today, but we figured
you out.
I don’t know what you are talking about, but I think you have the wrong person.
Your name is Dani,
and you work at the
Bistro on Main St.
Seriously, who is this?
You seem to be a
smart girl. I’m sure
you can figure it out.
You are a creep. Leave
me alone!!!
I instantly feel sick to my stomach until the next messages comes through.
I’m not, I promise!
You just happened
to make me lose a bet
today and I don’t lose
bets; ever.
I’m sorry, but I have no idea what you are talking about.
You gave Toby a fake
number, which means
I technically didn’t lose
the bet, so you owe me
lunch!
My stomach flutters. This is Camden from the Bistro this afternoon. How the hell does he know who I am?
How did you figure
that out? And how
the hell did you find
my email address?
I’m insulted! You
weren’t that hard to
find. So, what about
that lunch?
I don’t owe you anything. You shouldn’t have been betting on me.
You’re right, I should
have just asked for
your number for
myself instead.
Ok. Now, I know you are full of shit. Have a good night!
I close my laptop and try to make sense of what just happened. What the hell is going on? This has to be some sort of sick joke. There is no way a guy like him would be interested in someone like me.
Sarah walks in and I think maybe I can talk to her about it. Maybe she knows who he is and how the hell he could possibly get my information in such a short amount of time. So, I just cut to the chase.
“Do you know who Camden Carter is?” I ask.
“I know of him. I believe he is a Law student. Why?” She quickly responds.
“I’m not sure. I got a weird email that I’m trying to figure out.”
“He’s in my Ethics class. Kind of keeps to himself. I have never actually had a conversation with him, but he seems to just blow people off. I think he’s some sort of IT genius, though. At least, that’s what I’ve heard through the grapevine.” She replies.
I show her the emails and she asks, “How do you even know it’s Camden?”
“He came into the Bistro today with a group of guys. Some of them I actually recognized from classes. But they are the only ones that would know about this.” I tell her. “That’s really weird. I don’t think I have ever seen him with a girl.” She replies.
“Really? How is that possible? He’s gorgeous.” I can feel the surprise in my voice. I would have pegged him for a Ladies’ Man.
“Yeah. He is always kind of cocky towards girls like he couldn’t care less. At least, the ones that I have seen him interact with. It’s, honestly, a little weird.” She responds.
“That is weird. Now, I’m even more confused.”
I sit in bed and just ponder what the hell this all means. If it is even him. I mean all the clues point to him, but I don’t really understand why he would reach out to me. It’s all so strange. I just don’t get it. After replaying it in my head again and again, my mind finally loses the battle to blackness.
Chapter 2
“Stop, please, Stop!” I’m screaming. Someone has to hear my screams. “PLEASE.” He is so heavy on my body and I just can’t push him off of me. I kick and shove at him, but nothing happens, and he won’t budge. Suddenly, he is finally off me and it leaves me confused, since I know I didn’t have the strength to get him off me. As I look over to see what is happening, I see Camden on top of him beating him to a pulp. There is blood everywhere.
My body is shaking violently. It takes me a minute to figure out what is going on. When I open my eyes, Sarah is shaking me trying to get me to wake up.
“Are you okay?” She is obviously concerned.
“I’m sorry, I had a nightmare. I’m okay. Thank you.” I reply trying to sound somewhat normal. I am not okay. My eyes are now open but all I can see is blood red. I continue to blink and finally the red starts to dissipate, but I’m still shivering.
That was new. I have never shouted like that in my sleep, well at least that I know of. Usually, I scream in my dreams, but no one has ever heard me. And why the fuck was Camden in my dream? This is weird and is getting out of hand. I meet a guy once a few weeks ago and now I’m dreaming about him. I haven’t even seen or spoken to him since that day. What the hell is wrong with me?
It is 4 am, so I have to try and get a little more sleep to get through the day. I drift in and out of consciousness until my alarm clock goes off. I get out of bed, grab my shower caddy, and walk toward the bathroom to shower, hoping not to have to deal with anyone on my way there.
Of course, there are plenty of girls in the bathroom, so I just try to walk past them and head to the shower stalls without even looking up. The last thing I need right now is a confrontation after the night I just had.
After I take a shower, I go back to my room to get ready. I am in no mood to deal with anything today and I don’t have to work, so I put on a pair of comfy yoga pants and a tank top and just tie my long unruly hair into a bun. I grab my laptop and books and head toward the door.
Before I leave, Sarah looks at me curiously. “Are you sure you’re okay? I’ve never seen anyone scream like that before. You kind of freaked me out.”
Trying not to start anything too involved right now, I just look at her with a smile. “I’m fine. I swear. I sometimes have nightmares. It’s really no big deal.”
“Ok. I’ll catch you later.” I can tell she isn’t totally buying my bullshit.
