Chapter 8
2321 Words
Rachel
Did I speak in English eight hours ago? Or did I speak in an alien language that this man didn’t understand what I told him about earlier? I had specifically told him to leave me alone and don’t bother me. Besides, I had every right and a reasonable reason why Cameron should leave me alone. Apparently, the bastard didn’t get the memo or he turned deaf.
Fine.
Fine? He meant fine, he would do anything he wanted? I could say whatever I wanted, but he would never listen. I was tired already with my shift today, and by having Cameron leaning on his… I had no idea what the car’s name was, that doubled my exhaustion.
“Evening, dolly,” he greeted with the stupid pet name I hated. I didn’t before. I exhaled, louder than I expected. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I’ve told you to not pick me up.”
“Yes, you did, but I never agreed to it.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I thought by you saying fine, that was your answer.”
“I only said fine, but I never said yes or no.” f**k him. He thought he was winning here. I would never let him be the winner all the time. It was time for me to stand up for myself.
“Look, I’m an adult now, okay? I can go home by myself.”
“Sure, you can, but it’s safer if you’re with someone you know.” Not him, for sure. “Don’t worry. I won’t bite,” he added with a smirk.
“You will cut me,” I muttered under my breath.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.” I went closer to him and opened the door. Arguing with Cameron was useless and exhausting. I prayed he understood that I didn’t want to be poked and shut his mouth for the rest of the road. As I sat, Cameron leaned down and cuffed my seatbelt. “I know how to do that,” I told him.
“I know. I want to do it for you,” he said. Our eyes met. Cameron’s eyes were blue, the same as Uncle James, only lighter than his father’s. So bright like he could shine everyone around him. Being the center of attention. Cameron didn’t have to do anything to get attention. Wherever he stood, everyone turned to him immediately. He always did when I joined the party held by the Greenes. Cameron had this aura to suck on people’s eyes and they could do nothing besides stare at him. Or listen to him. People couldn’t leave him alone. He controlled the room instantly. He dominated the area. Like a tiger claiming its territory. Like a master claiming his slaves. His dolls. Jesus.
“Are you hungry?” he asked, bringing me back from my trance. I didn’t even realize he was driving already.
“I brought some leftovers from the shop.”
“You’re going to eat that only?”
“I’ve brought a lot, Cameron. Do you want some?”
“What are you bringing?”
“A cinnamon roll and two muffins.”
“Those are hardly a dinner. You should pay attention to yourself more, especially when you have your final project going on.” He started it again.
“I can take care of myself. I’m not going to be sick because I only eat a cinnamon roll and muffins.”
“I’ll take you to dinner,” he insisted.
“Cameron, stop!” I quickly told him.
He frowned. “Don’t use that tone with me.”
“If you stop acting like this, I will. Just stop, okay? This is getting ridiculous.”
“Which part you consider ridiculous?”
“This,” I pointed between me and Cameron. “We’d never talked since New Year. That was literally eight months ago. And now you suddenly came and screwed my life. I was doing fine until you showed up.”
“I wasn’t intended to screw your life. You’re mine, Rachel.” Oh, not again!
“I’m not yours, Cameron. I will never be.”
He cheekily scoffed. “Try that again, dolly.”
“Excuse me?”
“I don’t need to see your face or check on your virgin p***y to know that you desire me since the day you hit your first period.”
“Oh, f**k off, Cameron!” He punched the brake so suddenly, making my body twitch to the front, my neck hit the belt. “Jesus Christ! What were you thinking?” I bellowed. I looked to the front and saw him stopping at the red light. Couldn't he be more careful? He could’ve killed us both!
But before I could do or say anything, Cameron gripped my jaw, forcing me to look at his furious-looking blue orbs. I remember that look. He wore this expression, and how his eyes were like a gigantic tsunami ready to wipe out the entire New York, just like that time when he was controlled by jealousy and mercilessly destroyed my crown. “Watch. Your. f*****g. Mouth,” he gritted and seethed. I should be scared. I used to when I was younger. Crossing lines with Cameron, making him angry, I used to feel nothing but frightened when he did. Because Cameron had always had a short temper, it always got the best of him.
But now, I was twenty-one. I was an adult. I was not scared of him. I had five years to toughen myself just in case Cameron wanted to f**k my life again. So, I countered, “If you want the little dolly, you should’ve chased someone else, not me.” Although the idea of picturing Cameron with someone else made my chest twirl with this weird fury, I couldn’t even explain it. It was none of my business if Cameron wanted to screw other women.
Cameron was not mine.
I was not his.
None of us had business to meddle around.
“Unfortunately, you have always been my little dolly, dolly,” he cockily stated.
“Scre—”
“Curse at me again, I will sew your pretty saucy mouth with mine,” he cut me. I released my jaw from his grip. Cameron returned to driving.
We were silent for the entire road. In the end, Cameron bought me sushi. Silly reason of his that carbohydrates could extend my life. He was smart but could be stupid sometimes.
As his expensive car stopped in front of my apartment building, I saw a Mustang in front and then Jesse appeared outside. I smiled. “Thanks for the ride,” I quickly thanked Cameron and got myself out. Jesse spotted me.
“Rachel!” He made his way to me and we hugged.
“How are you, Jesse?”
“Good, good. What about you, baby girl?”
“I’m doing great, too. When did you come back from London?”
