Filed to story: That Campus Prince Is a Girl
Amelia was amused. She hadn’t expected Cameron to be so witty.
She thought, ‘How had I never noticed his quiet wit before? He’d always been there for me, and still, I’d never really seen him
“What I’d been chasing was nothing but an illusion. Real love doesn’t shout-it stays. And maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t too late to reciprocate,
‘But I caused Cameron immense pain. After our engagement was called off, his family struggled terribly, ultimately facing bankruptcy.
At these thoughts, Amelia couldn’t keep her smile.
Noticing her shift in mood, Cameron set down her fork. “Something wrong, Ms. Chapman?”
“Cameron,” Amelia met her gaze earnestly, “must you be so formal? Ms. Chapman sounds distant.”
Cameron raised an eyebrow and thought, ‘What should I call her then? We’re hardly close.’
Amelia hesitated. “You could… call me Amy.”
Cameron was speechless, thinking, ‘Amy? That’s for friends. We’re not even that.’
Cameron chuckled dryly, “I’ll just call you Amelia, okay?”
Amelia nodded. “Fine.”
Before long, the waiter brought their steaks.
As Amelia meticulously sliced her steak, her thoughts raced, ‘How do I fix our relationship? How do I even begin? The engagement has been dissolved.
After careful deliberation, she said, “Cameron, I heard about your family’s situation. I’m truly sorry.”
Cameron took another bite of steak, then asked casually, “Why apologize?”
Amelia lowered her gaze. Her eyeliner was sharp and precisely drawn. “It’s my fault. If I hadn’t insisted on breaking off the engagement, none of this would have happened to your family.”
Cameron replied calmly, “It’s not your fault. If you hadn’t pushed for it, I would have.”
Amelia froze. Her eyes widened slightly. “What did you say?”
She thought, ‘Did I mishear?’
Cameron met her stunned gaze. “I mean it. Just like you, I had no choice but to break it off.”
Amelia heard clearly. Her mind reeled, ‘He wanted this too? But why? After all his devotion… Shouldn’t this marriage have been his dream?!
Amelia couldn’t accept the face. She demanded, “Why? Cameron, why were you also determined to end it?”
Twirling his pasta, Cameron shrugged. “We were both victims of this archaic arrangement.”
Amelia’s perfectly lined eyes narrowed. She thought, ‘Victims? What does he mean? He used to adore me. This engagement should be something he’d jump at, shouldn’t it?
‘Is he just saying this because I’ve cold-shouldered him over and over again? He’s a man, a man with pride. Maybe he’s just protecting himself from further humiliation.
‘That must be it. The stunned expression when he looked at me earlier couldn’t have been fake. And all the effort he had put into me over the years was real.’
Cleverly, Amelia changed the subject. “The food here is pretty good, isn’t it? First time trying it, but the reviews were stellar”
She thought, ‘I’ll ask Dad about the Wallace family’s bankruptcy later. Maybe there’s still a way to fix things.
Cameron replied, “Yeah, not bad.” It was her second visit.
Midway through dinner, Amelia flagged down the waiter and ordered an expensive bottle of red wine. She poured for them both, then raised her glass with solemn grace. “Cameron, first of all, thank you. For that night. If you hadn’t-“
Cameron intercepted smoothly. “If I hadn’t been there, you wouldn’t have met Zach. So really, there’s nothing to thank me for
Amelia pressed on. “Anyway, I insisted on going. I owe you this much.”
She thought, ‘How foolish I was back then? Chasing after someone who didn’t want me, letting him humiliate me… A girl should find someone who loves her. I swear, I’ll never make that mistake again.’
Cameron lifted her glass as she thought, ‘Let her get it out if it makes her feel better.’
Amelia continued, “There’s something else. Cameron, I owe you an apology.”
“An apology?” Cameron’s brow arched. “For the Wallace family?” Cameron had already cut ties with the Wallace family. But she and Amelia were not close enough for her to explain.
Amelia shook her head. “To you. I apologize to you for how awful I’ve been all these years. I believed Skyler’s lies, tried to ruin you… and even almost got you expelled from school.”
