Shadows of Resentment

Cameron was an ideal model of a perfect male specimen. He had clear peach-colored skin with the cutest dimple on his right cheek, auburn hair, thick auburn eyebrows formed a perfect arc over the most enticing green eyes. At six feet tall and one hundred ninety five pounds, he was one of the tallest and thickest players on the court. His body was banging, broad shoulders, thick triceps, and a toned abdomen completed a tight body that haunted her dreams.

She would sit in the bleachers at the school and fantasize about her dream man. Damn, that boy is fine! she would think, but she would never say anything out loud. Besides, she didn't want him to know she liked him anyway. He could be a smug jerk and she didn't want to have to wipe that smirk off of his face.

Besides, Cameron was dating her best friend, Deidre, and no man was worth hurting your best friend. But, hey it didn't hurt to look. Report Story The birthday girl and her best friend

Deidre and Sierra were best friends since they were little. Once when Sierra defended her friend form a group of bullies, things got physical. Refusing to let the girls hurt Sierra, Deidre defended herself and her friend, and the two girls were like two peas in one pod since that day onwards.

Sitting outside the dressing rooms at a local department store, Cameron could not have felt more out of place. On this occasion Deidre had dragged him along to judge the outfits they would be wearing at Sierra's eighteenth birthday party in two days.

"Cameron," called Deidre as she stepped out of the dressing room, "What do you think?" She was wearing a denim mini skirt with a white and navy wife beater and a man's what shirt open on top. It was a cute set.

"It's nice," Cam said, "But I think the skirt is a little short."

"Thanks, Papa," Deidre giggled teasing him because he was so conservative.

Sierra came out of the dressing room next. She was wearing a simple white and green sundress. The dress was lovely, but Sierra in it was absolutely stunning. The dress accentuated her breast, cinched at her waist, and the edge of the skirt stopped right above her knees. The dress, like the girl wearing it, was perfect.

Cameron looked at Sierra and he was speechless. His eyes were captivated and he could not look away.

Deidre interrupted his trance. "Dang, Sierra, that dress is perfect. Isn't it Cameron?"

He croaked out, "Yes, it's very nice. I think you should buy it." Cameron blushed as he cleared his throat and made an excuse to leave.

"If you girls don't need me for anything else I need to pick up a couple of things for dad." Then he turned and quickly walked away.

Both girls were a bit surprised at his sudden departure but it didn't last for long as their search for matching shoes and accessories took over.

Since Sierra was now eighteen, her parents agreed to allow her to have a private party with a few of her friends in the VIP Lounge of the Marion Inn. Her mother, Marge, had called The Inn to make the reservations and booked a small conference room. They agreed that no more than thirty to forty guests would come to the party and made sure no alcohol would be served.

Her brothers and some of their friends would be there, even though she didn't want them to come. They just wanted to make sure no boys tried to talk to her. Deidre was her most important guest and she was bringing her boyfriend Cameron along.

Everyone at the party was having a great time, when Sierra looked up and saw two people she knew she didn't invite to the party, Jake Smythe and his sister Hannah. Jake tried to act like a nice guy, but most of the time he gave Sierra the creeps. But being a gracious hostess, she walked over and thanked them for coming to her party.

At some point, the deejay started to play Deidre's favorite song, so she grabbed Cameron and dragged him on the dance floor leaving Sierra alone for a moment. Jake saw this as an opportunity to get in Sierra's good graces. He thought she was cute and if he could get her to go out with him, it would elevate his status as a player. Hannah saw how her brother lusted after Sierra and she was disgusted.

As Jake moved across the room towards Sierra, Hannah saw the Granger boys approaching her brother and decided to head over there to see what was going on.

Derrick stepped in front of Jake preventing him from reaching his sister.

"What up, fool?" said Darius, "Where do you think you're going?"

"I was going over to give Sierra her gift and wish her a happy birthday," Jake answered as he stared at the two brothers. The Grangers were intimidating and everyone knew they were extremely overprotective.

"Well," said Derrick. "Go back over there with your sister and we'll make sure she gets the gift."

"No, I want to give it to her myself," Jake growled.