I walk out of the dorm and over to the Doheny Library. It’s the biggest one at USC so I’ll hopefully have plenty of room to work. It’s a little bit of a haul since it’s in the center of campus, but I don’t mind the walk because it gives me some time to clear my head, specifically after my insane dream.
I get to the Library in hopes of studying. There are a ton of people here, so I find a small table in the corner with two chairs, where I can be alone to concentrate. I open my laptop and notice there is an email waiting for me…
I didn’t mean to freak you out. I’m sorry.
Since I haven’t heard from him, I figured someone was just trying to mess with me and the joke was over. So, I guess maybe an apology is a little closure.
I sit at the library for hours working on my English paper, trying to focus. Every once in a while, I glance up and look around to see all the kids either doing their work or making out. I find it so bizarre to watch people swapping saliva in a library. Do they not have anywhere else to do that?
My laptop’s battery is dying and of course I don’t have an outlet where I am sitting. Well, that is frustrating. So, I get up to look around for one. I find an empty table near a wall closer to the center of the room and it looks perfect. So, I gather my things and I look down trying not to make eye contact with anyone, but that turns out to clearly be a mistake. Because, as I get close to the table I had been eyeballing, I walk right into someone. Someone? More like a wall; a solid wall of muscles. I guess I should look up now.
“I’m so sorry. I should watch where I am going.” I said as I look up and I meet his eyes.
“It’s ok. I know you.” Camden has a huge ass grin on his face.
He has a bag over his shoulder and had been heading for the same table but from the opposite direction of the library, but I don’t see him until the last possible second when I walked into him.
“I guess great minds think alike.” He’s looking right at me while placing his laptop down on the table and plugging it in.
I can’t seem t
o catch a break today. I just smile and look away from him. I try to ignore his presence and sit down at the table and plug in my laptop.
“So, are you not going to talk to me at all, then?” He asks.
“What? I said I was sorry.” I reply.
I am not sure what else to say at this point. What does he want, me to beg for his forgiveness? Well, that’s extremely unlikely. I’m not one to shell out apologies for no reason and I certainly will not beg anyone for anything.
“Listen, I’m sorry I freaked you out.” He says.
“What are you talking about?”
“The email.” He answers abruptly.
“That was really you? I honestly thought it was some kind of sick prank.” I don’t really know what to say to him. I don’t want to be awkward.
“I really just wanted to talk to you.” His voice is lower now, almost needy.
My heart may have just jumped into my throat. “Why?”
“Why, not?” Intrigue is all over his face.
“That’s not an answer.” A question with a question, really? I really hate when people do that.
“I’m not allowed to want to talk to you? You seem like a nice person.” His tone is now practically down to a whisper.
“Sure. I guess.” I’m honestly a little overwhelmed. Why is he even talking to me? There are plenty of gorgeous blondes that he could be talking to. What is his deal? I really don’t know what to think of it. There is absolutely nothing special about me so I must be reading this wrong.
He finally sits down after setting up his laptop and books. We sit in silence for about an hour before I decide it is time to go. I’m starting to get really hungry and I definitely won’t be able to concentrate on anything with him sitting across from me. For the last hour, I have done nothing but stare at my laptop and try to sneak looks at him. It’s really pitiful. God, I hope he didn’t notice. I get up and start to gather my things when he looks at me and smiles, “By the way, you still owe me a lunch.”
“Is that what this is about? If I give you a lunch, will you stop being a weirdo?”
“How am I being a weirdo? You do owe me lunch, though. Fair is Fair.” There is insult in his voice.
“Well, for starters, you emailed me randomly after seeing me once and God only knows how you even found that information. I’d say that is a weirdo move.”
“I told you. I don’t like to lose bets. And normally, I don’t lose. And technically, I didn’t. You swindled me. So, you owe me.” Now I can sense a little frustration.
“So, if I buy you lunch, you’ll stop being creepy?” I ask, impatiently, even though deep down I know that this is by far, the hottest guy that I have ever talked to. But all he wants to prove is that he didn’t actually lose that bet. He’ll probably go brag to his friends how he suckered some stupid chick to buy him lunch. Whatever.
“Sure.” He smiles from ear to ear. It’s still hot as hell, but a little corny, which I just happen to find adorable.
“Ok, fine. What about now?” I’m starving but am half expecting a refusal.
“I’m starving too. Now is great. I know the perfect spot.” He responds.
We walk out and he leads me to his car. A black, 1956 Corvette convertible. Why wouldn’t he own this car, which just happens to be my dream car? Well, not necessarily that year. Honestly, I would take any Corvette except for the few years in the 80s when they went through that really strange stage that I have never been a fan of.
“This is your car?” Did I piss Karma off or something?
“Well, yeah. It used to be my grand-dad’s and then my dad’s and now it’s mine.” He replies.
“It’s awesome. Vettes have been my dream car since as long as I can remember.” I just smile. I don’t want to sound jealous, or anything. Even though I most definitely am.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” He jokes as he holds open the door for me.
