Disclaimer: I do not own characters or song lyrics.

Beneath Your Beautiful

You've carried on so long,
You couldn't stop if you tried it.
You've built your wall so high
That no one could climb it,
But I'm gonna try.

-Labrinth & Emeli Sande

Cameron Morgan had never been a "warm and fuzzy" kind of person. She was quite cold actually, to the people around her. Always polite, but in the narrowest sense of the word. She never said anything that could contribute to her personality; she simply went through life biting her tongue to appease her family and friends. They didn't want Cameron to have a personality, they just wanted her to be a dutiful, perfect daughter. And she was: perfect that is, to an outsider of course.

People who dared to look a little closer would notice that she was cracked a lot more fatally then anyone wanted to admit. She was sown together with bits of weak thread, threatening to break apart at any moment. Inside the shell of a seemingly seamless angel laid something dark and twisted, a young girl wishing to break free of her status-quo society. She didn't want to grow up to be like a stepford wife like her mother. She didn't want to plaster fake smiles to her face when she interacted with people she disliked. She didn't want to be forced into a relationship with someone she hardly knew because it was what her parents wanted. She didn't want this life.
But it was all she had. So she would wear monogrammed sweaters and cardigans, she would smile at her worst enemy, and she would continue to date her boyfriend of two years, Joshua Abrams. She wouldn't complain, she would just sit stoically as her life passed her by. She wouldn't take risks because she didn't know how to. She didn't know how to be anything but perfect. She didn't know how to say no to her parents. They had always given her everything, was she really supposed to disrespect and ignore them just because she was unhappy? No, she wasn't. She knew that much.

To any outsider Cameron would seem like the ultimate prize that no one could ever have. She was absolutely beautiful, with an angular face that made many men's heads turned when she walked by. She was respectful and polite, and basically the girl a boy's mothers wanted for their son. She was perfect and, until she met Zach Goode, she had every intention of staying that way.

"Are you lost?" a smooth, unblemished voice came from behind her. She spun around; surprised that anyone else was around.

There was a boy standing behind her, his hair disheveled and his hands sunk deeply into his pants pockets.

"Um no," she replied.

He raised an eyebrow, as if he didn't believe her. His eyes quickly darted up and down her figure. She wore a silvery dress that hung a few inches above her knee. It was a modest dress, because Cammie knew better then to wear anything her people could consider "slutty". He was wearing a cleanly steamed shirt and a pair of slacks with dress shoes on his feet.

"Really?" he asked. "Because I'm pretty sure the wedding reception is downstairs."

"Right," she said. "I was going there now, just wanted to use the bathroom."

She smiled, but it was forced, and he could tell.

"There's a bathroom downstairs," he pointed out.

"Someone was in it," she lied, rather than admit to real reason for being up here.

He didn't look convinced. "You don't have to lie to me you know," he said. "I'm a total stranger."

She wasn't going to point out the fact that he was stranger was the reason why she wouldn't tell him her business. She wouldn't do that because it would be rude. And Cameron was anything but rude.

"I should get back downstairs," she said instead. "It was lovely meeting you."

As she tried to walk past him he stepped in front of her, blocking her path. "Was it?" he asked. "Because I'm not sure exchanging eight sentences without introducing ourselves counts as 'meeting'."

She glanced at him, confused by his behavior. Most people would have let her slip by, pitiful of her shyness and zealousness. But, as she would soon find out, he was not like most people. Not the people she knew anyway.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I'm Cameron Morgan."

"Zach Goode," he said, holding out his hand for her to shake. She took it, his palm feeling strong and warm in hers.

"You must be family of the bride then," she replied.

He nodded. "I'm Macey's brother."

Cameron's eyebrows shot up in surprise, she hadn't realized Macey had a brother. But she supposed Macey and her weren't really that close, but Cameron had been a bridesmaid at her wedding. And she thought that counted for something.

"Oh," she said. "I didn't know Macey had a brother."