Derrick started to step forward when he heard a high-pitched voice ask, "What's going on over here boys. You don't want to ruin your sister's party do you?" Derrick looked around and into the face of the one woman he could not stand, Hanna Smythe.

"What are you and your sorry-ass brother doing here anyway? I know for a fact you two were never invited. Why don't you make like a ball and bounce- That means leave." Derrick insisted as he spoke to Hanna in a low threatening tone.

Darius stepped between them and said, "Dang, Derrick, don't hold back. My brother is too nice to tell you how he really feels, but you two have about two seconds to vacate the premises or serious consequences are about to take place."

Jake took his sisters ar, eyed the twins distastefully and said, "We'll leave, we have no desire to be around the likes of you anyway." Then he and Hanna left the VIP room.

After making sure Jake and Hannah were gone, Darius and Derrick went back inside to enjoy their sister's party and make sure that the guys didn't get any ideas.

It was almost midnight when the deejay announced he was playing the last song. The first beats of Lil' Wayne's "How to Love" filled the room. Deidre wanted to dance but Cameron was too tired and told her he was sitting the last song out.

Deidre looked up and saw Darius staring at her from across the room. They both moved to the middle of the dance floor and began to dance. Darius held her close as he hummed the lyrics from the song in her ear. Her body melted into his and it was at that moment Deidre knew, it was time to stop playing games and admit her feelings that for the only man she ever wanted, her best friend's brother, Darius Granger.

The only problem was her boyfriend was sitting on the other side of the room. There was no one he liked less than Darius and she was practically making out with the one guy he didn't like. The song ended, and Deidre abruptly thanked Darius for the dance and rushed back across the room to her boyfriend.

Cameron knew Deidre was dancing with another guy, even if that other guy was Darius, and he didn't really mind. He was tired of dancing and he wanted her to have a good time. Besides while she was distracted by dancing, this gave him one more chance to admire Sierra.

When Deidre made it back to Cameron's side she noticed that he was distracted. His eyes were glued on her best friend, Sierra. Sierra was dancing with Tommy Swift, a gay boy from her art class. He was the only boy she could dance with that her brother's had not threatened.

Sierra looked across the dance floor and saw Cameron watching her dance with Tommy and just for a moment, she really wished she could dance with Cameron, unfortunately he was off limits. As much as she loved Deidre, and she did love her play sister, this was one relationship she hoped didn't last

Soon, the party ended and everyone had gone home except, Sierra, her brothers, Deidre, and Cameron. The girls were saying good bye to each other when Cameron glanced at Sierra one last time. After the girls parted, Sierra left with her brothers and Deidre left with Cameron.

Sierra had a great time at her party, even with her two big over protective brothers there. Her only regret was that she didn't get to share a single dance with Cameron as she recalled how handsome he looked. She would call Deidre the next morning s they could talk about what a great time they had.

Cameron was thinking about Sierra and wishing there was some way they could be together. Sierra rarely dated, which was something he liked. Whenever she did go out on a date, he tried not to pry, but in his own way he'd make sure she was safe. Even though everyone knew that Cameron had a beef with Derrick and Darius, they understood that Sierra was off limits.

Valentine's Day Breakup

A month before Deidre's eighteenth birthday, Sierra was at Deidre's house sitting in her bedroom helping her plan her party. This party was gonna be a smash. Sierra could tell something was bothering her friend, but decided to wait until Deidre was ready to talk.

"I broke up with Cameron," Dee stated, "He was getting on my nerves."

Sierra was shocked and it showed. "I don't get it. I thought you two were good. What happened?" asked Sierra.

Deidre mumbled. How can I tell my best friend that I broke up with him because In want her brother? she thought to herself. "It just wasn't working for us. I'm young and want to have fun. He's always got other stuff to do." she explained.

"Dee, Cam is perfect. I don't see how you could..." Sierra started to explain when Deidre interrupted.

"And he didn't like for me to wear short skirts or dress sexy," Deidre continued to complain.

Sierra took a deep breath and tried to comfort her friend, but she was thinking Girl, what are you thinking, he is everything I've dreamed about. Simple perfection.