Then he walks around the car to the driver’s side, jumps in without opening his door and quickly starts the ignition. He’s like James Bond, but way hotter. He definitely takes really good care of his car. It’s immaculate. It’s not what I would expect for a typical college student’s car. I am in awe. Not to mention, I still can’t believe I’m sitting in a Corvette.
We sit in silence until we get to the restaurant. He gets out of the car and again walks around to open my door. It is weird to be around someone who is so chivalrous or at least that’s the vibe I’m getting from him, but I am not about to let my guard down. We walk inside and the hostess sits us at a small booth. The pizza place is small and a little eccentric but extremely outdated. It is decorated with Italian ornaments everywhere. And I mean everywhere, from ceiling to floor. It’s like Italy vomited in this place. It’s a little overkill, but still adorable.
The waitress comes over and instantly starts to flirt with Camden. He is oblivious to her and just politely orders a coke and I do the same. I’m fascinated at how he just blows her off like she isn’t still standing right by the table.
She leaves quickly and immediately brings our sodas to the table and smiles. “What can I get you today?” Never taking her eyes off of him. It’s like he’s alone and I am not sitting here. I'm practically invisible.
But with him, I don’t feel invisible, it’s like I’m the only other person in the room. He stares at me as if he’s waiting for me to say something. The intensity in his gaze is surreal. “This place has the best pizza in the area.”
I look at the waitress, but she is still focused on Camden. Big shocker. “I’ll just have a slice of pepperoni pizza.”
She writes down my order and continues to stare at him like he is a piece of meat. She appears to be deep in thought. Maybe about marrying him or having his babies. If you could do that with one look, it would definitely be the look that she is giving him. I’m finding this more entertaining than the show the girls put on in my economics class and I get a front row seat for this one.
“I’ll have a small Pizza Bianca with mushrooms and olives.” He speaks, not even glancing at her.
The waitress sighs. “Great choice. You have great taste.” She walks back to the computer to enter the order.
She is stunning. Skinny but not overly so and has a gorgeous, European look, with dark, flowing hair that has a slight wave. Her eyes are piercingly dark, and her skin has an olive complexion. It looks like she should be living in Italy and not in smog ridden LA. I wonder if her family owns the restaurant. How could he not notice her? My Goodness! Why am I overanalyzing this? I feel like I’m having an out of body experience. Is this some sort of girl crush or am I a little jealous at the way she is so interested in him? Yikes. I need to snap out of this. I’m not used to these ridiculous stomach turning and heart pounding feelings.
I look back at Camden, and he is just watching me. Watching me while I stare at this girl. He has a huge smile on his face and just asks, “Can you tell me what you are thinking right now?”
How the hell am I supposed to answer that? After what feels like forever, I just look at him and shrug. I’ve never been the type to not be honest and I’m not about to start now. “I think she might your future wife.”
He looks over at her and back at me. “I doubt it.”
“Why, not? She’s gorgeous.”
“Yeah, I guess she’s pretty.” He shrugs.
Ouch! I know I asked for that one but him admitting that she is pretty hurt a little. I guess it’s not a girl crush, just me being jealous of her because of a guy that I met twice. But Cam shouldn’t like her, he should like me. There is something seriously wrong with me. So, I just stay quiet until he finally breaks the silence.
“So, you really aren’t going to say much, huh?”
Usually I can’t get myself to shut up. Now, I’m clamming up? What the hell is going on? And how does this man have this power over me? Great, Dani! Now you are going to act like a dimwitted girl who can’t talk when she is in front of a cute guy. This is not going to be me. I will no
t be that girl. After arguing internally for a moment, I look at him and he is still staring at me waiting for my answer. I shake off this stupidity and decide that I need to speak.
“I’m sorry. I just have a lot on my mind.”
“I know you just met me, and we didn’t exactly start off on great terms, but I would still like to get to know you.” There is a soft genuine look in his eyes. I don’t think I have ever seen that on a man’s face.
“I thought you were going to stop being a creep if I came to lunch. You are not holding up your end of the bargain.”
“Turns out, I may have been lying.” He chuckles. The sound makes my heart skip a beat.
Our pizzas come out and his looks delicious. I almost regret getting a boring pepperoni. But I am not about to get courageous when I have never been to this place before.
He takes one of his slices and offers it to me. “Would you like to try this? It’s really good.”
Being lady-like versus good food? Screw it. I choose the latter. “I would love to. Thank you.”
I take a bite and he is right. It may be the best pizza I have had in a long time since I was back home.
“It’s delicious. There are a couple of places in my hometown that make a killer pizza like this too.” Not sure why I just said that. He doesn’t care about that.
“Where are you from?” He suddenly asks.
My stomach instantly jumps. I don’t want to tell him where I’m from. It will only open up for more questions that is something that I really don’t want to talk about.
“The east coast.” I say vaguely.
“I can see you are going to be difficult. It’s okay though, I am up for the challenge.” He sounds a little annoyed.
A Broken Past Page 2