Her voice trembled with emotion. “I’m so sorry, Cameron.”
Cameron dismissed it with a shrug. “Ancient history, Amelia. Just let it go.”
Tears welled up in Amelia’s eyes. She thought, ‘Let it go. Cameron erased all those years of pain with just three simple words. He didn’t even say a single word of blame.’
Her grip tightened around the stem of her glass, and she couldn’t help thinking, ‘What a good man did I let slip away?’
Swallowing hard, Amelia managed a shaky nod. “Right. No looking back.” She wanted to start fresh from today on.
Their glasses clinked. She downed her wine in one gulp.
Cameron was surprised, thinking, ‘What’s wrong with her? Drinking like that?’ After a pause, she followed suit and finished her wine.
As dinner came to a close, Amelia produced two movie tickets from her bag and placed them on the table. “Cameron, there’s this new film getting rave reviews. Let’s watch it later?” Her eyes shone with hope.
Cameron was surprised, thinking, ‘A movie? With me? I’m in disguise, but to Amelia, I’ve always just been a man. While dinner with me made sense, now she’s asking me to go to the movies. What exactly is she implying?’
Noticing Cameron’s prolonged silence, Amelia blushed. “D-do you… have other plans this afternoon?” she stammered.
Cameron observed her reaction. She thought, ‘Oh, no! Why is she blushing? She’s even stuttering. Could she be developing feelings for me?
“Amelia,” Cameron asked directly, “why this sudden change in how you treat me?”
The question caught Amelia off guard. She was nervous, thinking, ‘Did I really come on too strong? It’s just dinner and a movie-the same things Cameron used to beg me for, though I always refused.’
Cameron cut to the chase. “You’re not developing feelings for me, are you?”
Amelia’s head jerked up. Her already rosy face was burning. “Th-that’s ridiculous! Cameron, stop saying weird things.” She denied instinctively.
As a lady, she had never directly confessed her feelings, not even to Bradley, whom she had once chased after with subtle hints. She couldn’t possibly say it first unless Cameron initiated.
“I see.” Cameron tilted her head slightly. “I must have misunderstood. Amelia, we’re done. The engagement is over. Thank you for lunch.” With that, she stood and walked away, leaving Amelia behind.
Cameron left Amelia with a refusal and walked out.
Amelia was stunned, thinking, ‘Cameron just rejected me? Impossible! His eyes still held that same admiration as before.
‘Is this about pride? Is he afraid I’ll hurt him again like before? So he pulled away first to save face? That must be it’
Amelia sat frozen in her seat, regret washing over her. She sighed inside, ‘I must have broken his heart. That’s why he’s acting this way now.
Cameron hailed a cab outside the steakhouse, giving the driver the address to Noble Vista.
As the taxi neared the destination, her phone buzzed. It was a call from an unknown number. “Hello? Who is speaking?”
“Cam!” Tyrell’s overly dramatic voice crackled through the speaker. “You didn’t save my number? I’m devastated.”
Cameron recognized him instantly. “What’s up, Tyrell?”
“The SATS are over. Time to celebrate.” Tyrell grinned.
Cameron replied flatly, “I’m busy these days.”
“Huh?” Tyrell glanced at Xander across from him, who was mouthing something he couldn’t decipher. “Cam, it’s the weekend. You can’t be that busy.”
“I am,” Cameron said. “Is there anything else?”
“Come on,” Tyrell whined. “Don’t be so cold. We’re alumni, right? I’m throwing a backyard BBQ today. Come and chill with us. There will be hot-Ouch!”
As soon as he mentioned “girls,” Xander kicked him hard in the shin.
Tyrell yelped in pain, shooting Xander a wounded look but dared not say anything. Xander drew a finger across his throat as a warning.
Tyrell nodded meekly.
Cameron simply refused. “I’m busy. Find someone else.”
“Wait!” Tyrell scrambled. “Not interested in BBQ? Cam, how about going yachting? Or diving?”
“It’s not about the activity. I’m really busy. Bye.” The taxi rolled to a stop. Cameron hung up and paid the fare.
Tyrell stared at his phone, then turned to Xander with puppy-dog eyes. “He hung up on me.”
