Ignite Me: Shards of Glass, Part One (36 page)

“Yeah, he was sweet, if you go for teenagers! I didn't see the harm! I was thinking I might even ask Georgia to take a photo of us! Beats a selfie!” I grinned.

His face split into a smile. “I think that's a good idea!” He pulled his phone from his pocket and unlocked it bringing up the camera app and handing it over to his sister.

“I'll direct you!” She grinned at us both as I snuggled up to Cameron and hung my left arm around his neck and smiled.

Georgia was quick with the camera and her instructions. “Now if you kiss her on the cheek, it’ll be really cute!”

Cameron turned his head and kissed my cheek, he played along for a few photos.

“That's enough now! The food will be here soon!” He didn't look away from me, instead he did something I hadn't expected, he placed both his hands either side of my face, holding my head in position and kissed me hard on the mouth. Possessing me, his fingers splayed out behind my ears.

I melted into him. He had this way of making me come undone. I let a shaky breath go as he pulled away. “Only I get to do that!” His voice was barely above a whisper, as his lips brushed my ear as held his hand out for his phone.

I blushed slightly, I couldn't even say anything with Georgia, starring at us both. “You just snogged the face off her in front of me! I'm kinda grossed out!” She handed him his phone. “But I still took photos! You should totally upload those and credit me for them!”

Cameron laughed. “Well, I don't care if you’re grossed out! If I wish to kiss the girl I love I shall!” His hand hung around my shoulder, his thumb stroking my neck.

I stared at him open mouthed. This was a stark contrast to a few moments ago. I was confused, he was normally so private about this kinda thing that it took me by surprise that he had been so open by kissing me like that, it wasn't just cause he was marking his territory or was it?! Maybe he felt threatened by the men that asked me for photos. I didn't know, but I would talk to him about it when I had the chance. I studied him as he looked at the photos. I wasn't going to sour the mood right now, though, it could wait.

“No complaints from me.” I was enjoying this carefree Cameron. I hoped he stayed for a while.

He smiled lopsidedly as he studied the photos. “I'll send these to you when we get in.” He slipped the phone back into his pocket and took hold of my hand, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles.

I smiled at him. “I'll look forward to that! Right after you prove me wrong about the cake!” I winked at him.

He arched his eyebrows at me. “The challenge is well and truly on Watson!” He winked at me, as a smirk played across his lips.

I laughed. “Well, Mr. Ballard I shall look forward to assisting you in finding out the truth!” I was flirting with him and I liked it.

“Oh my god, you know that this is kinda odd! I mean cake that's like code right?! Also, it's kinda making me feel sick! All this flirting!” She rolled her eyes.

I laughed. “Ah, but is it code?! Also I got something for you that might make things a little sweeter!” I pulled my bag over to my lap and dug out the band shirt.

“One year I was their merch girl! So I kinda have loads of stuff! I figured you'd like this, it's yours to keep!” I handed her the shirt.

Her eyes went wide and her face dropped. “Fucking hell! Thank you so much!” She grinned from ear to ear as she studied the shirt.

“Language please!” Cameron cut over us both. He didn't sound too pleased she'd sworn.

“Look at that later! Our food is on its way over!”

She dropped her gaze. “Sorry, I got carried away!” She did what he said and placed the shirt down next to her.

The food was placed down and then we were left alone again. “I see miss too much lipstick had stopped flirting with you now! Women have a habit of that, good job I'm not the jealous type!” I snuck one of his fries off his plate and bit it casually as I could.

He looked at me confused. “I don't go for cheap, or over made up types, so her flirting with me was pointless! I go for natural, strong spirited, beautiful and mildly infuriating types!” He stole a fry back from my plate and grinned.

So maybe he wasn’t oblivious to how woman looked at him after all.

“Oh well, I'm glad to hear this!” I shook my head and picked up the steak knife and set about cutting my burger in half so I could manage to eat it. It was huge.

“Let me do that... Please.” He sounded horrified as if I'd do myself an injury.

“No, I am capable of chopping this in half!” I held it still with one hand started to cut with the other.

“As I can see!”

He made himself busy cutting his own in half, whereas Georgia just picked hers up and took a huge bite.