There was an amused sparkle in his eyes. "You wouldn't," he said. "I'm the deep dark secret of the Goode family. The rotten apple if you will. I'm forbidden from being mentioned to anyone but family."

She wanted to ask why he was there then, if he was so forbidden.

Instead she said, "that's not very kind of your family."

He rolled his eyes. "Are you always this polite?"

She looked surprised. "I'm sorry?"

"You don't have to be nice to me," he said. "I'm a total stranger."

"I don't need to be rude to you either."

"Most people would ask why I am an outcast from my family."

She didn't know what to say to that so she stared politely back at him, as if waiting for him to continue.

"Wow," he said. "You're a strange one aren't you?"

Cameron had never been called "strange" before. So again, she wasn't really sure how to react. He was the bluntest person she'd ever met, and she wasn't use to it. She was use to closed lipped fake smiles and taut snarky words.

"I. . ."

"You can speak you know," he replied. "I'm not going to bite."

Suddenly she burst out laughing, as though the awkwardness had broken the stiffness in her body. Her laughter was chiming and unrestricted, and he stared her for a moment before his lips stretched into a wide grin.

"Something funny?" he asked once her laughter seemed to die down.

"Macey's brother," she said, a light smile on her lips but she was shaking her head. "Macey doesn't have a brother."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he asked. "Because I'm pretty sure she's my sister."

"I would know," Cameron said. "I would know."

"Well don't go getting on your high horse now," Zach said sarcastically. "We were getting along so well."

"I just don't understand what's going on."

Zach's eyes were dark as he looked at her and she could help but notice how handsome he was. He certainly had Macey's beautiful bone structure. His hair was unkempt and falling in his eyes and he was so different from what she was familiar with. She was interested by him, by his easy going nature and the way he could carry himself with such confidence. It was like the world was his oyster and he was just waiting to take it by storm.

"You want to get out of here?" He asked, his eyes sparkling.

She suddenly felt breathless, because he had somehow gotten closer, only inches away from her. Her heart was racing in her chest and she'd never felt this way before.

"I. . . what?"

"Get out of here," he repeated. "This wedding sucks."

Cameron agreed with him but she would never say it out loud. That was the whole reason why she'd come upstairs in the first place. She couldn't stand the powdered noses and posh talk. It was beginning to drive her insane.

"But she's you sister."

He shrugged. "Only by blood."

"I don't know."

"Come on," he said. "Beneath that perfectly made up face I know there's a party girl in you just dying to get out."

Cameron had always seemed to think the same thing about herself, but she had never gotten in touch with that side of her. She didn't know how to. And his offer was tempting, but she wasn't that girl. She wasn't the girl to ditch a wedding with a boy she didn't know.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice sounding sure again, like she knew what was best for herself. "I need to get back downstairs."

She turned away, the shear fabric of her bridesmaid's dress ruffling as she did. Before she could take a step away though he had taken her wrist and pulled her back towards him.

"I saw you up there," Zach said, his eyes dark. "At the altar, being a bridesmaid. You didn't want to be here anymore than I do. You hate this society crap, don't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Come on," Zach said. "What's one night?"

She knew better than then to fall prey to his words. One night could ruin her life, or ruin the life her parents had worked to give her. But his voice was hypnotizing, his eyes enchanting.

"One night," she breathed. "What's one night?"

"That's the attitude," he said. "Come on then. We've got no time to waste."

His hand slid from the delicate skin of her wrist down to her palm, wrapping his large warm hand around hers. She'd never held anyone's hand besides Joshua's. But with Zach it felt more comfortable, not forced. And to say she didn't enjoy would be a lie.

:*:*:*:*:

"I can't believe you stole this," she murmured as she popped open the second bottle of Champagne, the cork firing into the sky.

He laughed and watched as she took a huge gulp straight from the bottle.

"I told you," he said. "It's my sister's wedding, which my father is paying for, which makes at least some of the booze mine."

