More Than Memories
Chapter 12
A/N: Regular thoughts are in italics. Chapter is dedicated to my wonderful reviewers. Thank you for taking the time to tell me how you like the story. Enjoy!
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Melanie felt her breath hitch and her head go light as the scene in front of her kept replaying in her mind. "He cheated on me" repeated over and over until it became so loud she was unable to hear nothing else. Sorrow consumed her and tears began to fall freely from her eyes.
Bradin continued to stare in shock. "I don't believe it," he breathed, taken aback by the new development in Nikki and Cameron's relationship. He shook his head and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Melanie crying. Oh, shit. "Melanie," he said softly, extending his hand to rest on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."
She nodded slightly and shook her head. "I think I'm gonna go," she choked out, biting back a sob.
"Mel, I…"
"It's okay," she said, giving him a small smile. "I just need to be alone for awhile." With that, she turned and ran off.
Bradin gazed after her with concern, sympathizing with her pain. Anger began to well up inside him, and he turned back to Nikki and Cameron. He started to walk towards them, but stopped when he saw the carefree smile on his sister's face. He watched as she snuggled up against Cameron, who held her close to him. Both had content smiles on their faces. He grinned slightly and his anger slowly began to diminish. I haven't seen her this happy in a long time… I guess I'll talk to Cameron later. Besides… Melanie needs me. Giving his sister one last look, he turned around and ran off to find Melanie.
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Amber stood frozen with her jaw dropped as her mind tried to register what was just said. She had walked up minutes before and noticing the new closeness between her friends, had asked for an explanation. And boy did she get one. She blinked her eyes a few times, shook her head, and continued to stare at her two best friends. "Okay," she said slowly, putting her hand up. "Let me get this straight. You," she said, pointing at Cameron, "got in a fight with your girlfriend, went to the beach to talk to Nikki, and ended up cheating on your girlfriend and getting back together with Nik?"
Cameron and Nikki smiled sheepishly and nodded. Their chocolate and vanilla ice cream cones that they had bought while Amber was listening to their story were slightly melting.
Amber stared at them for another minute before bursting into laughter. "Finally!" she exclaimed towards the heavens, her arms outstretched in a "thank you."
Cameron and Nikki stood still, bewildered expressions present on their faces. They looked at Amber, looked at each other, then back at Amber before saying in unison, "Finally?"
Amber turned her head and almost laughed at the confused looks on her friends' faces. "Oh, come on," she said, tossing her blonde hair and putting a hand on her hip. "There were enough sparks between you two to blow up a building that night at the club." She shrugged and licked her rocky road ice cream. "We even had a bet going," she said indifferently.
Cameron and Nikki face faulted. "What?!" Nikki shouted, her eyes wide in disbelief.
"Yeah," Amber replied, taking another bite of her ice cream. "When I heard Cameron was staying over, I got a bet going with Carrie and Patrick to see how long it would take for you to get together. Let's see," she mused as she tapped her fingers against her chin. "I bet four days, but Carrie and Patrick, remembering that truth and dare game, bet two weeks and never respectively. The pot was a hundred bucks, and it took you guys three days to get back together. Which means I just won 300 hundred dollars." She smiled sweetly at them. "You guys are the best."
Nikki glared at her as Cameron shook his head and muttered, "Unbelievable."
Amber shrugged again and continued to eat her cone. "You love me anyways. Actually, you guys should be thankful. After all, how many chances do you get to reconnect with an old flame?"
"We would have had more if Cameron had just picked up the phone," Nikki said, a small smirk on her face. "Oh, but wait. He'd have to have some backbone for that."
Amber giggled as Cameron mock-glared at Nikki. "Hey Nik," he said, with an innocent look on his face.
"Yes?" she asked carefully, wary of the glint in his eyes.
"You have ice cream on your face."
"What? No I do – Ahhh!" She shrieked as Cameron stuffed his vanilla ice cream on her lips.
