Filed to story: That Campus Prince Is a Girl
Amelia shook even harder at his words but didn’t reply. Shod and yelled, “Cameron, get out of here!”
Cameron grabbed Amelia’s arm and shoved her aside. “Stay back!”
Caught off guard, Amelia stumbled back several steps from the rough yank.
“Tsk tsk, so damn cozy. Then die together!” Zach shouted.
He had been obsessed with Amelia, and seeing her defend Cameron sent his jealousy into overdrive. He’d stab Cameron right now and see how Amelia would handle that.
Clutching the switchblade, Zach charged at Cameron. She stared back blankly, not even bothering to dodge.
“Cameron! Move!” Amelia shrieked.
Cameron didn’t budge. As Zach closed in, she suddenly kicked his hand. The knife clattered to the ground with a clang
Before he could recover, she planted a brutal kick to his face. Zach went spinning through the air and crashed hard onto the concrete.
Zach felt like his insides had been rattled into chaos. Writhing in agony on the concrete, he clutched his head, curling up like a shrimp white groaning loudly.
A couple of feet away, two of his teeth lay on the ground-exactly where Cameron’s kick had knocked them out.
Cameron shot him a scornful glance. “You really thought you could kill me?”
Amelia stood stunned, her earlier fear replaced by disbelief. She’d been terribly worried about Cameron, but Cameron’d taken Zach down in seconds flat ‘How is he this good?’ she thought.
Cameron was so much smaller than Zach, yet she’d handled him effortlessly.
The rain poured on as Amelia stared blankly at Cameron, who was already pulling out her phone to call the cops.
‘He’s gotta pay,’ Cameron thought. Attempted rape and attempted murder-that’d be enough to lock Zach up.
After hanging up, Cameron walked over to Amelia, whose wide, beautiful eyes were still glued to her.
Noticing Amelia looked miserable with her soaked dress and tangled hair, she asked softly, “Are you okay? I called the police. They’ll be here soon. Once we give our statements, you can go home.”
Amelia didn’t answer, just kept staring.
Cameron added, “Zach had it in for you. He’s a ticking time bomb. Putting him away is the only way you’ll be safe. It won’t take long.”
Still, Amelia stayed silent.
Cameron figured she was in shock. She reached out and gently patted Amelia’s back. “It’s over now.”
When Cameron’s hand touched her back, Amelia jolted like she’d been electrocuted.
Cameron asked, “Are you alright?”
“I-I-I’m fine,” she stammered, taking an abrupt step back.
Cameron nodded. Her eyes landed on Zach, who was still sprawled on the ground, cursing her. She paid him no mind.
Before long, the police cruiser pulled up and took all three of them away. By the time they wrapped up their statements, half an hour had ticked by.
Eyeing Amelia’s bedraggled appearance, Cameron said, “Your family will freak out if you show up like this. How about coming to my place to dry off? You can dry your dress and get your hair sorted out before heading home.”
“Your place?” Amelia gaped at her, eyes round as saucers. ‘Is Cameron actually inviting me over?’ she wondered.
Cameron saw the look in her eyes and knew she’d gotten the wrong idea. “Don’t read into it. I’m not into you anymore, okay? I just don’t think you should go home looking like a drowned rat.
“Or you could book a hotel room? I’m gonna head but either way.”
Amelia looked at Cameron, soaked to the bone just like her, and said, “You’re soaked too, you know.” She thought, ‘Even in his own discomfort, he’s still focused on me.’
In a flash, memories of all the times Cameron had looked out for her over the past three years came rushing back. Once, s pathetic simp. Now, she finally saw how much she’d done for her. smissed her as a
“I’ll be fine. I’m tough as nails,” Cameron said. “Anyway, I’m outta here.” She didn’t want to stick around and risk Amelia getting the wrong idea.
With that, she charged into the downpour.
“Cameron!” Amelia shouted after her. But Cameron kept walking, never glancing back.
Amelia watched her disappear into the rain, smiling.
Cameron grabbed a cab straight to Noble Vista. By the time she’d taken a quick shower and changed, it was 10:30 at night. The rain had stopped by then.
She headed straight for Bradley’s villa. She thought, ‘I messed up tonight. Brad even chased Amelia away-he had to be pissed. I need to make thing, right.’
Standing at the villa door, Cameron gentl crime channel.
“Brad,” she called out.
He turned to look at her. “You’re back.”
Cameron nodded, “Brad, I’m sor…” pushed open the unlocked gate and stepped inside. Bradley was still on the sofa, watching TV-still the true
“Took you long enough,” Bradley cut her of starving.
We’re having fondue.” He got up and headed for the dining room first
Cameron was at a loss for words but followed him into the dining room anyway.
The table was loaded with fondue fixings-all Cameron’s favorites, just like Bradley said. There were baguettes, cauliflowers, potatoes, smoked sausages, roasted mushrooms, apple slices, and so on.
As Cameron walked in, Bradley was just lighting the burner. He motioned for her to sit across from him. She did.
The fondue pot gurgled and soon started to bubble.
Bradley began dropping ingredients into the cheese. Cameron studied his face.
Wearing his gold-rimmed glasses, he looked totally calm, same as always. She couldn’t read him at all.
“Brad,” Cameron said, “I need to apologize for today. I shouldn’t have brought Amelia here without asking. If you’re pissed, go ahead and yell at me. Or hit me, whatever.”
Bradley stirred the pot with a spoon before looking up at her. “Will yelling or hitting undo the fact that you brought Amelia here?”
Cameron replied, “No.”
He adjusted his glasses. “Then why waste my energy?”
Stunned, Cameron stared at him. “Aren’t you mad, Brad?”
He asked, “Does it look like I am?”
She shook her head. “I can’t tell.”
Hearing this, Bradley let out a laugh. “Do you honestly think I’d be sitting here waiting to have fondue with you if I was pissed?”
Cameron was taken aback. She thought, ‘Bradley isn’t pissed? Is he really that laid-back about it?’ For a moment, she was at a loss for words.
Bradley asked, “Did you make sure Amelia got home? How was she?”
Cameron fell silent for a few seconds. She still couldn’t bring herself to tell Bradley about the near-assault-it was too rsonal a trauma for Amelia to share without her consent.
“She went home,” Cameron said. “She was a mess, crying her eyes out. Brad, what exactly did you say to her?”
Bradley shrugged. “I gave it to her straight-told her to stop hanging around me, once and for all.” u ogun
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Cameron was stunned. She thought, ‘So blunt?’
She hadn’t expected Bradley to be so cutthroat, not when he usually came off as Mr. Nice Guy. She’d figured even his rejections would cattle villi o son edge. But when it came to Amelia, he’d shown a spine of steel.
Cameron said, “Yeah, that’ll do the trick. I bet Amelia’s gonna be crushed for ages.”
Bradley smirked. “Perfect. Mission accomplished.”
Cameron was dropping butter and cream on her plate when she said, “Brad, you’re so gentle normally. I thought you’d go easy on pretty girls, but turn out you’re a total straight shooter.”
Bradley laughed, “Go easy on pretty girls?” He pushed the nut crumbs toward her. “You forgot the nuts.”
“I don’t eat nuts, thanks,” Cameron said.
Bradley was stunned. He hadn’t picked up on that.
“Look, Cameron,” he said, “I think guys should go easy on the girls they ey like. Why waste that kind of care on someone you’re not into?” Otherwise, you end up like Eddie-a total player.
Cameron paused, setting down her fork to look at him. “So you really don’t like Amelia? But she’s stunning.”
