4Ever & a Day : The Next Generation of R5

I'm Not Too Young To Know What I Want

Cameron

I picked up my phone on the nightstand and looked at the time. It was only seven am. I hadn't slept all night because I was so nervous about what I was about to do today. I knew Embry would be gone most of the day shopping with his mom so it was the perfect time. I got up. Lying here was useless.

I went to the bathroom to take a shower. Once in the shower my thoughts drifted to Embry and our time in the shower last week. As I washed I closed my eyes and imagined Embry washing me as he had that day. I fought the urge to touch myself. I decided not to and got out turning off the water. I was drying off when my mom just walked into the bathroom.

"Oh Cameron I'm sorry. You really should learn to lock the door," she said.

"It's my private bathroom. Why should I lock the door? You should really learn to knock," I fired back.

She gave me the mom look. I wasn't in the mood for a faceoff with her. I was standing here in a towel and she wouldn't leave.

"You maybe eighteen young man, but this is still my house," she said.

"Where's that coming from? Did I do something to piss you off?"

Since my birthday she had pretty much been letting me come and go as I pleased. She never asked where I was or what I was doing. Of course when I wasn't home nine times out of ten I was with Embry. Ross had lifted the silly chaperone rule, which was dumb on his part because the backseat of my car had seen lots of action.

"I was doing your laundry and found these," she put out her hand and I saw she was holding the two rings I had bought. I had worked hard to pay for those myself and not ask my parents for the money like I usually did when I wanted something.

"Yeah so?" I said as I reached out to take them from her hand.

"What are they for?" she asked.

Damn she was in a nosy mood. I hated when she started asking me personal questions. I didn't want to talk about this with her. I had already talked to my dad about it and gotten a lecture from him about being too young to make such a big move and needing to experience life more before jumping into such a big commitment.

"Just something I have planned for Embry," I said being cryptic.

"Cameron those are beautiful rings. Are you going to ask Embry to marry you?"

"Look can I get dressed before we have this conversation?" I asked.

"Sure," she said as she turned and left shutting my bedroom door behind her.

I noticed when she left she had tears in her eyes. I wondered what that was all about as I went into my room and stuck the rings in my nightstand drawer. I dressed and went back to the bathroom to comb my hair and brush my teeth, then headed downstairs. I found my mom in the kitchen sitting at the table. I sat down beside her and she looked up at me. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at me and she didn't bother to wipe them away. I watched them fall on the table for a minute.

"Why are you crying mom?" I asked.

"I'm just so happy for you. Happy that you are at a point in your life where you are ready for this step," she sobbed.

"I love Embry and I know I'm gonna spend the rest of my life with him," I told her.

"I'm not ready for this. You're so young and you'll be going to college in the fall while Embry still has a year of high school left."

"Mom Berkeley is only five hours away. So I can come home every weekend and Embry can visit me anytime he wants. We'll make it work," I reassured her.

"Are you and Embry having sex?" she asked.

Wow did she really just ask me that? What did that have to do with anything? I didn't want to discuss my sex life with her. It wasn't any of her business. It's not like one of us could get pregnant or something. Why did she care?

"Yes, we have been for like a year now," I decided just to answer her.

"Are you being safe?"

"Okay I am done with this conversation. I have to go talk to Ross soon," I pushed back my chair and got up.

I walked over to the kitchen window and saw Victoria's car pulling out of the driveway. As soon as it was down the street I put on my shoes and left my house. I walked across my lawn and Embry's lawn to his front door. I hesitated at the door with my hand raised to knock. Just as I was about to knock the door opened and Romeo almost ran into me.

"Dad, I'm going to Bentley's," he yelled over his shoulder. "Oh hey Cameron, Embry's not here."

"I know I'm here to see your dad," I said with a shaky voice.

"Okay," Romeo said giving me a strange look.

He walked around me and left me standing at the door. Ross came out of the kitchen and saw me. "Hey Cameron, Embry's not here."

"I know Romeo told me. I actually came to talk to you," I said.

"Okay come in," Ross invited me in and I shut the door behind me. I followed him to the living room and we sat on the couch. I rang my hands together as I stared at them. I could do this. When Ross had first discovered mine and Embry's relationship he didn't like it or me much. He had tried hard to get past his personal feelings about it and had actually started to like me a little when he saw I wasn't going to break Embry's heart.

"What's wrong Cameron?" Ross asked.

"Nothing is really wrong. I just need to ask you something," I started.

"Okay."

"On Christmas I want to ask Embry to marry me and I want your permission. I know we are young but he is the love of my life. I can't see life without him," I said quickly.

"You're right you are young. Embry still has a year and a half of high school left and you'll be going off to college," he paused.

"I know but it is important to me..."

"Please let me finish," he interrupted me. "When I asked Victoria to marry me she had just graduated high school. Everyone gave me the you're too young speech and I hated hearing it. Who were they to tell me what I wanted to do with my life? Twenty two years and five kids later we are still together. I have never regretted marrying her."

This conversation was going better than I hoped it would. He wasn't lecturing me about being too young. I had honestly expected a repeat of the conversation with my dad.

"So I guess what I'm saying is if you really love him and feel that this is the right thing to do for both of you I'll give you my blessing," Ross said.

Tears sprang to my eyes. That had just happened. This was happening. In a little less than two weeks I would have a fiancée. I was positive Embry wouldn't say no.

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