Amber doubled over with laughter at the look of surprise and indignation on Nikki's face. Cameron stood musing over his "artwork." "I think ice cream looks good on you," he commented casually.
Nikki stared at him incredulous; her mouth hung open and the ice cream was slowly dripping down her chin. "Cam!"
He pursed his lips, continuing his thinking. "I wonder how it would taste."
"What? Cam, get it o-" She stopped talking as she felt Cameron take her face in his hands and gently press his lips to hers. She let out a moan, her anger replaced with pleasure, and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. She deepened the kiss, responding readily to the soft lips on hers.
Turning her head when she heard Nikki's moan, Amber caught their liplock. Her amusement quickly changed to disgust and she tapped her foot, waiting impatiently for them to stop.
Cameron slowly pulled away from Nikki, leaving a few pecks on her lips as he did so. "I thought that would shut you up," he whispered softly.
Nikki grinned. "You should have just said so."
Amber groaned. "You two are so cute, it's sickening," she said, grimacing.
"Well, this sickening cute couple just won you three hundred bucks," Nikki said as she leaned against Cameron. "You should be thanking us.
Amber smiled sardonically before rolling her eyes. "Anyways," she said, changing the topic. "Atonement is playing at the theater. They have a showing at ten after five. You want to go?"
Nikki nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely. The book was great, and the movie's supposed to be extremely good. And Keira Knightley is supposed to be amazing in it." She turned to Cameron. "You want to go?"
"Actually," Cameron said, shuffling his feet slightly. "I was kinda thinking of doing something else this evening."
Nikki and Amber looked at him curiously, making him slightly nervous.
"Something else?" Nikki asked, squinting her eyes at him.
Cameron rubbed his lip, and nodded. "Uh, yeah… Something else…" He trailed off, starting to feel uncomfortable at the girls' scrutinizing gazes.
Nikki stared at him for a moment longer before understanding what he meant. "You're going to go see your dad."
Cameron took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah. He invited me to come over, and I have a feeling I'll be leaving in a few days, so I wanted to visit him before I lost the chance."
Amber stared at him and blinked. "Wait. You're planning to visit your father, meaning Kyle Bale, recovering alcoholic? That father?"
"Uh yeah," Cameron replied. "As far as I know, he's the only father I have."
"Do you want some company?" Nikki asked softly, taking Cameron's hand in hers.
Cameron shook his head. "No, I'll be all right. Besides I think I need to do this on my own." He squeezed her hand reassuringly before withdrawing. "I'll tell you how it goes when I get back." He gave Nikki a quick kiss and then left to head towards his father's house.
The two girls stared after his retreating figure.
"You think he'll be okay?" Amber asked, biting her lip softly.
"Yeah," Nikki replied. "This is something he as to do. It's like he's facing and conquering his demons from his past." She smiled softly. "He'll be fine." She turned and grinned at Amber. "You ready to go?"
"To see James McAvoy on the big screen? Definitely."
Nikki rolled her eyes at Amber as the two linked arms and headed over to the theater.
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The sun was slowly setting as Bradin walked down the cliff carefully, making his way over to the crying blonde sitting on the edge of the bluff. "Hey," he said gently when he was a few yards away.
Melanie jumped at the voice and turned to see Bradin walking towards her. She quickly wiped her tears away and replied back, "Hey."
Bradin sat down beside her and leaned back on his arms. "How are you holding up?"
Melanie sniffed. "Not good." She took a deep breath and sighed. "I just… I always thought Cameron was different. That he wasn't like the other guys I used to date. But I guess I was wrong. He's a user just like they were."
"No, he's not," Bradin said quietly as he gazed out into the ocean, admiring the beauty of the sunset.
"What?" Melanie asked, turning her head to look at him.
"He didn't use you, Melanie."