“Just shove it in! Much easier!” She shrugged as she took another bite.

“Trust me, it'll end up down my front if I do that! I'm uncoordinated!” I picked up half of my burger and as if to prove a point half of the salad fell out. I made myself busy shoving it back in the bun and started to eat.

It was all quiet while the three of us made short work of the burgers. I glanced sideways at Cameron every now and again, the second time I glanced his way he smirked. I bit my lip as I made eye contact. I didn't look away, I didn't see the point, and he was my boyfriend if I wanted to look at him I would.

“Enjoying the food?!” He addressed the table at large but was looking directly at me.

I dipped a sweet potato fry in the ketchup and grinned. “That burger was actually really good! Didn't think the UK could match the states with food, but I'm being won over!”

He studied me, as if he was trying to work out if there was some secret code to what I'd said. “Well, I'm glad, we, as a nation have a lot of offer!” His face was impassive.

I breathed in. “Well, so far I've only seen London, but yanno, I will explore more one day!” I winked at him and went back to my food.

“I will take you to explore! Knowing your luck, if I wasn't there to look after you, you'd end up breaking your neck!” He tutted.

“Such little faith! You trip over one time!” I laughed.

He scoffed. “Once?! Are you kidding me?! You gave me heart palpitations Evan!”

I rolled my eyes. “To be fair, that was a bad day for my coordination! I was somewhat overwhelmed!” It was true, I had been.

“Yes, I think you were! And what you lack in poor eye hand coordination you make up for in abundance in other areas!” He smirked.

I blushed, thinking back to earlier on that day. I could still hear his door slamming in its frame now.

“So do I get to see where you live when we drop you off after the gig?! I bet your Apartment is über cool!” Georgia was back to speaking fast again, I could barely keep up with what she was saying as she picked up the napkin and wiped her face with it.

I wasn't sure how to tell her I would be staying at her brothers the same as her.

“Oh, uh well, I dunno about it being cool, but its okay, I guess, I've done my best with it, does have epic views of Tower Bridge!” I hedged around the whole staying over thing.

She frowned. “Oh, so is it a penthouse or something cause my Mother thinks you live in some tiny apartment, yanno cause your young. Isn't Tower Bridge area like prime property or something?!” She shrugged.

I sat open mouthed, I was actually shocked her mother would think I lived in some dirty little apartment living off pizza or something! Was she really that removed from reality that she didn't know what I did?! Though if I was honest with myself, it wasn't all that surprising considering she thought I was after her son’s money! I sighed.

“Yes, it's a penthouse! I earn quite a lot of money actually, you can see it Saturday if Cameron doesn't mind!” I was short with her, because I wanted to add something acid like 'you can tell your mother that!' But instead I sat back suddenly my appetite had gone, I was kinda too annoyed to eat.

Cameron sighed loudly. “When will you learn to not repeat what you overhear? It's actually rude to ask what you just did! Mother is quite clearly getting the wrong end of the stick, and Evan will be staying over at mine as you will be tonight, you can see her apartment Saturday morning if Evan still wants to show it to you! That said, you will not run back home and gossip about where it is to anyone!” He was cutting with her, but I wondered how he knew she had overheard it rather than having been involved in the conversation, she was home from school for the summer after all. I was intrigued by it all.

She dropped her gaze. “Sorry Evan, sorry Cameron, I know I shouldn't eves drop, but she had Miss Dateless and Desperate over and she was slagging Evangeline off saying she was... Well, she said a whole bunch of stuff as it happens...” She cringed realizing she'd said too much.

I got that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach about whom she meant.

Cameron snorted at her. “Enough, who the hell is Miss Dateless and Desperate?!” He scratched his head.

She rolled her eyes at him. “Erin! Its Erin okay! I was in the kitchen getting a snack when Mother and her came in so I hid in the pantry so I could listen! You know she wanted to take me shopping! I mean me! Shopping?! In a mall of designer labels!” She shuddered as if it would be a fate worse than death. “She is mental?! I think she thinks that if she wins me over, you'll like her again! She cried too! Like actually cried over you Cameron! She said she had lost you! She's not right in the head because she really was all daggers for poor Evan though, said that you'd get bored of her! She also used a word I had to google later on! Kinda lucky they didn't find me in the pantry really!” She shrugged and fell silent, probably realizing she had said too much.

