Against All Odds

CHAPTER - 12

ELLE

I burst through the front door, drenched from head to toe. I noticed Liam pacing back and forth in the living room, he had a worried expression on his face. "Elle! Where have you been? You're soaked!" He exclaimed.

I grinned sheepishly, trying to play it cool. "Just got caught in the rain, Liam. No big deal." His eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Are you okay? Why would you leave your phone at home? I was getting worried."

"I'm fine, Liam, really." Liam let out a sigh. "Well, next time, at least let me know. I thought something happened to you."

"Promise, Liam, I'll send you a carrier pigeon next time."

He rolled his eyes. "Very funny. But where were you, and who dropped you back?"

I hesitated, mentally preparing a story that would shield the truth. "Library. I got stuck in the storm, and this classmate of mine saw me and offered a ride back." Liam nodded his head.

I headed towards my room. Just as I closed the door, I let out a sigh, relieved that he bought my excuse. I quickly changed into dry clothes, and my mind wandered back to the real hero of the evening. Cam had been my unexpected savior, dropping me home when I was stranded in the rain. But I can't let Liam know. He'd be furious.

Once I was presentable, I joined Liam at the dinner table.

Later that night, as I lay in bed, the events of the evening replayed in my head. I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, and gazed up at the ceiling, my tummy fluttered. A smile tugged at the corner of my lips. The room fell into a quiet stillness, the only sound being the rain outside. I reached for my phone on the nightstand, contemplating the idea of sending Cam a text. Sighing, I kept my phone aside.

The mere idea of encountering Cameron on campus filled me with a delightful flutter in my belly. I shifted onto the side of the bed, hugging my pillow tightly while picturing him. Those deep, captivating eyes of his, the way he nonchalantly wiped away the droplets of water from his face. His essence remained vividly present in my mind.

***

"Yes, you should have seen the look on his face. It was PRICELESS!"

The Saturday afternoon sun streamed through the café window. The weather has cleared up a lot from yesterday. Olivia, Grace and I were chatting about a guy in Grace's art class.

"Elle, we called you last evening, why didn't you pick?" Olivia asked.

I took a sip of my drink, contemplating on how to share the unexpected twist in my tale. "Don't ask, I got stuck in the storm and then Cameron gave me a ride home."

"What?" I watched their eyes widen in unison.

His attention has been making me uncertain of where we stood. At first, he showered me with his focus, making me feel like the only character in his world. However, things took a turn when he began treating me as if I had misunderstood my role and was merely a background figure in his story.

"We had a little argument, and then, of all things, he ended up giving me a ride home in the pouring rain."

The argument had been a jarring twist, a burst of tension that had been hung in air between us. My thoughts swirled like leaves caught in a gust of wind. "Why were you even out in the first place?" Olivia asked.

"I was on my way to the library."

"Cameron playing the knight in the shining armor." Olivia teased.

"Did he ride in on a white horse too?" Grace chuckled.