"No?" Melanie scoffed, starting to feel angry. "Then explain why he's cheating on me with your sister or why practically every relationship he's in, it always ends after two months," Melanie finished, her voice louder than how it started.
"Did you ever think that maybe it has nothing to do with you, but Nikki?" Bradin asked calmly.
Melanie blinked and looked at him confused. "What?"
Bradin sat up and put his hands folded on his lap. "I remember when the whole thing about Cameron's dad came out. Cameron and Nikki had always been close, but when everyone found out about the drinking and the abuse, Cameron and Nikki were even closer. They were both there for each other when they needed it. Cameron for Nikki when our parents died, and Nikki for Cameron with the abuse from his dad. And somewhere in between, they fell in love. I don't know when, but you could just tell. In their eyes, the way they held hands…" Bradin sighed and shook his head before continuing. "Cameron gave Nikki his heart a long time ago, and anyone else he dates,,, just pales in comparison. Nikki's the same way… If it was anyone else, I'd actually agree with you, but it's different with them."
Melanie sat quietly, overwhelmed. She slowly digested what was just said, and a few tears escaped her eyes. "I had no idea. He never talked about it."
"I'm not surprised," Bradin said, leaning back on his hands again. "The only person Cameron really talked about it to was Nikki. We only found out because Nikki told Aunt Ava after hearing the fear in Cameron's voice."
Melanie took a deep breath, and reached her hand up to wipe away her tears again. "God, I feel terrible now. Am I wrong to feel angry?"
"Hell no. Even I was angry there for a minute. Cameron should have broken up with you first before getting back together with Nikki, but knowing him, it just happened before he had a chance. I'm just telling you not to take it so personally."
Melanie nodded, and turned her gaze to the sun, slowly disappearing behind the clouds. Her mind repeated what he said, and she frowned, turning back to him. "Wait a sec. Why would you have been angry? Your sister's obviously happy."
"Because a nice girl like you shouldn't be treated like that." Bradin flashed her a smile.
Melanie felt a tingle in her stomach, making her warm inside. She smiled and leaned against him. "Thanks for coming after me, Bradin. I really appreciate it."
Bradin grinned. "Hey, what else am I here for?" He saw her give another smile and turned his head to the now dark blue sky. He slowly got up. "Come on. We should probably leave before it gets too dark." He extended a hand to her and helped her up.
"Thanks," she replied as the two headed back to the beach house.
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Cameron stared at the ominous door in front of him. He raised his hand, but hesitated and put it back down again. He sighed and shook his head. God, what am I doing? I can't do this. He turned to leave and stared to walk down the steps, but stopped in shock, hearing the door open behind him.
"Cameron?" a surprised male voice said.
Cameron slowly turned around and came face to face with his father again. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when he saw the transformation was still intact. "Uh, Hey Dad," he greeted nervously, his hand coming up to rub his lip.
Kyle stared at him a moment longer before a large smile broke out over his face. He walked out of the house and down the steps towards his son, dressed in khaki pants and a blue sweater. "It's good to see you," he said, holding his hand out for a handshake.
Cameron took it and waited for the flinch he got whenever his dad touched him. It didn't come. He looked up, half shocked and saw the happy grin plastered on his father's face.
"You picked a good day to come Cam," Kyle said, extending his hand towards the door. They both walked up the stairs and headed inside the house.
"Um… why's that?" Cameron asked as memories began to invade his mind. As he walked inside, his memories slowly vanished. The dark walls had been painted to a nice cream color, and the living room where his dad had broken his mp3 player had been transformed. Instead of a green cloth couch, a brown leather couch sat in its stead, and on it sat Livia and older blonde very familiar to him. His mouth dropped in surprise. "Mom?"
Diane Bale turned her head and her eyes widened in shock as she saw her seventeen-year old son standing in front of her. "Cameron? What are you doing here? I thought you had gone to visit some friends." She rose from the couch and went to embrace her son.
