It was around two in the morning and Cameron sat on the bed in a motel room, watching the news of the murder a couple blocks over.
Winter was currently resting her head on his lap, sleeping soundlessly with the blankets puffed around her like she were resting on clouds.
Cam was focused on the TV, sipping some blood from a glass like it was tomato juice, his other hand resting on Winter’s head, gently brushing a single strand of her hair to the side continuously.
She seemed as if she liked the gesture, because she stayed asleep the entire time, almost blissfully…
Cam looked down to her now, watching her calm expression as the covers drifted up and down slowly with her gentle breaths.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, tucking some hair away from her eyes, then smiled barely. “But such a pain in the ass.”
She didn’t respond, just breathed softly...
“You know,” he said despite her not listening, “I’ve been watching you for a while now... For almost seven years... It was really hard to stay in the shadows... not only because you’re way too paranoid and look over your shoulder every two seconds... but because, well... I was dying to see how you would react when you met me.”
He brushed some hair out of her face, watching her expression ease at the gesture.
“I know you very well, Winter,” he stated. “Maybe even better than yourself.”
More silence.
“I kind of wonder when you’ll wake up,” he whispered, glancing at the clock on the nightstand. “I never get to sleep... because I’m a vampire... but I want to talk to you... Get to know you... I already know a lot... but I want to know more....”
“Cameron...” she whispered, making his gaze shoot down to hers, “what are you doing...?”
He smirked when he saw her eyes closed, her legs twitching slightly as she dreamt... and how a slight smile curved her pink lips.
“What are you dreaming about?” he wondered more to himself. “Me? I didn’t give you those dreams tonight, Winter.”
She started giggling, shifting more into his lap as he placed his hand on her head, running some black locks through his fingers.
“Cameron...” she whispered, giggling softly, “that tickles... Stop it....”
He checked to make sure he wasn’t tickling her in real life... and he wasn’t... Just watched her expression with a soft smile as she continued to talk in her sleep.
“Can we go to the ice cream store...?” she asked him in her dream. “I craving some peppermint.”
He chuckled in real life, unable to hold it back.
“Also...” she whispered, “I... love you....”
He froze at her words, seeing her still sound asleep in his lap.
“What...?” he whispered, pulling all hair out of her lashes. “Say it again... Please... say it....”
She was quiet.
“Winter...” he murmured. “Do you... mean it...?”
Silence...
She stopped voicing her dreams now, making a slight fear burn him inside.
She either told that to this Cameron or the dream Cameron...
Did it matter which one she told it to...?
Did it?
It was him either way, wasn’t it...?
“You’ll say it to me again...” he whispered, brushing a kiss along the inside of her wrist. “When you’re awake... and you’ll mean it... You will....”
48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdt0zrZ3dko
*****
It was early in the morning, and Winter was half-asleep, resting her head on something warm and cushioned.
She didn’t really care to know where the hell she was... She honestly was too exhausted to give a damn...
She had been in this half-asleep stage for about ten minutes, feeling Cameron’s hand gently stroke her cheek... though she thought he was beside her...
A couple minutes passed when he leaned down so she could see his face, a small smile forming on his lips. “Good morning, Snowflake.”
“Good morning...” she said back, though her tone partially slurred.
“You want to get up from my lap?” he questioned. “Or are you comfy?”
“I’m comfy...” she responded, turning her cheek into the blankets as an indication.
He exhaled a chuckle. “I can tell. You stayed asleep all night. And all day yesterday.”
She didn’t respond.
“So...” he said then, brushing some hair out of her eyes, “what did you dream about last night, Snowflake?”
“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness...” she joked.
“Hmm,” he said thoughtfully. “Going through US History withdrawal?”
She let out a small giggle.
“What did you really dream about?” he wondered.
She gave him a suspicious look. “Why?”
“Just curious.”
“I don’t really remember,” she said then, resting back onto his lap.
“I see...” he responded.
Before either of them could utter another sentence, a knock cascaded on their door, making both of their brows draw together.
They stared at the door for a moment, then back at each other.
Cameron smiled down at her concerned look, making her stomach coil with the look in his eyes.
“Hide,” he whispered.
She got up from his lap then, and ran off to a hiding place as he slipped off the bed and stepped up to the front door, looking through the peephole before opening the wood.
Two police officers stood at the door, one of them writing on a notepad while the other tapped their shoe impatiently.
“How can I help you?” Cam asked, forcing curiosity into his tone.
Both of them looked to him at the sound of his voice.
“Hi,” the right one said, “I’m officer Daniels, and this is officer Smith. We came here to talk to anyone who heard commotion or anything that seemed suspicious?”
Cam shook his head. “I didn’t hear anything.”
“Is there someone in there with you?” one of them said, peaking behind Cam’s shoulder to see further in the room.
But he shook his head. “Nope, just me and my crime shows.”
The officers looked at each other, then back at him.
“Was there a murder or something?” Cam said, faking excitement in his tone. “Jeez... I could be in one of those realistic crime shows or something, right?”
“We’ll get back to you...” Daniels said, nodding his head to the exit of the motel so his partner would follow.
Cam just watched until they left, chuckling when they were out of earshot and shut the front door, locking it.
“Am I a good actor, Winter?” he questioned, stepping further into the room. “Winter, they’re gone now.”
Silence…
“Winter?”
He searched the room after hearing her silence, then his eyes locked on a pair of feet under the desk in the room.
He stepped over to it, kneeling down beside the cheap laminate and saw Winter writing in a notebook, earbuds stuck in her ears while playing unintelligible music.
She was mouthing the lyrics, scraping her pencil in the notebook and clearly not noticing that he was there.
How? He didn’t know.
He snatched the spiral from her hands then, making her yell out at the sudden movement.
She pulled out the earbuds when he stood back up, shuffling out from under the table when his eyes searched the paper.
“‘How do you live your life,’” he read, “‘when everyone else you love dies or is taken from you?’”
She started jumping, attempting to get her notebook but he held it out of her reach, brows raised as he kept on reading.
“‘My life is a cycle, round and round it goes and everyone I once knew is gone. One cycle, my sister, two cycles, my dad, three, my mom. And now there’s only one person left, and I don’t want to lose him.’”
Cam looked down to her when he finished reading, brows raised.
She was silent, glaring at him despite her hand clenching her dress as if she were afraid of his reaction.
“That was deep,” he said after a moment. “And dark. Also… you had a sister?”
She shook her head in irritation, clearly giving up getting her notebook back, and stepped to the bed, lying down onto the mattress and curling up.
He knew she always did that when she was nervous… or scared…
Even though she refused to show it.
“That last person,” he stated, looking down to her notebook again, “who is he?”
“Does it matter?” she said.
“It does. Don’t dodge the question, Winter.”
She was silent.
“Who is it?” he questioned.
“You weren’t supposed to read it,” she stated.
“Who is it?” he said again.
“You know,” she said angrily.
“I don’t.”
She was silent for a moment, but the anger vanished from her tone when she whispered, “Don’t make me say it….”
He stared for a moment, watching her curl up more, hugging herself tight enough for her fingers to break skin.
His lashes lowered in realization, and he threw the notebook onto the table, stepping over to the bed.
“Come here…” he whispered, lifting her up.
She stared up at him curiously as he draped his jacket over her, carrying her out of the hotel room.
“Where are we going…?” she whispered, deciding not to fight him this time.
He smiled down at her. “To your favorite place.”
48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGTyDEJ4Q94
48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYAMFVfy1P
48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ1yqBK3g2h
48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vOvRI3Lp6
48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7VafBFfAv
48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPTzvPDmkq
