♕Harley Anderson♕

When my eyes slowly peel open, the light that streams through the sliding door of the balcony makes me squint and I lift my hand to rub my eyes. I then feel an odd sense of warmth on my back and beneath me which causes me to lift my head slightly. It's then that I realise I am sleeping on top of Cameron, his arm across my back while the other is outstretched by his side. I sit up immediately and his hand falls away which makes my eyes widen as I realize that we slept like that the whole night.

How did I even fall asleep on his rock hard chest?

I get off of my straddling position gently, in an attempt not to wake him, and sit on the side of his bed before glancing at him and remembering what happened last night.

What did I do to deserve him?

I run a hand over my face, feeling the puffiness and rawness of my eyes. I probably look like shit.

I pull my hair out of its ponytail and redo it before looking down to see me without the boxers on anymore.

When did they fall off?

I feel the bed move beside me before a yawn and I don't have to look to know he's already staring at me- the weight of his gaze makes it obvious.

"Hey." His raspy voice says, it still laced with sleep and I turn to him with a small smile.

"Hey."

His eyes dance across my features and I take note of how messed his hair is from a night's rest.

"You feeling better?" He asks and I purse my lips.

"Just a little tired." I smile and he returns the gesture.

If there was one thing I hated more than the attacks themselves was the consequences after. The exhaustion from having one could sit in my system for weeks. It sometimes got to the point where I actually felt sick.

He sits up and runs a hand through his hair. "You got any plans today?" He asks and I nod my head.

"I have a shift at eleven."

He nods. "Well I'm going to the track at three- Emery wants to talk to me and then I have a race tonight. You want to come?" He asks and I smile.

"I'd love to."

Cameron smiles at me before climbing out of bed and stretching before me. "I'm going to make waffles. Want to learn my secret recipe before you head back?"

I let out a laugh. "How can I turn down an offer like that?"

He laughs with me and I stand up, too, stretching as I do so before realizing that the shirt is rising and I stop abruptly. I drop my hands back to my side and head to the bathroom, rinsing my face and putting some toothpaste on my finger before spreading it onto my teeth in hopes of ridding my morning breath first. I then toss my hair up into a pony and leave the room. When I enter the kitchen, Cameron is already pulling ingredients out of his cupboards and tossing them into a bowl.

"Need help?" I ask and he glances at me.

"Could you get me the salt and butter please."

I do as I'm told, reaching for the butter in his fridge and passing it to him before gazing at his numerous cupboards.

"Which one has the salt?" I ask and he nods his head to one of the cupboards higher up before he begins measuring the flour. I open it up to see the salt right at the top and I stand on my tippy toes in an attempt to reach for it. However, my fingers barely brush it.

"Need help?" I hear him ask in amusement and I turn around to glare at his suppressed laughter .

"No." I respond, attempting to reach for it again. "Who even puts salt so high up anyway?" I mutter to myself before letting out a strenuous groan and I hear a chuckle behind me.

"You sure you okay there?" He presses and I roll my eyes.

"I'm fine." I huff, jumping up numerous times to try and get hold of it. When I'm finally huffing for air and my body is sore from stretching, I defeatedly turn to Cameron who has an amused smile plastered to his face as he watches me.

"Help me." I whine and he chuckles, coming to my side. He grips the side of my waist before reaching up to grab the salt. He hands it to me.

"I sometimes forget that not everyone is as tall as me."

I elbow him in the ribs and he lets out an 'hmph' sound and I smile sweetly.

"Not being a giant also has its perks." I retort and I round him to place the salt on the counter. He's by my side in no time and continues throwing the ingredients into the bowl before mixing it and I watch him with a dazed smile on my face. It's a sight to see Cameron- a hard and cold guy who was always clad in leather- baking in the morning with his pajamas still on. It's... cute.

He pours the batter into the pans before pressing them to make the waffle shapes and I breathe in the delicious aroma.

"Don't start drooling on my counter." He says and I roll my eyes.

I wouldn't be drooling because of the waffles.

My eyes widen at my thought and I scratch the back of my neck.

I take a seat on a chair by his kitchen island before leaning my head on my palm. "So are waffles like your signature food or...?" I ask and he turns to face me.

"Well they're definitely delicious enough to be."

I laugh. "Always the modest one."

He lets out a breath of a laugh. "Waffles are amazing. They can give anyone a foodgasm."

I raise my brow at him. "A foodgasm?" I repeat and he nods dumbly at me.

"Yep."

I let out a laugh at his choice of words before falling silent again. I watch him bake in amusement before he places some waffles on a plate in the middle of the counter.

After telling him about my phobia and my disorder, I was expecting a long string of questions to come from him this morning and if no questions were to be asked I was at least expecting him to look at me like a kicked puppy. However, it's not like that at all.

In fact, it feels as if we've slowly bridged a gap and that I don't have to keep a mask up. As much as I feel slightly vulnerable that he knows something so personal, I'm also relieved that I've finally let my frustration out. I think I needed it.

I eye the waffles on the plate before quietly reaching for one and eating it silently so as not to reveal that I've taken one. However, I'm still chewing on a piece when Cameron turns around to put another stack on the plate. He freezes though and narrows his eyes at the plate before meeting my gaze. I stop chewing and smile innocently.

"Did you steal a waffle?" He asks incredulously and I swallow the piece in my mouth before shaking my head.

"Of course not."

He narrows his eyes at me. "You better tell me the truth or I'll be forced to get it out of you myself."

I scoff. "You wouldn't dare."

He raises a brow at me challengingly. "Try me."

We both stare at each other, daring the other to look away. Cameron is the first, placing a stack onto the plate before tutting his tongue.

"You left me no choice."

