I know grace is on edge when she walks through the doors of our shared apartment. The way her eyes quickly dart around, and the simple "hello" I give startles her. She nervously tucks her hair behind her ear as she sets her bag down on the counter. I decide it's best to wait and see how she reacts. Except she doesn't acknowledge me. Grace walks right to her bed room and shuts her door. I debate whether or not if I should go interrogate her, but yet again, I decide against it.
A knock on the door sounds and I quickly look through the peep hole. Cameron stands on the other side of the door, staring at the ground. I smile and swiftly unlock and open the door. His face automatically brightens when his eyes meet mine.
"Hey I was just wondering if you wanted to go out some time I mean it doesn't have to be now but..." he nervously trails his sentence off. I smile and play with the door handle.
"Of course cam, I'd love to. Do you want to go now?" I ask and he shrugs.
"Yeah I'm ready but uhm... are you?" He says lightly chuckling. I look down to realize I'm only in one of jack's shirts, but it goes down to my mid-thigh. I feel my face burn.
"Oh opps, yeah let me go get dressed, here come in and wait." I move out of the way so Cameron can enter the apartment, he shuts the door behind him as I race off to change. I hurriedly throw on some shorts and a USC t-shirt. I lace up my vans and then pretend to be cool as I walk out of my room.
I find Cameron fascinated and observing my soccer pictures that are chronologically placed on the wall. I have a bunch of trophies and sports pictures whereas Grace's wall holds academic achievements and such. Cameron jumps slightly when I slightly clear my throat.
"Er sorry, these are really cute." I smile and walk up to look at them, honestly I haven't looked at them in a while. He points at one from my freshman year.
"I totally dig the braces." I shake my head.
"God no." Grace's door sounds and We both turn to watch her as she walks out. She holds a towel which she uses to scrunch her hair dry.
"Hey Grace." Cameron waves cheerfully, except Grace doesn't match his tone. She just nods and walks to the kitchen. Cameron looks to me confused and I shake my head.
"Lets go." He nods in agreements and I grab my phone as we leave Grace and her weird vibe behind.
====
Cameron and I decide to just take a walk in the park. It's a nice sunny day, not too hot and the perfect gentle breeze blowing.
"So tell my why on Earth you let me get blue ice cream." Cameron looks at me like I'm crazy.
"Uhm excuse me but I explicitly remember telling you that it would stain you lips." I huff and shake my head.
"I wasn't paying attention." Cameron laughs and tosses his empty cup into a trashcan.
"Yeah I've been told my looks always distract the ladies." I roll my eyes but secretly agree. We sit at a table the has this tiny umbrella stuck through it.
"Why the hell did they decide that this tiny umbrella would shade this large table plus the chairs? It's practically useless." Cameron thinks about it for a minute.
"No not really, it creates enough shade to shade your food and what you normally put on the table, and I mean it's just the necessary not too much." I stare at Cameron for a few seconds and then at that moment I decided that beyond the man who acts like a five year old, there is a serious down to earth hopeless romantic.
"Cameron you're so good." I blurt and he looks at me confused. I shrug.
"It's just you're this.. you're just good, peaceful. You calm me down." I say, and it's the truth, being with Cameron is like stepping into this protective bubble, like an escape from the world.
