CAMERON

"Cam, are you okay? You are scaring me."

What?
No, I mean to voice it. "What?"

"You do not look yourself." She says, creases on her forehead.

"Oh, no. I think you caught me after a nap. I am sorry." I start the car.

"You do not have to apologize," She whispers, and her fingers come running over my arm. The things it does within me, I just draw in a breath and step on the acceleration, praying I don't crash us.

With a sigh, I turn to her, stealing glances between concentrating on the road as I try to gather myself. "So how was your day?"

"I just told you." She smiles, not with criticism just gently and beguiling.

"Yes. Uhm." I nod.

Of course, she did.

"Tell me about yours. What did you do?" she softly asks, and I didn't anticipate it but she drives her fingers into my hair, her tips caressing and massaging my scalp, unknowingly what I needed.

"You will stop if you know what you're doing to me." I let out, and she stills.

"I am sorry." She whispers. I look over at her, she looks away, staring outside through her window, her chest rising and falling fast, and heavily.

Don't tell me she got offended.

Her slender thighs are bare, and the gap between them is hard to resist. I sink a hand there, and she looks up immediately with questions in her stare, her hand coming over mine, gripping my wrist.

"If you've continued running your fingers in my hair, I would've lost control of the wheels. And I can't, mostly when there's a life so precious than mine." I explain, and as the headlight hits her face I see the blood spread to her cheeks.

"You don't mean that."

"What?" I glance back at the road, ensuring I stay in my lane before I bring back my eyes to her again. "That you are more precious to me than I value myself?"

She holds back a flattering smile, nodding with innocence and curiosity.

"I am a man of my word, Princess." I remind her.

"You once said you're a narcissist too." She retorts, making a good point.

"Time changes things, Princess. It makes a boy a man and a man a father. For now, it made me your devotee."

"Devotee? You mean a fan?" She teases, her soft giggles filling the space.

"Basically."

"Basically." She repeats, laughing small. I feel her loosening her grip on my hand, and I delicately squeeze her thigh.

Her smile is still there as she leans over and turns on the music, looking back up with her eyes widening as a song begins to play.

"You listen to James Arthur?" she gasps like she just found out she'd been wearing her dress inside out.

What's the deal with the song? "Umm hmm." My eyes narrow skeptically.

"I did not see you as a James Arthur music kind of guy." She spells out laughing.

"There is a lot about me you don't know, Princess," I admit.

"Clearly." She smiles, biting her lower lip.

When I look over at her again, she's leaning her head on the headrest, staring outside with a relaxed smile on her face.

She is the most beautiful human I have ever met.

We arrive at the nearest supermarket to our house, unbuckle our seatbelts, and step out of the car. It's evening, so the place is a bit crowded. Side by side, we go in, and I grab the cart, pushing as we walk through the aisles.

"We will get you something first before grocery shopping," Amy suggests, and I excitedly grin. I am a sucker for gifts, so, yeah.

"What will I get?" I ask her.

"What do you want?"

"I do not know. You choose. That's what makes it fun." I nudge her side, and she looks around, thoughtfully.

"I am not good with gifts," she scrunches her face.

"I will take even a lipstick from you," I tell her, and she laughs.

"Of course, because it's lipstick."

"No, for real. I just want to say that I will be satisfied with anything you decide. So think." I wink, and she rolls her eyes, looking away from me with a crimson face.

"I like it when you're mortified."

"Good to know," she sarcastically remarks without looking over. I laugh, sneak behind her, and steal a kiss on her cheeks.

She smiles with wide-eyed and tight lips. "I also like doing this," I tell her, and she rushes forward instantly in her tiny shoes as though I could bite, making me laugh even more.

"I think I know what to get for you," she abruptly remarks when she's standing a few feet away, facing me by a junction.

"Yay! Now surprise me." I push towards her, and she sd motions her hand like a flagwoman and signals at the back-to-school aisle.

"Ain't no way," I groan.

"You said anything, Cam. We are getting you notebooks because last time I checked, you didn't have any." She firmly says and pulls me by the arm towards it.

I wasn't joking; I will be happy with lipstick.

We get a dozen of those thrown into the cart, and we roll to the grocery side, grabbing all that she wanted. She ends up holding the books in her arms so as not to get them soaked with some foodstuff. At the self-checkout area, with a couple of people ahead of us, Amy turns over to me, hugging the books to her chest.

"You didn't tell me about your day."

"I spent it at the gym; it was just a workout and a lot of correction."

"And you don't like that?"

"You are right. I do not," I point out, and she smiles.

"Loosen up," she says, stretching her fingers to the side of my mouth and pulling it back. "And smile."

I couldn't help smiling. I'm her puppet.

"Hug me," she utters.

"What?"

"Just do it." She urges.

Okay?

Those in front of us are done, so I wrap a hand around her small body, pushing our cart while I take us to the checkout, as there is traffic behind us.

"Can I now check us out?" I mutter over her head, and she mumbles a 'yes' and nods into my chest before letting go.

I am done after a minute, and we are just at the exit when I recall I saw some cakes back in there. It'd be cool to have one to celebrate for dessert for her successful day.

"You should continue; here's the key. I will be right back." I hold out the key, and she collects it.

"Okay." She dumbly mutters; although her eyes flash concern, she doesn't protest. She pushes the cart out of the supermarket, and then I practically run back there, apologizing and asking people to excuse me until I grab the medium-sized chocolate cake. It's topped with everything chocolate, and it's pretty.

Checking out was faster, and when I got back to Amy, she hadn't finished loading off. She doesn't notice me coming, she's by the trunk. I open the rear of the car and set the cake inside before showing myself. She is done then.

"What did you get?" She looks at my empty hands as the trunk closes.

"I just went to the restroom." I lie, and realization dawns on her.

"Oh."

I collect the cart and set it by the side, getting in the car at the same time as her, and I reverse out to the parking lot.

We don't talk anymore; the drive is merely five minutes, but I hold her hand, and she sings along to the song playing in my carPlay. Her voice is soothing; I listen only to her.

As I stop in our driveway, she heaves a sigh, sounding tired.

"You want me to cook?" I ask, and she shakes her head.

"I will cook for you today. I am thanking you, remember?" She delightfully says and gets out.

Before she can come around when I hopped down too, I bring out the cake to surprise her, and she walks into us, her jaw-dropping.

That's the expression I want to see.

"When? How?" She gasps, speechless.

"My bladder wasn't actually full." I shrug my lips, and she slaps her tiny hands over her mouth.

"I thought you returned for those girls after saying I was your favorite."

Wait, what? "What girls?"

Her cheeks turn extremely red, and she spreads her hands over her face. "Never mind."

Then it registers in my head. No!

"Is that why you wanted a hug?"

"Cam, get those things out," she says and begins walking away.

It is why.

No... "You were jealous, you cute adorable human," I call, finding her incredibly amazing. I couldn't hold back laughing.

"Cam, I am hungry for food." She replies with her back at me. I can't see her face, but I can hear the smile in her tone. She looks hot, eliciting waves of excitement in me.