Chapter Twenty-Five - Cameron
“I’m such an idiot,” Cameron said as he paced across his sister’s bedroom. “Mom and Dad are mad because I ‘thought of them as shallow.’ That’s their words, not mine. And Amanda hasn’t answered my calls since she left this afternoon.”
Theresa sat on her bed, back against the wall, her eyes following Cameron from one side of the room to the other. “Okay. So you messed up. What are you going to do about it? Other than start blaming me for everything again.”
Cameron slumped onto her bed. “You were right. Is that what you want to hear?”
“It’s a start,” she said. “But that’s not going to fix anything.”
That was the problem. He had no idea what he could do, especially with Amanda avoiding him. “I suppose I have to show I’m not embarrassed to be with her.”
“It’s ridiculous you ever were to begin with. That girl is amazing, and I have no idea what she sees in you.”
“Not helping.”
Theresa smiled. “Where is the one place you were trying to get out of taking her?”
Cameron’s pulse quickened. The family Christmas party. The one with the crazy aunts and uncles and grandparents and ugly sweatshirts—but not because there was a contest. No one realized they were ugly and wore them because they thought of themselves as cool and festive.
He could do this.
The real question was, could Amanda?
* * * * *
“Hi, Mrs. Barrett. Is Amanda home?” Cameron asked, his palms sweaty despite the cold morning. His breath trailed upwards in a spiral of vapor as he shifted a rectangular box under his arm. He hadn’t been able to sleep, and he’d spent the entire night coming up with what he would say to Amanda. If only he could remember what his half-asleep brain had come up with.
“She might still be in bed,” her mom said. “Why don’t you come in while I go check?”
Cameron thanked her, and even though her mom had invited him to sit on the couch while he waited, he was too anxious to sit. He was pacing across the front room when Amanda entered. She didn’t look like she’d slept much either. Dark circles ringed her bloodshot eyes. It didn’t take away from her beauty.
“You were right,” he said before she could speak. “It was all my fault. I was intimidated because I can’t give you what you deserve. I don’t like that I can’t pay for our dates, and yes, I’m embarrassed by my old rundown house and stained couch. I was afraid if I took you home, you’d realize you could do better.”
“You thought so low of me?”
Oh, no. He wasn’t done yet. She needed to hear him out.
“No,” he said quickly. “I thought so low of me.” He paused as he pulled in the courage he needed to keep going. “I’ve never let someone in before—not really. And honestly, it was more you charging in and taking control of my heart. I didn’t stand a chance against your laugh or the way you can’t sit still through a movie because you’re so excited to see what will happen next. Even your crazy driving has grown on me, because it represents how full of life and adventure you are. I wanted—needed—all of that in my life. And it scared me. Because I felt like a fraud. I always pretended I was all of that. You didn’t have to—you are genuine. You are the real deal.”
Amanda gave a slow nod, her lips twitching up. “Thank you, but it’s not just you who needs to apologize. You were right—I didn’t stop to think how you might feel about things. It’s my fault you felt uncomfortable and intimidated. If I’d been more understanding—”
“Oh, no you don’t,” Cameron said, interrupting. “This is my apology.”
Amanda raised an eyebrow and laughed. “Sorry. I didn’t realize only one of us was allowed to be in the wrong.”
“Thank you. As I was saying, I’m here to ask for your forgiveness. And to ask you to let me prove to you that I’m not the guy who was a jerk to you and who lied to my parents. You are the most incredible girl I’ve ever met, and you deserve better.”
Amanda now looked more curious than anything. “What did you have in mind?”
Cameron pulled the box out from under his arm and extended it toward Amanda. She took it from him and set it on the arm of the couch. As she removed the lid, Cameron dropped to one knee. “Amanda Barrett…”
Her eyes widened, and she dropped the lid of the box as she stifled a gasp.
“Will you do me the honor of wearing this ugly sweatshirt with me?”
Amanda pulled from the box the tackiest sweatshirt Cameron had been able to find. It was striped red and green and featured a pug wearing a Santa hat. The hat was lined with Christmas lights that lit up, powered by a small battery pack hidden in a pocket inside the sweatshirt. Christmas trees donned the sleeves, and they also lit up.
Moisture filled her eyes as she said, “Yes!” She threw herself at Cameron, who toppled over.
“I knew you’d always wanted an ugly sweatshirt, but didn’t realize you felt so strongly about them,” he said with a laugh.
She planted a long kiss on his lips, leaving him struggling for air. She tended to do that—steal his breath away.
“I forgot to mention you’d be wearing the sweatshirt at my family’s Christmas party this evening,” he said as he struggled to sit up. “And you can’t use the word ‘ugly’ there. My family thinks of them as festive and fashionable, and you’ll be complimented all evening about your exquisite taste.”
“Then I’ll do the same for them.”
Amanda’s mom walked in at that moment and raised an eyebrow at the sight of her daughter sitting on the floor next to Cameron.
“Look what he gave me.” Amanda held up the sweatshirt for her mom to see.
Her mom burst into laughter. “It looks like he knows you well.”
“Not as well as I’d like,” Cameron said. “But I’m working on it.”
* * * * *
“For good luck,” Cameron said, sneaking in a kiss before he and Amanda hurried to take their places on stage.
This was it. Opening night.
He’d rehearsed his lines until he could recite them in his sleep. He had, actually, as this moment had haunted his dreams for the past week. Cameron took his place on the opposite side of the stage to Amanda. This would be the first time he’d dance with her in front of an audience, but as the lights sprang to life and the scene began, he realized he had no need to worry. The audience disappeared in a sea of darkness. The ensemble also seemed to have faded into the background as his gaze met Amanda’s.
It was now only Belle, his future fiancée, he had eyes for.
Cameron went through the motions of working his way across the stage toward her, and he found himself lost in her eyes as they danced the waltz, something he’d become quite good at. The old Scrooge stood with the Ghost of Christmas Past, watching as Cameron proposed.
He dreaded this next part and wished the play would cut out here. He didn’t want to break Belle’s heart as he had with Amanda. He didn’t want money, or the lack of it, to come between them. But there was no changing the script.
Cameron sat behind a desk in the next scene, counting his money. It had become more valuable than the love of his life. He struggled to not show emotion as Belle fled his office with tears streaming down her face and her engagement ring now on the floor. Because Scrooge hadn’t cared. He hadn’t learned his lesson until too late.
Thankfully, Cameron had a sister who’d cared enough to intervene—albeit in an unconventional and irritating way—and a girlfriend who’d forgiven his thoughtlessness.
As the curtains closed at the end of the play and the cast returned for their bows, Cameron saw his parents and Theresa, both sitting in the front row. His dad was standing and clapping the best he could with his injured arm.
With a grin, Cameron took Amanda’s hand, and they bowed together. Wherever he ended up, and whatever he decided to do after graduation, he knew it would be with her. And he’d never allow anything to stand between them again.