The echoes of what she had said bounced around my mind, tumbling over one another making me feel sick, she really had it bad for him. I had come along and won his heart in ways she could only have dreamt about.

She is off her head, though if she honestly thinks she can win him back.

I stood up suddenly and grabbed my bag. “I need to visit the bathroom!” I didn't want to hear anymore, part of me knew I'd obsess over it if I did.

Cameron looked up at me panicked and grabbed my wrist. “Are you feeling okay?!” His eyes scanned mine.

I wanted to shake my head and say no that I was confused about why Erin was seeing his mother, and why she was so upset that he was in a relationship, but I also knew it was stupid to worry about it, I knew they had been nothing more than sex, I had nothing to worry about right?! I took a deep breath. “I'm fine, I just need to pee!” I half smiled.

He was confused, but he let go of my wrist and stood up so I could get out. “Okay.” He didn't say anything else he just looked slightly panicked.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I walked off in the direction of the toilets, I tried to keep a normal pace but all I wanted to do was run. As I reached the door for the toilets I shoved it open and was pleased no one else was in there, I twisted the lock shut behind me. I dumped my bag on the sink area and let a breath go. I didn't need the toilet I just wanted to calm myself down so I rummaged around for my lipstick and reapplied it.

“Get a grip girl! She is clearly deluded! He is with you! Not her, he didn't even like her touching him! They were just sex! It's not like that for us...”

I looked myself in the eyes in the mirror and repeated it. After I calmed down I headed back out and smiled broadly at Cameron as I approached the table.

“Don't sit, we are going!” He stood up and held my jacket out for me. His face was impassive again, cold and unreadable. I glanced at Georgia and her eyes were red, it looked like she had cried.

I was confused. Was he angry with me for having to leave?! Did he know why I had left?! I didn't know, but I felt the panic spread up chest. “Why?!” I asked, slightly shakily.

He pulled me to one side just far enough away from his sister. “Because she shouldn't have repeated what she had overheard! I'm only taking her to the gig because I know you haven't seen your friends in over a year otherwise she would be on her way back home!” He held my jacket out for me to put on. “Please just go with it! Evan I saw how freaked out it made you!”

I sighed and let him put my jacket on. I understood she probably shouldn’t have said anything but she looked really upset and really what was the point in punishing her when it was Erin that needed putting in her place?!

I turned to face him so my back was to her. “While I get that you’re angry, and yes, I was kinda freaked out to hear she quite clearly holds a grudge for me but maybe you’re angry with the wrong person! Erin needs putting straight and only you can do that Cameron!” I shrugged.

He sighed. “You are correct, but I'm not backing down! She waits in the line just like any other fan with me while you go and see your friends! I'll see you in there and of course you'll come back with us, she has to learn that it's not okay to repeat! I need to speak to my mother, this isn't going to go down well with her, but she has to learn the truth!”

I looked up at him. Was he going to tell his mother that he and Erin had been nothing more than sex?! I guessed that was what he had meant. Why was it when I fell for someone it couldn't just be simple?! But then my life wasn't simple was it?!

I hadn't even thought about them being in the line to get in, I just assumed we'd go in the back way, it was force of habit for me. I glanced around at Georgia and she looked gutted she'd not get to meet them. I would sneak her something somehow. I didn't want her to hate me. I was meant to be making friends with her.

“Okay!” I didn't know what else to say, I'd give myself away if I said much more.

He studied me, but then turned to Georgia. “Go to the bathroom now, the venue toilets are always disgusting!”

She didn't argue with him. She got up and dramatically sniffled as she passed us.

“I am so angry at her right now, she doesn't do crying! She never has! This is her trying to manipulate the situation, she knows she's in trouble!” He sighed.

He actually looked harassed, so I stepped forward and slipped my arms under his jacket as I hugged him. “You know her better than I do, she knows she's done wrong and I guess that's a start! I could wait with you guys if you want?!” I didn't want to appear like I was abandoning him to go hang out with the guys.