Chapter Twenty-Nine:

Rules Were Made To Be Broken

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Sophia's POV

I wasn't ready to wake up in the morning. To return to my life would be a downgrade compared to the amazing dreams I had.

I didn't want to live through seeing how some people saw my overreaction to everything these past couple days. Cameron continued to tell me that it wasn't an overreaction. That's a lot to go through and I should stop being embarrassed by myself.

But I can't. Who would smash a picture frame and get her feet all cut up and fall asleep on a bathroom floor? I guess I was sort of out of it at the time, and that's my only excuse.

I will admit, waking up with Cameron's arms wrapped around my body protectively is probably the best thing ever. No wonder I had good dreams. I could escape reality for a little while.

Even though school started in an hour and we needed to get out of my bed and get dressed, I didn't want to move. I was turned toward Cameron - face to face - and our legs were all tangled together. He had the faintest smile on his face. He could pass for an angel.

I ran my fingers down the bruises on his throat that were disappearing it seems as soon as they formed. That was a good thing, I guess.

Then his eyes popped open and I almost screamed at the sudden movement.

I felt my heart hammering against my chest from getting caught touching him. I was still in shock that he was allowed to stay here with me alone. My dad trusted both of us, I know that. And I wasn't about to let anything happen. The thought made me blush even more.

A smirk came across his face and his arms tightened around me.

"Did I scare you?" He asked smugly. There was nothing to be smug about.

"Nope." I answered, popping the "P".

He sighed heavily before taking his arms from around me and cupping my face. He kissed me gently for a few seconds before rolling over and right off the edge of the bed. I laughed to myself when he got back and groaned.

"Way to go." I joked. My blush came right back when I saw he was shirtless. I knew he took it off last night, but I'm still not used to it.

"You know, we broke the rules last night." He told me as he looked around for a shirt to put on for a little while. His basketball shorts were rolled a little at the bottom from him sleeping in them.

"Why?" I asked, almost in a panic. I didn't want him to think I was going to freak out that he broke a rule in my house. The rules that my dad made. I composed my face and smiled at him.

"We slept in the same room. Your dad told me on the phone to sleep in the living room, on the pull-out couch." He smiled a crooked smile and got down beside his bag on the floor. We both took showers last night, so there's no need to take one this morning.

"Rules were made to be broken." I murmured. Cameron cracked up laughing and fell onto the bed, making me flop from the movement.

"I can't believe you just said that, Miss I don't break rules." He said after he got his laugh.

"I don't remember ever saying that!" I smacked a pillow against the side of his head and waited for his reaction.

"Yes, but you were thinking it." He mumbled before he pounced on top of me, hovering over me, inches between our bodies. I giggled on accident which ruined the serious moment and made Cameron laugh, the smile in his face wrinkling the corners of his eyes.

He rolled off of me and onto his back before he jumped off the bed and grabbed a set of school clothes.

"I'll go to the bathroom down the hall to get dressed while you do." He called to me as he sauntered out of my room. I huffed, disappointed that I have to go to school.

I tossed the covers off my toasty body and stood up on my morning jelly legs. I walked slowly to my closet and grabbed a pair of shorts and shirt from some store at the mall my mom went to.

I slipped them on and went to the bathroom to do my rats nest mess of hair. After brushing it out and letting it fall straight down my back, I brushed my teeth and went downstairs for something to eat. Cameron was already down there pouring cereal into a bowl for me and him. He poured the milk into mine and dipped a spoon in it before handing it to me. I took my seat at the table and started eating slowly. I was in no hurry to get to school, that's for sure.

Cameron stared at me while I separated my cereal from my marshmallows in the bowl. A habit I would never break most likely.

I saw him smile, shake his head, and look back down at his own cereal. Good. I don't need a stalker.

"So, about these rules. What exactly did my dad say?" I asked. I took a break from separating my cereal and just shoved a spoonful in my mouth.

"Your body, your rules. His house, his rules." Cameron recited. I smiled a little.

"You're really going to follow those rules?" I asked him with a raise of my eyebrows.

"Of course. I don't want your dad to hate me. Last night I broke them because you needed me." He spoke the last part more quietly, knowing I didn't want to hear about it. "But I'm not breaking them anymore."

