Page 15 of Deluge

“Thanks.”

ChapterTwelve

Maybe this iswhy people go grocery shopping,I think in embarrassment as I rummage through the damn near-barren refrigerator, trying to find a snack to offer her.

With a reluctant grunt, I grab a half-finished stack of saltines and a few soft drinks, then head into the living room, where Camille stands by the window.

“Um, sorry, this is all I’ve got,” I mumble as my face turns crimson. She glances at me over her shoulder and smiles kindly when I set the pack of saltines down on the table and the soft drinks next to it.

“I’m going grocery shopping tomorrow,” I add quickly.Though I have no clue how I’m gonna fucking pay for anything substantial, but I’ll manage like always,I finish to myself.

“It’s more than enough,” she assures me cheerfully as she sits down next to me on the couch. Camille reaches for a can, then pinches one of the crackers and maneuvers it out of the package.

She holds the cracker gently between her teeth as she snaps her drink open, then finally takes a bite. I’m expecting her to make a face because I cansmellhow stale they are, but instead, she finishes one, then reaches for another, taking a sip of her drink in between bites.

She seems content enough that I don’t push the fact that I’m practically starving any further.

But I’ve learned to be full-on anger and resentment long enough to know that the occasional package of crackers and water can be more than enough on the right days.

“I can help if you want. Grocery shop, I mean. I do it for my parents sometimes,” she says thoughtfully.

When I look down at the stack of crackers and let myself back against the couch cushions, she smiles knowingly as she reaches for another one.

“I’ll even pay for it. I get a good allowance for doing their grocery shopping and chores around the house. It’ll be my way of thanking you for being nice to me tonight. I’m not used to the kindness of strangers or anyone else for that matter.” Camille steals a glance at me and chuckles lightly. “Well,almoststrangers.”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll figure it out tomorrow,” I assure her, feeling my ego taking a massive beating and doing my best not to show it.

She shrugs. “If you change your mind…”

Her voice trails off, and I reach for my can, popping it open, then taking a sip. “So, how do you know Jessa?”

“Hm? Oh, I met her in high school,” she says, putting a hand to her mouth. I wait patiently until she’s done chewing before she continues, “She was kind of the mean girl that liked to bully everyone, but I had a feeling that it had to be something major, so I kind of coerced her into being my friend.”

“So, she bullied you?” I ask before I grind my teeth down on one of the crackers.

“Not really. I mean, I guess you can say that she tried, but I just killed her with kindness, and in the end, it worked,” she says with a laugh. “Turns out we had a lot more in common than either of us would have figured.”

“Like what?”

“Our living situation. We both have a male figure and a female figure in our lives. That’s not something that’s too common anymore these days.”

“Hm,” I mumble quietly.

I don’t have either, and honestly, I didn’t even have Hailey nearly as long as I should have to have made much of a difference anyway.

“What’s wrong?” she asks me curiously.

“Nothing,” I reply curtly.

Camille leans back against the cushions and looks at me with softer eyes, and when I meet them, I can feel my guard coming down.

Blowing out my breath, I lean forward to set my can down and run a hand back through my hair.

“Alright, fine. But remember that you asked,” I begin testily. Clearing my throat, I try to think of a way to say any of this without saying too much so that she might understand why I really am as uninviting as I portray myself to be.

“I used to have a twin. I used to have a mother. I never met my father until I graduated from high school, and if you want me to be honest, he didn’t live up to a fucking thing I heard about him. My mother, Hailey, went into some kind of self-induced coma and just didn’t wake up one day. My brother, Kalen…” I cut my eyes toward her and shake my head when she still has that damn expectant look clouding her kind eyes.I killed him for fucking her corpse.“Well, he ended up getting really sick. There was nothing I could do to help him, so I… I don’t know. I guess you could say that I did what was best for him.”

Camille gently places a hand on my leg, and I glance down at it, completely confused about what I’m feeling right now.