He dips his chin.
“Then you’ll like this one. Here.” I shove it closer to him without spilling the contents.
He smells it, takes a spoonful and lets out a satisfied sound once he’s swallowed. I can’t help the roll of my eyes. “Told you it was good.”
“Did you make this?” he asks with a full mouth.
“No, I got it from the café. I just added a couple of seasonings, hot sauce, and lime to it. I don’t like soup either so whenever I’m sick or hungover, I throw some things into it to make it taste better.”
He stops mid-chew and seems to contemplate what he’s about to say.
“The first day we met, I was looking at you for at least five minutes while you were reading some mystery book. And in those five minutes all I could think about was how Ihadto know you. Somehow, just by looking at you, I knew we would get along.” He glances down at the now nearly empty container and gives me a shy smile. A kind of smile I haven’t seen in years. “I also thought you were one of the most beautiful girls I’d ever seen.” My eyes widen at the last comment, and I feel like mybreathing has ceased all together. Those were not even remotely close to the words I was expecting.
“But I needed a friend more than anything as well, and like you said, once Ana came into the picture, all those feelings disappeared. Until a couple of months ago when, well, you know,” he repeats my own words from moments ago.
For a while, I stare at him, not knowing what to say. It’s all too much.
“But don’t worry. I’ve seen a lot more girls over the years, Kamila. I’ve gotten a lay of the land. I’m not a little boy anymore who’s caught off guard by a good-looking woman; I’m all man.” I know he means it as a joke, a terrible one, still it hits a little too close to home. Especially since we’ve slept with each other.
“Are you saying that you don’t think I’m beautiful anymore?”
His cocky tone doesn’t falter at my mocking one when he responds. “I’m just merely repeating what you said about me. I’m hot, everyone thinks so, and I’m no saint.”
I smack him. “Asshole, that is not what I said.”
He laughs. “It was close enough.”
He finishes the soup in silence. Once he’s done, I hand him a box of tissues and he looks surprised that I brought something other than just soup and a thermometer.
“Shit, my sinuses are clearer.”
“That’s the hot sauce and ginger I snuck in there.” I walk towards the bags.
“I hate ginger.”
Face steamer in hand, I grin. “Why do you think I didn’t mention it?”
Forty minutes later Cam and I are a quarter of the way through his playlist, mostly consisting of 2000’s and 2010’s emo music.
I take a bite out of a granola bar Cam gave me. “I can’t believe your taste in music hasn’t changed.”
“‘Cause it’s great, and I’m not ashamed of it.” His voice is much clearer than it was earlier.
“Well, there is one thing that’s changed when it comes to your taste in music.”
He tilts his head. “What?”
“I never really asked you that night at King’s Wolf, but where and when did you learn how to dance?” I take the final bite of my snack.
Cam stands as soon as the question escapes my lips. “Can we please watch something and take a break from all this?”
“Hey, don’t ignore my question.” I throw a pillow at him and he catches it with ease. He turns his side lamp on and main lights off. It’s dark since the sun has already gone down, but I can still see his silhouette moving.
“Why won’t you answer my question?” I cross my arms even though he probably can’t see.
“It’s not something I want to talk about right now.”
My confusion only grows. “Why?”