I gulped my cereal and kept my gaze on my bowl of milk.

"Um, is it okay if we stop by my house this evening? I wanted to get more clothes 'cause I forgot to bring the others and I'm sure my mom wants to see me." He changed the subject. I nodded my head.

I honestly didn't care that we had to stop by his house. It'll be nice to get away from here even though I wasn't even here for two days barely.

The phone rang and broke off anything Cameron might've been about to say.

"Hello?" I said into the phone after I saw it was my dad.

"Sophia? Hey, how are you?" He asked me, sounding wore out.

I yawned right then and he chuckled.

"A little tired. I slept good, though." I looked at Cameron through my eyelashes, phone stuck between my ear and shoulder. He smirked.

"How's Cameron? He doesn't mind staying with you does he?" His voice went from tired for alert. Typical dad.

"Yeah, I don't think he minds. That was cool of you to have him stay with me, dad. Thanks." I said as sincerely as I could.

"Well, I'm gonna let you get off to school. Your mom and Matt say they love you. Me too." He added in quickly. I smiled to myself.

"I love you guys, too." I replied in almost a whisper. We hung up then and Cameron had already stolen my bowl to wash it out. He finished and grabbed my hand, pulling me towards the door.

*

When we got to school, all eyes were on us. Well, maybe they were more on Cameron since he's the one that got hurt. But I couldn't help feeling a little self-conscious since I'm the one that had a meltdown in front of everyone Friday night.

Cameron's arm tightened around my shoulders and I held my hand up to intertwine it with his. I kept my eyes on the ground in front of me while we walked into the school. Emma and Adam met us not long after and I could tell Emma was trying hard not to shower me with questions about how I was. Did she even see me make a fool out of myself?

All I could think about was how my strong on the inside ego was down the drain. I probably looked like a zombie as well as felt like one right now.

But once lunch came around and it was just Emma and I at the table, I knew she was going to ask me. Her wary eyes lingered on me every other second and I could tell she was debating on whether or not to ask.

The boys had a basketball meeting or something like that. So that gave us a boy-free lunch.

So, I got this over with. "Go ahead and ask." I said with a small smile to let her know I wasn't going to be mad if she asked.

"Are you okay?" She immediately asked. An expression of concern crossed her face.

"Yeah. Worried, but fine." I told her and pushed my broccoli around with my fork.

"But... how's your foot?" She asked warily. I felt my face drop and my gaze went to my foot subconsciously. There was a layer or two of gauze wrapped around my foot from where I cut it. Did Cameron tell her? Aw man....

"Did Cameron tell you what happened?" I asked, biting my lip.

Her eyes widened with realization.

"No! No, I was there. I braided your hair." A smile formed on her lips. "Did you think Cameron braided it?" We both laughed at the thought of him attempting that.

"You were there?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "Yeah. Cameron asked me to drive him over since you took his truck. I saw the broken picture and everything... I was worried all night." She told me.

"I promise, I'm fine." I said, feeling a little ashamed. I didn't want my best friend seeing me like that.

We were both finished with our trays soon enough and were about to get up and dump them when someone walked up to our table.

Danielle stood there with a smile in her face. A pleasant one.

"Can I help you?" Emma asked through her teeth. It wasn't normal to see her mad.

"I was just wanting to ask Sophia something." She directed her creepy smile at me. "How's Cameron? Is he breathing or what?" I snorted. Like she hasn't seen him around today.

"I want to ask you something, too." I laced my fingers together on the table to keep them from tightening into fists.

"Why would you try to hurt the person you liked?" I asked her. Her smile faded and turned into a flat line.

"I don't like him. I was hurting you, of course." A smirk took the flat line's place.

I couldn't deny that one. I felt the anger boiling to the top and was about to boil over. I know I can usually hold it down. But maybe it was time for a change.

When I stood up, I felt several pairs of eyes on me and Danielle. Yep, this was going down in history. "Sophia Belle standing up for herself!" I could already hear it in my head.

"Well, now it's my turn to hurt you." I said with anger laced in my voice.

Her expression turned confused right before my fist connected with her nose.

Not so perfect now, is she?

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Dedicated to my best friend because without her, Danielle wouldn't have gotten punched!

Love you girl!