Deidre continued listing Cameron's faults. Sierra was secretly fuming that her friend could be so callous.

"Besides," Deidre continued, "He likes someone else anyway. And he really is a nice guy, just not for me."

"Deidre did you at least talk to him, explained, before you broke up?" Sierra asked.

"Nope, and I'm not gonna talk to him," Deidre declared, "It's over."

"You need to talk to him. At least to explain!" stated Sierra. "Promise me you'll talk to him?"

"Dang, girl! What's up with you? Why do you want me to talk to him so bad?" Deidre asked her best friend, even though she already had a hunch how Sierra felt about Cameron.

"Besides, Sierra, I'm giving up on men. I'm gonna focus on school and becoming a nurse like my Mom," Deidre stated emphatically.

Sierra felt torn, even though she really liked Cameron, and secretly hoped it didn't work for them, she supported her best friend while they dated because she wanted them to be happy.

"You both are really good friends of mine, and I just don't want..." Sierra stammered and then tried to change the subject after getting her bearings right.

"Well, just because it didn't work out between you two guys, doesn't mean that you're not gonna meet Mr. Right," Sierra continued, a chuckle escaping from her mouth, "I know you think my brothers are fine, but if you give up men, you'll have to give them up, too."

Deidre was toying with her vibrant red hair when she nervously said, "Darius is sexy as hell. Derrick is sweet, but I like my men tough. Those two are just big teddy bears."

Deidre closed her eyes and envisioned the similarities between the two men.

Darius had the same deep mocha complexion like his Dad. With dark, chocolate brown eyes and the sexiest dimple in the cleft of his chin, he exuded sexiness. His 6"2' frame didn't hold an ounce of fat. He was all solid muscle with well-defined triceps, biceps, and abs supporting his broad shoulders and a tapered waist. Darius, the more dominant of the two boys, was a natural leader and thrived in the role. Deidre's pulse elevated at the thought of him. He could be pompous, but his attitude excited her even more.

Derrick was a fair creamy chocolate color, like his Mom. He had the most magnificent grey-green eyes with extra smooth skin and naturally wavy hair. He was as tall as his brother at 6"2' with broad shoulders leading to a narrow waist. Derrick weighed about 190 pounds and his body was also pure muscle. He was a sweetheart, and Deidre loved spending time around him. Derrick was the brother she wished she had.

Quietly she asked Sierra, "Hey, they are coming to be my party right?"

Sierra giggled and said, "They wouldn't miss it. Besides, you will have food there and you know how those boys can eat."

"Will Darius bring a date? Hmmm! I mean it's fine if he does. I was just wondering." Deidre mumbled as she looked away from Sierra to hide her blush.

"I don't think so," said Sierra, "He and Kelly split up last week. Whew! Good riddance."

Both girls burst out laughing. Deidre smiled to herself. She was thinking about which outfit she should wear to get Darius's attention.

"You're lucky your brothers look out for you. I've been taking care of myself for so long, I would love to have someone looking out for me," Dee grumbled.

Then she smiled, "Maybe, I can get Darius to watch my back. Damn, girl, your brother is fine as hell. Too bad he still sees me as a little kid. I've got to work on changing that." Dee laughed to herself. If she had her way after this party, Darius would know that little Deidre Angelica Barnes was no longer a kid, but a grown ass woman.

Sierra was speechless. She knew Deidre was crushing on Darius. She just hoped her friend didn't get hurt. As much as she loved her brother, he might not be good for her best friend. Even though she was secretly please that things did not work out between her and Cam, she did not want to see her friend hurt. If Darius hurt her, she wasn't sure if Deidre would survive it. She knew because if she ever got a chance to be with Cameron and it didn't work out, she would be just as devastated.

Sierra decided to take Deidre's mind off of Darius, "So when are you going to talk to Cameron?"

Deidre froze, while thinking about Darius she forgot about Cameron. He was her friend and she used him. Even though she really wanted to be with Darius and had known this since Sierra's birthday party, it wasn't fair the way she tried to use him to make Darius jealous. She had to talk to Cameron and apologize and once she told him the truth hopefully he would forgive her.