"Uh, yeah. I have. I've been staying in town with a friend of mine. What are you doing here?" Cameron asked as he pulled away from the hug.
"Your father wanted me to come meet his fiancée and to discuss some… important matters," Diane said, a slightly nervous tone in her voice.
"Like what?" Cameron asked curiously.
Diane opened her mouth and tried to explain, but no words came out. She looked to Kyle who nodded and began to speak.
"Here Cam, have a seat," Kyle said, pointing to the couch. Cameron looked at his parents, puzzled by their actions and went to sit down. Diane sat down beside him, and Kyle sat down next to Livia.
"What your mother was trying to say," Kyle began, putting his hand on Livia's knee. "Is that I want to try to work on our relationship. I was the worst father I could have possibly been. I was drunk all the time and… I abused you, and I hope one day you can forgive me." He stopped as his throat became constricted. Livia grasped his hand and gave a gentle squeeze, encouraging him on. He took a deep breath and continued. "When you and your mother left, I realized what a monster I had become, and I've changed. I haven't had alcohol in three years, and I've gone to counseling to work out my emotional problems. I cleaned up my act and was able to save the house just in time. And now that I'm recovering, I was wondering if you were interested in moving back here… with me."
Cameron sat frozen, stunned by the offer his father had just made.
"You don't have to, Cameron," Diane chimed in. "Your father just wants another chance to be a good father, but if it's too uncomfortable for you, you don't have to."
Cameron blinked and shook his head, unable to believe what was just said. He looked at his dad, and noticed the solemn, yet hopeful expression on his face. "Are you serious?" he asked, just to make sure.
"Yes, I was, but you don't have to decide right now. You can give it some thought and get back-"
"When?" Cameron asked, interrupting Kyle. Diane and Kyle stared at Cameron shocked.
"Cameron," Diane said, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Don't you want to think about this? I mean, there's school, your friends, your girlfriend-"
"I've already thought about it." He turned to face his mother. "Mom, I loved Playa Linda. I always have, and the only reason I really wanted to leave were because of the memories. But I had so many good memories here too, and being back here made me realize that. I've regretted leaving, and missing out on the things I loved here, and now that I have a chance to move back, I want to take it."
"But, what about your girlfriend?"
"I'm not going out with Melanie anymore."
"What?" Diane asked, now completely shocked. "What happened?"
"Nothing happened, Mom. But I don't love her, and the one person I do love, lives here in Playa Linda."
Kyle raised his eyebrows when he heard his son's confession. "You're staying with Nikki, aren't you?"
Cameron turned to his father and nodded. Kyle gave a smile as Diane looked at her son in surprise. "What? Who's Nikki?"
"She was my girlfriend back here, Mom. My first love. And being back here with her made me realize just how much I missed her. And now that I'm with her again, I don't want to leave."
Diane gazed at her son and tears welled in her eyes, as she saw her son finally growing up. She smiled and gave him another hug. "Well, if that's what you want, I'm not going to stop you."
Cameron grinned and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Mom." He turned to his father. "So when can I move in?"
Kyle looked at Livia who shrugged. He turned back to Cameron and said, "Whenever's fine. There's a room ready for you, but you might need to return home for your belongings."
Cameron nodded and stood up. He embraced his father, who readily returned the hug. "Thanks Dad," he whispered, happiness filling his heart.
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Nikki walked into the house, pleasantly dazed from the afternoon. She skipped into the kitchen and saw Susannah and Jay sitting at the counter arguing and eating some pasta. She rose her eyebrows. Well there's something you don't see everyday. "Hey guys," she greeted as she reached into the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water.
"Hey Nikki," Susannah said, spinning some of her spaghetti on her fork. "Where's your boytoy?"
"If you are referring to Cameron," Nikki said, ignoring the snort from Jay and taking a swig of her water. "He's visiting his dad."
Jay choked on his noodles, and Susannah face-faulted. "What?!" they exclaimed in unison, taken aback.