Before I can even act quick enough, he's rounding the counter to try and reach me. I let out a shriek, hopping off of the chair in such a haste that I almost trip over my own feet. I run to the other side of the counter where I stare back at Cameron who is watching me in amusement. However, my heart is beating wildly in my chest.

"Cameron..." I say but it's no use, he comes charging at me again and I squeal as I run to the lounge, both of us circling the couch gingerly. We're playing a game of cat and mouse and I wonder when Cameron's long strides will benefit him and he catches up to me. I make a move to run down the passage, intending on locking myself in the bathroom when his arms circle around my waist and I'm hauled into the air. I let out a fit of giggles before I'm tossed onto the couch and pinned down by Cameron when he sits on me. His fingers begin attacking my sides and I let out a loud laugh, trying to catch my breath although it's a futile attempt.

"Cameron-" I beg between my laughter "stop!" I laugh, but he doesn't listen. I try and push his hands away, tears of laughter falling out of my eyes. "Cameron!" I squeal and he stops for just moment, allowing me to take in a deep breath and try calm my rapid breathing. I run a hand over my face and look up at him to see him watching me intently. I squirm from his gaze.

"What?"

"Nothing, I just like it when you laugh." He responds and I gulp, his words sending an odd emotion through my veins.

"I like it when you laugh too." I respond honestly and his lips quirk into a smile before he climbs off of me and helps me up.

"Come on. Let's eat breakfast before you're late." He says and I nod, watching his retreating figure. However, I kiss my teeth when a possible thought runs through my mind- I think I may like Cameron a little more than I should.

****

"This little boy just needs to get outta my tummy before I force him out." Allison grumbles from beside me, holding her stomach that now reveals her baby bump.
I let out a laugh, wiping down a nearby table.

"How far are you?" I ask.

She sighs, chewing loudly on her bubblegum. "Seven months on Monday." She says and I smile. Allison is going to be a great mom.

"You can handle it for the next two." I chirp, squeezing her shoulder as I walk pass.

I make my way behind the coffee and pastry counter and begin wiping the table down when a customer sits down in front of me. He let's out a sigh as he does so and I look up to meet the eyes of a man who seems to be in his early forties. He has blue eyes and dark brown hair, gelled back stylishly with a clean shaven jaw. He has wrinkles around his mouth, the skin worn from the sun and he's clad in a suit jacket.

He smiles brightly at me and I return the gesture. "What a lovely day isn't it?" He asks, glancing over his shoulder and out the window before returning his gaze to me. I let out a chuckle.

"Indeed." I put the wet cloth to the side, leaning my hands on the countertop. "What can I get you today sir?" I ask and he smiles, glancing at our coffee menu above my head.

"Can I have a cup of black coffee and an apple tart please?" He asks and I nod, beginning to make it before taking the tart out of the oven.

"How long has this place being running for?" He asks curiously and I look up at him briefly.

"I'm not too sure. I only started working here a few months ago when I started college."

His eyes light up and I hand him his tart. "Oh I remember the wonderful days of college. What are you studying?" He asks and I smile at the wistful look on his face.

"Literature."

His eyebrows raise in sudden interest. "That sounds interesting. Are you enjoying it?"

I nod, pouring his coffee into a cup and handing it to the man.

"I can picture someone like you studying literature to be honest." He says and I frown at the way he talks as if he knows me.

"Someone like me?" I ask suspiciously and he takes a sip of his coffee with a nod.

"Yes; someone who just seems so carefree. I'm sure you made the right decision in studying literature Harley." The man smiles and I purse my lips, my eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

"How do you know my name?" I ask and he freezes from taking another sip, his blue eyes boring into my own while I feel a sense of fear wrap around me. He points to my apron.

"Your apron." He clarifies and I look down at, seeing my name on the right hand corner. I let out an awkward laugh, feeling relieved. He chuckles at my reaction.

"Sorry." I apologize. "I just thought..." I trial off sheepishly and he shakes his head with another smile.

"No worries. You can never be too safe and that's coming from someone who works within the police force." He says and my eyebrows raise in surprise and curiosity.

"You work in the police force?" I ask and he pulls out a badge before showing it to me. It's shiny and in good condition- showcasing his pride of his occupation.

"Guilty." He smiles widely and I give him a tight smile just as the door to the café opens and closes, the bell above the door ringing. I look up to see the customer walking in and my face breaks into a smile when I see Cameron looking around for me. When he meets my gaze, he gives me a small smile before strolling over.

"Hey Harley." He greets when he reaches me and I smile.

"Hey."

"Cameron?" A voice interrupts us and we both look to the man in front of us. He looks up at Cameron with a smile but furrowed eyebrows.

"Frank?" Cameron asks before glancing at me again. "How are you?" He asks and the customer in front of me stands up, shaking hands with Cameron and giving him a slap on the back. I watch the encounter with a frown.

"How are you? You keeping well?" He asks Cameron and he nods with a smile. "You haven't stopped by my office in a while." He comments and I find myself narrowing my eyes at the cop in front of me. Why would Cameron need to visit a cop? Cameron casts me a sideways glance and I feel suspicion creep up my spine.

"Harley!" I hear Allison say, catching my attention from the cashier. "Can you go and take table five's orders please?"

I give Cameron and the man with the name of Frank one last lingering look before doing as Allison asks. However, even as I take the orders of the family down, I can't help but glance at Cameron with curiosity burning like a fire in my mind.

•••

I absolutely love getting feedback from you guys so please don't be afraid to share your thoughts! :)
What did you guys think of this chapter? I personally love how understanding and patient Cam is about her disorder.
Also, what about this new friend- Frank- that you all met? He is going to be a very important character for now on so you'll find out a lot more about him!
Love you all

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