Chapter 218 - The threat of love (2/2)

Cam let out a long sigh. ”I angered my intended and... and...” A tear streamed down her cheek. ”And may have upset someone who has become a dear friend to me since moving here.”

”How so?” Jos asked as she ran a stake through the fish and held it over the tiny fire she'd built earlier.

Cam sighed heavily again. ”I'm so stupid... I wrote stupid things in my journal... stupid, stupid, stupid...”

Jos arched a brow as she slowly spun the stick in her hand. ”It couldn't have been that bad.”

Cam's pale face brightened. ”It was... I had covered several pages with 'Cam heart's Ales'... and not only did his brother, my intended, find it and get angry... but Ales saw it too...” She kicked at the sand. ”I couldn't stand seeing disgust on his face, so I ran away.”

Jos frowned. ”I'm sure running away seems like the best idea now... but what about the person you ran away from?” She turned the hand over that was holding the stick, her eyes focused on a ring resting on one thin finger.

Cam thought about it for a few minutes. ”You know... I didn't think about it.” Her blush deepened. ”But also... I'm not sure I'll ever be able to face him again.” Her troubled eyes moved to Jos's. ”What if he doesn't like me? OR worse, what if he does?”

Jos shrugged her focus still on the ring. ”I don't know... and neither will you if you only ever run away.”

Cam's gaze moved to the ring. It didn't suit the girl's simple clothes at all and seemed a few sizes too big even for the middle finger it rested on. ”Whoever owned that before you must have meant a lot to you.”

Jos's frown deepened. ”Yes... and I thought I'd meant a lot to them as well...” Her eyes met Cam's as she added. ”But you see, sometimes those things you run from turn out being the one thing you want most in the world... and sometimes after you've turned your back to run away that thing isn't there when you go back to find it...”

Cam swallowed hard as she pushed herself up from the sand. ”I... I think I'd better get back to the palace... There is something important that I've run from that I don't want to lose.” Cam had only walked a few feet away before she turned back to the girl. ”Can I see you again?”

Jos's head moved back up to the girl in surprise. ”You'd like to see me again?”

Cam nodded. ”Well, yes... You're the first friend I've made on my own.”

Jos smiled and nodded her head. ”Then yes, I'd love to see you again.”

Cam smiled and began to turn away. She paused and turned back to Jos. ”Um... where could I find you?”

Jos's smile widened. ”I come here often. We could meet here again sometime.”

Cam nodded in agreement. ”Until next time!” She said happily as she began walking toward the wall of rock hiding the lagoon. Her mind was still on the strange girl she'd met as she walked back down the beach when a familiar voice called from the distance. Cam's eyes lifted from the shell and pebble-covered beach into the distance. ”Ales?” She whispered as she recognized the figure running down the beach toward her. Her feet froze in place and her mouth dropped open. All she could do was stare as the boy neared.

Ales was panting as he closed in the distance. He flung his arms around her and squeezed hard. ”Thank the gods! I thought my scent of smell had broken or something when I tracked you out this far. How in the world did you run so far?” He asked as he held her at arm's length.

Cam shrugged. ”I was upset... it's something I used to do back home... run that is... when I was upset.”

Ales nodded. ”I see, you must be very good at it to have come this distance in the sand.” He tilted his head as he studied her. ”Did Fern upset you that bad? Or... or was it the other thing?”

Cam's cheeks reddened as she turned away from him. ”His words did upset me, and I hate that he tore the pages from my journal... but...” her troubled eyes moved back to his bright, slightly darker blue eyes now accented by the faint blush on his cheeks. ”I got embarrassed that you read the pages... I was afraid you'd... be disgusted and start hating me...” She could feel the tears building in her eyes but fought them back as she focused on the ocean instead.

Ales shook away the shock of her words. ”Hate you? I could never hate you.” He murmured. He could feel his own cheeks begin to heat. ”T...the truth is, I'd forgotten why you were brought to the palace until Fern came in earlier.” He laced his fingers together behind his back and traced a line in the sand with his toe. ”I've never cared much for what Fern called his own. As far as I care he can have the palace and all the work that goes with it... but... for the first time... now he has something I like more...”

Cam's surprised eyes shot over to his. ”Ales? Wh...what do you mean?”

Ales took a step toward her and took one of her hands. ”I... I like you too, Cam. And I wish you were my intended instead of Ferns.” He growled out his brother's name. ”He's a jerk who doesn't deserve someone as nice as you!”

Cam's wide eyes searched his. ”So, you're not mad at me?” She asked on a shaky breath.

Ales shook his head. ”Not at all.” He quickly leaned toward her and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Each of them shined a bright red when he pulled away. He took her hand as he looked shyly away. ”We should head back to the palace. Mother saw you run through the gates and was worried sick.”