Should Have Known (Camren)

Chapter 36

November, 2013

"I can't believe this is actually happening," Camila repeated for the fifth time since we arrived at the mall where the very first show of the Harmonize America tour would take place.

We remained in LA for the first show simply so that we wouldn't be too overwhelmed by all the traveling. We had plenty of time for rehearsal and wardrobe, and by the time we were to go on stage, we were more than ready. It was our first concert ever. Of course we had performed on the X Factor, but this was our first show with our songs. Everyone was in good spirits and we couldn't wait to step out in front of the crowd.

"How many people do you think are here?" Dinah asked.

"Probably not a whole lot," Ally shrugged. "It's a mall. There's probably only room for like a hundred people."

"Actually, I received word earlier that there are about six hundred people here to see you," Tara informed us, looking up from her phone long enough to smile proudly at us.

"Seriously?" Normani gasped. "Six hundred people here to see us?"

Tara nodded and headed for the door.

"Break a leg," she smiled, shutting the door behind her and leaving us to our final warmups before the show.

We spread out in the dressing room, Dinah and Normani sticking by Ally and Camila occupying the corner by herself, her nose buried in the last few chapters of her book. I made my way over to her and sat down, our shoulders pressed together though her attention remained on the page in front of her.

"Don't you think you should warm up?" I teased, nudging her arm playfully.

"Already did," she answered flatly.

I slid in front of her and placed a hand on her knee, causing her to look up from her book as my brow furrowed with concern.

"Are you okay?" I asked. "It kind of seems like you've been avoiding me."

Ever since she stayed at my apartment that night she had done her best to avoid conversation with me as much as possible. She didn't physically avoid me, but when we were around each other it was like I wasn't fully there to her. She would answer my questions with one word or sometimes completely ignore them, and I started to wonder if I had crossed a line by asking her to stay with me.

"I'm fine," she nodded. "I just...don't want to send you mixed signals."

"What do you mean?" I chuckled.

"The other night got me thinking. We haven't talked to each other like that in what...six months? I mean, you practically admitted to wanting to take my clothes off and-"

"Because I did," I interrupted, causing her cheeks to flush red as her attention snapped to my lips.

"So what?" I continued. "I wanted to take your clothes off. Big deal. Nothing happened."

"It's not like you were going to," she argued. "You're smart enough to know that Luis would find out and I know you care about him. You wouldn't risk something like that and in the event you do, I don't want to be the reason."

"So what are you trying to say?" I questioned.

"I'm saying I don't want to send you mixed signals. You wouldn't have said that if I hadn't given you a reason. I haven't even seen you look at me like that until I forced it out of you the other night," she explained. "I don't want you to think that just because I'm friendly or even if it seems like I'm flirting that I'm begging to have you back, because I'm not."