Even though Sierra had not said anything, Deidre knew she had feelings for Cameron. She also knew Sierra would never say anything because she did not want to make her uncomfortable or do anything to hurt her.

She understood how Sierra felt because she felt just as strongly for her brother Darius. Although one reason she stayed with Cameron was to try and make Darius jealous, it wasn't her only reason. She wanted to make sure he was good enough for Sierra. Or at least that's what Deidre told herself assuage her guilt for the pain she caused friend.

That night Deidre decided to call Cameron. Cameron agreed to meet with her at the coffee shop after school. Not too many kids from the school went to the coffee shop, so the possibility of being interrupted while they talked was minimal.

Deidre arrived at Homemade Coffee Café before Cameron. She ordered a mocha cappuccino with a jumbo doughnut and waited for her friend to arrive.

Cameron walked in twenty minutes after Deidre and saw her sitting in the back. He walked to her table.

"Hey, Deidre," Cameron greeted her, "What's going on?"

Deidre looked around the café to make sure no one was listening to their conversation. She was embarrassed by her behavior because she knew better than to treat someone the way she had treated her friend. "Cameron," she started to explain. "Wait," she said, "Let me get you a drink." She left the table to order him a cappuccino. When she returned Cameron was looking at her waiting for an explanation.

"Cameron, I must apologize to you first," Deidre started.

Cameron leaned forward because he really wanted to hear what she had to say.

"I lied about why I wanted to break up with you. You didn't do anything wrong."

Deidre looked away.

"What do you mean I didn't do anything wrong? Did you do something, Deidre?" Cameron asked nervously.

"No. Nothing that serious, it's just I liked another guy and..." Deidre tried to explain but Cameron interrupted.

"You were seeing someone else." Cameron said stunned. "You cheated on me."

"No, Cameron wait," Cameron stood to leave. Deidre pleaded with him to stay. "I did not cheat on you. But I did like another guy and I dated you to make him jealous."

Cameron looked at her face and she was on the verge of tears. He burst out laughing.

Deidre became indignant. "Hey, what's so funny? "she asked agitated.

At this point Cameron was laughing so hard he was crying. "I was starting to wonder if you didn't like guys. Whew! We dated for three months and we barely even kissed!"

It was Deidre's turn to laugh, "Oh my Goodness, Cameron, you did not?"

"Who is the guy that got your attention, girl? Do I know him?" Cameron asked chuckling.

Deidre became quiet. She knew that Cameron and Darius didn't get along and she didn't know how he would react when she told him who she was crushing on.

"Come on," coaxed Cameron. "It's not Jake Smythe is it?"

Deidre shouted, "God no, not that cretin. Darius Granger."

Cameron was silent. He looked at Deidre and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Cameron," Deidre asked sheepishly, "You're not mad are you?"

"No, why would I be? No matter what Deidre, I am still your friend, Ok?" And he gave her a quick embrace.

"I know you and Darius don't like each other," Deidre began, "And I don't want to lose your friendship because I want to date..."

Cameron placed his hand on her shoulder to stop her.

Cameron sighed and spoke softly to his friend, "You can't help who you fall for. Believe me I know better than anyone." He looked away briefly. "If that fool hurts you, I'm going to beat him down, a'ight."

Deidre hugged him back and then asked the one question she was dying to know the answer to. "So, when are you going to ask Sierra out?"

Cameron blushed and began to stammer," I uh, I don't, uh..."

It was Deidre's turn to laugh, "You really like her don't you? Cameron, you're a nice guy ask her out."

Cameron looked down and tried to explain, "Deidre, my history with her brothers, you know..."

Deidre was stumped, "You're not asking her brothers out. You're asking Sierra. Come on Cameron."

A look of pain crossed Cameron's face that was so raw, that Deidre had to catch her breath.

Cameron spoke softly, "It just wouldn't work, OK, Deidre. Look, I've got to get to work. Good luck with Darius."

"Hey, Cameron," Deidre called before he walked out of the door, "My birthday party is at my house on the twentieth of March, I want you to come OK."

"OK, if I don't have to work, I'll be there." Cameron answered waving goodbye to her as he walked out of the door.

*

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