“Two days ago. You know me, I’m bad at jetlag.” I giggled. I heard knocks as Jesse slipped me down. I saw Mackenzie smiling inside Jesse’s car. He chuckled and said, “Oops. Almost forgot the princess I was chauffeuring.” I laughed and Jesse opened the door while asking, “Are you cool with Cameron now?” His question came out a half question and half tease. Of course, everybody knew how skittish I was around Cameron. It was not a secret anymore. Everybody knew our main problem.
As Mackenzie jumped out with her expensive cologne entered my nostrils, I explained, “He suddenly popped out from nowhere like a freaking alien demanding to be returned to his rightful planet.” Jesse boomed laughing and looked behind. My eyes followed, seeing Cameron had gotten out of his car. Both men clapped hands and hugged.
“I wished he didn’t force you to let him take you home,” Mackenzie said beside me.
“A little bit, but nothing happened. I could stand up for myself.”
“Good riddance.” Mackenzie slammed the door and slipped her hand around my arm. “Let’s go. Thanks for the ride, Jesse,” she said while pulling me to our apartment.
“It was a pleasure, princess. Call me again if you need a ride. I’m in town for a couple of weeks,” Jesse said.
We just reached the door when Cameron, “Kenzie! Stop dragging Rachel like your rag doll,” called her out.
Mackenzie stopped. She dryly laughed and turned to Cameron. Her face was lethal. I swore her emerald eyes were about to rupture. “Did you even hear yourself? You constantly called Rachel your dolly, even had the courtesy of almost making her bald.”
“That’s my right, not yours,” he cheekily declared.
“f**k you, Cameron,” Mackenzie hissed as the elevator dinged and she pushed me inside.
“I will come again tomorrow, Rachel,” Cameron stated. Clicking our floor, the door closed before I answered him.
Jesus, that man.
His right to cut my hair? His right to take me anywhere he wanted? Once again, Cameron arrived to control my life. f**k me for being so stupid that I still liked him. I prayed to God to erase this feeling away.
I didn’t want Cameron.
I didn’t want him anymore.
“I will ask Jesse to pick you up instead,” Mackenzie promised.
“Thanks, Ken,” I thanked her, weakly smiling. I was sure Jesse would do that. After all, he was fully devoted to Mackenzie since we were little. Anything Mackenzie desired, Jesse would follow obediently. I asked her before why they never dated and she scowled saying Jesse was like a brother she never had. Oh, well.
The second we walked into our apartment, I had completely lost my appetite and decided to put those delicious-looking sushis in the fridge and eat them as dinner tomorrow. I quickly went to bed. I was too tired today. I prayed the sleep tonight would recharge my energy so I had enough to face what would happen tomorrow, specifically if Cameron showed up.
“Brother Cam! Let’s play!” I asked him. Brother Cam looked at me and the Barbie doll in my possession. Brother Cam was Brother Luke’s best friend. He was fifteen. He was the oldest in our family. And I really liked him. I wanted to be his Barbie when I grew up. Although Brother Cam didn’t always smile like Brother Knox and Brother Jess, I adored him the most. And today, I would have him play with me.
“A Barbie doll?” he asked.
“I will be Barbie, and you will be Ken.”
He scoffed. “I don’t want to be Ken,” he said. Disappointment hastily washed me, and burning tears wet my eyes. He didn’t want to play with me again? Why? Why didn't he want to? Why Brother Cam never liked me? But he was so nice with Sis Kenzie.
“Aw, what’s the matter? The brat is about to cry because I don’t want to play with you?” he cooed. I harshly shook my head. No, Brother Cam didn’t like a crybaby. I would not cry. I would never cry. I had to be strong so Brother Cam would like me. I would do anything.
Putting down my favorite Barbie doll, I erased my tears and faced him again, smiling. “What do you want to play, Brother Cam? I’ll follow,” I said. He narrowed his prince-looking blue eyes. I’d always loved his eyes. He looked like Ken. My Ken.
“Interesting. Let’s see,” Brother Cam tapped his lips, and then his eyes blinked. Crouching in front of me, he said, “Instead of playing boring dead dolls, why don’t we play a human doll?”
“Human doll?”
“Yes. I stay as Brother Cam while you become my little dolly.”
“But you always call me that.”
“Of course I am. Want to know why?” I nodded. Pushing his face closer, he whispered, “Because you are my little dolly since you were born, Rachel.” I blinked in confusion.
“Am I yours, Brother Cam?”
“Yes.”
“Then, are you mine?”
Smiling, he sternly said, “I’ve always been yours, dolly. So, do you still want to play with me?”
I smiled. “Yes!”
“Then, I’ll play with you really good.”
I snapped my eyes open. Staring at the ceiling, I looked around my apartment bedroom. “No f*****g way.” Closing my eyes, I mentally counted in my mind until five before I opened my eyes again. I could not believe I had a dream about the past. What made it worse I still remember the part where Cameron officially declared me as his doll. God, the thought made me sick. Son of a b***h. Just because I was still seven and he was fifteen, he could screw around with a child’s mind. He was already f****d-up since his teenage age.
Even so, I put my palm on my forehead. Even though he said I was his doll, he didn’t play with me like I was a doll. He only asked me to let him hold her hand, take me wherever he wanted to bring me – he brought me to the park that day – allowing him to let me sit on his lap. Come think of it again, that was what a pervert would do to a child. I scoffed at myself for being so dumb. At that time, I was happy because big brother Cameron finally played with me. At my twenty-one, I was sexually abused.
I hated him.
But I still liked him.
- Writer
