I knew he couldn't see me. All of the holding it together and being mom jr is finally getting to me. But, it can't get to me until this summer. Or at least until the next time Con is here. But, I know that I can't just leave and I couldn't have just left when I wanted to. Someone had to stay with Jeremiah his senior year and make sure everything was running smoothly before he graduated. Once he was off at college I can take a step back. I can just be Emilia and not have to worry about anything else. I mean obviously, I'm still going to worry about my brothers, but I will get to worry about them like a sister again, not like a parent.

"Em? Are you okay?" He asked.

I sniffled and wiped my eyes, "Yeah, I just miss you. Only twenty-nine days until I get to see you. Not that anyone is counting...yknow. Why would I care when you come home."

He laughed, "Well I will tell you what, even though you don't care. When I get home I'll pull my mattress into your room and we can have a sleepover like we did when we were little. Okay?"

"That sounds like the most refreshing thing in the entire world."