Nikki went and sat down next to them at the counter. "His dad invited him over and Cameron figured this might be his only chance, so he decided to go over and say hi."
"Hmm," Susannah mused, looking over at Jay who was looking at Nikki curiously.
Nikki noticed his expression. "What?" she asked, returning his gaze.
"What exactly is going on between you two?"
Nikki looked at both Jay and Susannah who were now staring inquiringly at her. She gulped softly, and feigned innocence. "Nothing. So what were you guys arguing about?"
Jay and Susannah stared at her a moment more before answering her question. "Ava and Johnny are on a date," Susannah said.
"And we were debating whether or not Johnny was actually going to propose," Jay finished, taking another bite of his fettuccine.
Now it was Nikki's turn to be surprised. "Johnny and Ava are on a date?"
Jay and Susannah nodded.
"So what's the verdict?"
"Well," Susannah began, pushing away her plate of pasta. "It's undecided. He asked her on a date this morning and told her to dress nicely-"
"Which he's never done before. And for men, that usually means an expensive restaurant and a big date," Jay interrupted.
"But," Susannah continued. "This is Johnny and we all know how many times he's pulled away."
"And he didn't tell either of you about his plans?" Nikki asked, looking between the two.
Susannah and Jay shook their heads. "And that's something I don't understand," Jay said, finishing his pasta. "I'm the one with the experience in this. And he didn't even ask me for pointers."
Nikki sighed. "Man, this sucks." She got up from the table and threw her empty bottle into the trash. "Well, I'm going to go take a bath. Keep me posted if you hear anything." She left the room.
Jay and Susannah stared after her.
"You buy that answer about her and Cameron?" Susannah asked, pursing her lips.
"Nope," Jay said, shaking his head.
"Yeah, me neither."
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Cameron entered the house as quietly as he could. The door squeaked as he closed it behind him. He started down the steps. When he reached the bottom, he turned to go towards his room, but stopped when he noticed a faint light coming from the living room. He pursed his lips and changed direction, heading towards the family area. He walked quietly as he came in, smiling at the blonde who sat away from him on the couch, wrapped in a pink blanket and sipping on some coffee.
"Couldn't sleep?" Cameron asked as he approached the couch, sitting down next to the girl.
Nikki looked up when she heard the voice and smiled softly as she shook her head. "No. I'm too nervous," she replied as he sat down beside her, putting his arm up on the edge of the couch.
Cameron nodded, his lips twitching slightly. "About what?"
Nikki looked at him for a second before answering. "Sorry. I forgot you weren't here. Johnny took Aunt Ava out tonight."
Cameron smiled, understanding her nerves. "So you think he's going to do it?"
Nikki shrugged, pulling the blanket tighter around her body. She brought the purple mug to her lips to take another sip of her espresso before responding. "I don't know. I certainly hope so. They both have waited long enough." She leaned back in the sofa, the coffee cup resting in between her hands. She sighed and bit her lip lightly.
"Hmm… How was the movie?"
Nikki's eyes lit up. "Absolutely amazing. Practically as good as the book. Keira Knightley was fantastic and the girl who played Brionny, just fabulous. If you wanted to see it, I'd go see it with you."
"I'll pass," Cameron said, rubbing his lip. "War movie with major romance? Not exactly my taste."
"Hmm," Nikki said, fidgeting slightly, tapping her fingers against the coffee cup in her hands. Cameron watched her and let out a small chuckle when she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Nikki turned her head towards him. "What's so funny?" she asked, curious.
"You," Cameron said, grinning at the perplexed look appearing on Nikki's face.
"Why?"
"Because," Cameron said as he put a hand on her knee. "You look more nervous than Ava probably is right now."
Nikki opened her mouth to retort, but stopped, realizing he was right. She blushed softly and moaned quietly, burying her head in her blanket.
Cameron laughed. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her towards him. "Hey, it's all right. They love each other right?" he asked, looking Nikki in the eyes.