"I didn't even see you take it!"

He rolled his eyes and took the bottle taking a swig for himself. They were on the roof of Zach's hotel, not another soul in sight. But that may have been because it was one in the morning and there was restricting roof access. Nobody was even supposed to be up there. However, Zach had practically seduced the red head at the front desk in order to get a key up here. It had looked like he'd done it many times.

"Cammie, I'm good at that kind of thing," he told her.

"What?" she asked, looking at him curiously.

"What?" he said as well, looking more confused than she did.

"You called me Cammie."

For a moment she thought she saw a hint of red color his cheeks. "Yeah, sorry," he said. "Cameron seems a bit too stiff for me."

She'd always wanted a nickname, she was delighted he'd given her.

"No," she said. "I like it."

"Alright then Cammie," he said giving her one of his best smiles which she returned instantly.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," she said as her long legs dangled over the edge of the building. "You shouldn't be letting me do this."

Zach shrugged, he was sitting next to her, doing the exact same thing. "So we're sitting on top of a ten story building in New York City, what's the big deal?"

"We are so dumb," she said as she took another sip of champagne.

"No, we're just drunk."

"Which makes us even more dumb."

He laughed. "You worry too much."

"One of us has to!"

"Worrying takes too much effort," Zach replied. "And it gives you wrinkles." He glanced at her expression. "So does scowling."

"I've never done this before."

"Me neither."

She looked over at him. "Seriously?"

He shrugged. "I don't make a habit of sitting on rooftops drunk. I think I might have a death wish if that was the case."

"But you must do thing like this, right?"

"I'm not sure what qualifies as 'like this'," he answered honestly.

"Spontaneous, stupid, crazy."

He laughed. "Then yes, I guess I have."

"I wish I was more like you."

"What? Like a guy?"

She wanted to give him a playful shove but remembered they were on top of a building and thought better of it.

"Spontaneous, stupid, crazy," she clarified. "I hate being a know-it-all society girl. I just want out, you know?"

He grinned at her. "I knew I was right about you."

She gave him a questioning glance.

"You are like me," he explained. "I was the same way. That's why I'm shunned."

Her eye's widened. "Really?"

He nodded. "I wanted more for myself then a business degree and a trophy wife. I wanted to travel, see the world, find something I loved."

"Did you?" she asked.

He smiled brightly. "Of course I did. The world is a big place, way better than the close knit bubble we call Roseville."

She laughed. "You don't regret it? Alienating your family?"

He shook his head. "Most of the time I don't. I mean I miss them sometimes but I knew I made the right choice. I'm happy now."

"Happy," she repeated, tasting the word on her tongue. "I want to be happy."

He looked over at her and grinned. His head bent towards hers and she knew immediately that he wanted to kiss her. More than that, she wanted him to kiss her. She wasn't thinking about her idiotic pre-engagement to Josh, she wasn't thinking about pleasing her parents or her friends. She was thinking about how in this moment she finally felt content. It wasn't just the alcohol running through her blood, it was more than that. It was him, it was Zach. His essence, his personality, the way he could be so at ease just because he never let anyone tell him how to live his life. She wanted that, she wanted to travel the world and find something she was passionate about. She didn't want to rot in this place. Cammie didn't want to be perfect anymore, she wanted to be flawed, she wanted to be herself. She wanted to be free.

Zach's lips brushed hers before she turned her head up so that he could kiss her harder. And he did, until she was breathless and her head was spinning. When he pulled back his lips were tugged into a lopsided smile and there was a sparkle in his eyes.

"So be happy."

No this ain't nothing
Nothing but a goodbye town
To hell if I'm sticking around
Gotta find a way to finally get out
Out of this goodbye town

-Lady Antebellum

AN: So I've started like a million one shots but this is the first one I've finished. It's pretty fluffy but I was inspired by the song the story is titled after and goodbye town by Lady A. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Please review if you did!