The Thunder Can Wait 5

I awoke slowly, my brain heavy with the lingering effects of the alcohol consumed the night before. I groaned, shifting slightly under the weight of the arm wrapped around my body. I smiled as gentle lips caressed my shoulder, the hand spreading over my stomach. I was glad Nate was with me. I'd had this horrible dream that I had broken up with him. I slid my hand down the arm wrapped around me and then stopped, blinking quickly in surprised and panic. The arm was missing a scar that should have been there from a bomb that had been set off in a friend's home years ago. If there was no scar, then that meant-

"Oh god!" I exclaimed as I turned my head to observe who I was sharing a bed with. The blue eyes of my friend flew open at my exclamation and the panic began to set in. "Sh-sh-sh-shane? Wh-wh-why?" I stammered, my eyes wide with confusion and my panic only grew that much worse when I realized that I was completely naked.

"Camryn?" he asked groggily. "What..." And the realization dawned on him as to the current state that we were both in. "Camryn... It's okay... just relax..." he said quickly, tightening the hold he had on me as I started to pull away. I shook my head quickly, tears welling in my eyes as my body was telling me exactly what I'd allowed to happen the night before.

"No... No, it's not alright!" I cried and managed to pull myself out of his grip when it loosened again. I stood up to gather my clothes only to have my legs collapse out from under me, feeling like nothing more than jelly. I groaned as pain shot up my spine. Not only had I slept with my friend, but he was apparently bigger than Nate. "Oh god, what have I done?" Shane quickly slid to the edge of the bed, his hands cupping my face and making me look up at him.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Camryn," he whispered. "This is my fault. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that." I shook my head. I knew that it hadn't just been one of us involved in it. My brain, however cloudy the memories were, knew I had been just as willing a participant as he was.

"Il faut être deux pour danser le tango," I muttered. It took him a moment to understand what I'd said, but as soon as it did, he chuckled sadly.

"I know it takes two to tango, Camryn," he said, his thumbs brushing small circles on my cheeks. "But I shouldn't have pursued you when you were intoxicated. I won't lie and say that it was a spur of the moment act. I've liked you for awhile. But I should have waited longer... Given you a chance to back out of your breakup with Nate first. I'm sorry, Camryn." I blinked as the words settled into my brain. My friend, the person who had been closest to me other than Nate and Doug for the last three years, liked me.

"I... You... I..." I started, trying to find the words for what I needed to say.

"I know you love Nate, Camryn," he said. "It's why I should have waited." I nodded slowly in understanding, but I was still confused. If I really did love Nate, then why I did I give in so easily to someone else? Even if that someone looked so much like my lover that he could be his double, I should have known better. "Come on, let me help you get dressed. Then we'll get something to eat. You'll feel a bit better after that."

I was silent as he helped me stand and keep my balance as I dressed. A blush was coating my cheeks as his hands would slide across my skin to another hand hold as I moved. It was awkward and comfortable at the same time and I really didn't know what to make of it. My heart and mind were still craving Nate, but Shane's touches were masking the desire to have my lover's hands on me again. Regardless of whether or not it felt okay being touched by my friend in such a personal way, he was still a student and I was still a teacher. This was the entire reason I couldn't be with Nate in the first place.

"I hate to interrupt," Leo said loudly as he poked his head into the room. "Actually I don't hate to interrupt as you should really get your hands off him," he said, staring pointedly at Shane. The blonde quickly removed his hands from me, but my legs still being unsteady, I ended up leaning back against him.

"Something I can do for you, Leo?" Shane asked innocently. Leo rolled his eyes a bit and came completely into the room.

"Oh, there's a lot you can do for me," Leo grumbled. "But for now... Get the hell out of my room." Behind me, Shane tensed and my eyes went wide. Oh, how mortifying. Not only had I slept with one of my friend's just after breaking up with my boyfriend, I had ended up doing it in my other friend's bed.

"Oh, god," I choked, suddenly feeling rather sick. I pushed away from Shane, stumbling to the shared bathroom before emoptying the meager contents of my stomch. I groaned as I sank to my knees, my entire body trembling from the exertion and the dry heaves. "Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!" I cursed as I wiped my mouth.

"Camryn?" a voice I didn't expect to hear asked softly from the doorway to the other bedroom. "You okay?" I looked up at the blonde haired, blue eyed football player that I had stayed with when my father was hunting for me over three years earlier.

"No..." I muttered, turning my eyes away. Just what I needed now was for yet another person see me falling apart completely. "Everything's all screwed up..." He hummed softly and then I felt his arm slide around me, pulling me to my feet and steering me into Shane's bedroom.

"Okay, Leo sort of filled me on why you broke up with Nate yesterday," he said as he let me sit down on the edge of the bed. "And considering they let you drink, and I assume you never have before, I can understand why you ended up doing what you were doing when I broke in through the window last night. But I'd love to know why you are freaking out right now." I sighed, leaning forward and covering my eyes with my hands.

"I slept with my friend the same day I broke up with Nate," I muttered, voicing my thoughts. "Alex... I slept with someone else and it hadn't even been twenty-four hours..."

"Happens," Alex said dismissively. "For one you were emotionally distraught. For another you caved in and let those two get you to drink. And lastly, you probably had no idea that Shane had any feelings for you. You can read anyone else, unless it has something to do with you. Now the question becomes, what are you going to do next?" I shook my head.

"Nothing," I replied darkly. "I can't mend things with Nate right now, else I risk his ability to be a student. I can't get involved with Shane, else I risk running into this all over again. Last night was a mistake. A mistake I don't intend to repeat." I stood up, swaying slightly on my feet, but kept my balance. "It's nice seeing you again, Alex. And since you seemed to fail to notice I was your Spanish teacher before, don't let me catch you sleeping in my class again." The blonde blushed slightly in embarrassment as I made my way passed him. "Do me a favour and let them know I went home?"

"Yeah, sure, Camryn," Alex replied and I nodded. I left as quickly as I could, still fairly light headed and dizzy, but made my way across campus as fast as possible. I really wanted a shower and I knew I had obligations that I needed to keep. I slipped in the house, knowing full well my adoptive parents were likely already up, but I didn't want to wake Nate if he didn't need to be up yet. Apparently he was already awake as well as I bumped into him on my way to my room.

"Camryn..." he breathed softly, his arm immediately snaking around my waist to keep me from falling. I blushed deeply, unable to bring my eyes up to meet his knowing that I just been allowing someone else to touch my body. "Are you okay? Did something happen at Shane and Leo's?" I felt my chest tighten at the question, wanting to confess everything. Instead, I bit the inside of my cheek to keep my mouth in check and hide that I was hiding anything.

"I'm fine..." I mumbled. "Nothing a shower and a change of clothes won't fix." He sighed, pressing a soft kiss to my temple.

"If you say so," he said, letting his lips brush across my skin. "I just want you to know, I know why you did what you did and I... I don't blame you. I will still love you once this all blows over, Camryn." I whimpered softly, my heart breaking as my guilt started tearing it apart. I nodded a little and he finally released me, allowing me to continue on to my room. The tears were flowing by the time I had the door shut and locked behind me. I was such an idiot.