Nikki nodded, her cheek rubbing against Cameron's chest. "Yeah. They do. It just-"
"Hey," Cameron said, cutting her off. "If it's meant to happen, then it will happen. Okay?"
Nikki gave a small smile and nodded again. "Okay."
"Good," Cameron said, smirking as Nikki took a little breath to calm her nerves. "Has anyone ever told you you're cute when you're nervous?"
"Very funny," Nikki said, pushing him on the shoulder slightly. She gave a little yawn and placed the purple coffee cup on the table in front of her. "So? How did the meeting with your dad go?"
Cameron leaned back into the couch, getting more comfortable. "It was great. I think he really has changed. And my mom was there. Dad wanted her to meet his fiancée or something, and we all ate dinner. It was almost as if we were a family again."
"That's awesome, Cam," Nikki said, grabbing his hand and laying her head on his shoulder.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "It was weird at first. All the memories came flooding back when I entered the house, but then they went away. Dad repainted all the walls and moved the furniture around. It looks like a new house. Kind of like a fresh start with Dad."
"He really has changed hasn't he?" Nikki asked, pulling the blanket closer against her body.
Cameron wrapped his arm around her, pulling her tighter to him. "Yeah. I wouldn't mind trying to rebuild our relationship." He yawned softly, and leaned his head against hers. "We'll just have to see how it goes…" he trailed off, feeling his eyes drooping and finally closing.
Nikki gave a deep breath, tiredness coming upon her. "Yeah…" she mumbled as sleep claimed her.
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A kiss at the door, key turning in the lock, silent laughter, quiet footsteps echoing off the stairs… The newly engaged couple kissed again, and basked in their warmth. Ava gave a happy sigh when she saw her platinum diamond engagement ring. "Is this really happening?" she whispered, a content smile ever present on her face. Johnny nodded, kissing her head softly. "Yes, love. It's really happening."
Ava gave a small giggle and twirled slightly as the two walked towards the stairs. A light coming from the living room caught their attention and the couple headed to the room to turn off the light. Approaching the room, they saw a sleeping Nikki and Cameron on the couch, his arm wrapped protectively around her waist and their hands linked. Smiles graced their features. Ava stared at their joined hands and furrowed her brows, worry appearing on her face. "That's the second time today I've seen them that close…And I haven't seen them like that since before Cameron moved. You don't think they're together do you?"
Johnny stared at them, and gave a sigh. "I don't know, Ava. They seem like they are though." He scratched his dark brown head. "Is that really a bad thing though? I haven't seen Nikki this happy since before Cameron left. Would it be wrong for them to be together?"
Ava looked at him. "Johnny, you remember how unstable she was when he left," she gently chided. "Claire said he was a breaking point for her, and he's not staying. Imagine what would happen now. She could try to-"
"To what? Kill herself? Ava, she's grown since then. She's a lot more mature now, and Claire has really helped her with dealing with her emotions." He looked at Nikki again. "I have faith in her."
Ava gave another sigh and relented. "You're right. I just… worry about her. She's been through so much."
"And because of that, she's stronger." He kissed her softly again. "Come on, let's go to bed."
Ava nodded, reached out over to the wall and shut off the light. The couple walked up the stairs to their bedroom to go to sleep.
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A/N: Wow! This has got to be my longest chapter ever. But once I started writing, I kept thinking of new ideas and I had to add them. So? What did you guys think? I personally loved the Cam and Nikki fluff. Melanie and Bradin know about Cameron and Nikki and now the adults are staring to suspect something. And go Ava and Johnny! Finally! And how did you like the twist about Cameron and his father? Were you guys expecting that? All right. Let's see if I can get five more reviews. I got eight last chapter. Thank you! The next chapter is pretty much done. I just have some tweaking to do. I'll update as soon as I get the five reviews. One down and three more to go! Until Next!