With a wink, she stands and starts gathering dishes.
I stand too, taking them from her. “Go. Find him. I’ll take care of this. Then I need to call my family.”
“You’re the best.” She kisses me on the lips, sweet and slow. Then she heads down the hall to her room.
A few minutes later, when she walks out the front door wearing black leggings, a white hoodie, and a jacket, I’m not concerned. The unease I felt this morning is gone, and all that’s left is anticipation.
TEN
Such a Good Boy
CAMDEN
As the bitingwind assaults my cheeks, I adjust my hood.Fuck. The cold slips through my jacket and my hoodie, making me shiver as I trudge along the snowy trail back to the cabin.
I thought a walk would clear my head. It didn’t. If anything, I’m more wound up than I was almost an hour ago, when I stormed outside.
Logan’s words keep echoing in my head, as if they’re lyrics to a song stuck on repeat.I’m not opposed to the idea of sharing her. If that’s what she wants. And only if it’s with you.
The suggestion is wrong on so many levels. It shouldn’t sit right with me. Yet it does. It fucking does because last night felt too damn good. Too natural. And now it’s too easy to imagine it happening again. And again. And again.
And that’s the problem.
No matter what he says now, once we leave this snow-globe fantasy, reality will come crashing back down. And in reality, Logan and Yana are a couple. A fucking perfect match. Me? I’m the sidekick. A third wheel, and I’ll be all alone again the moment this snowed-in dream ends.
That’s the story of my life. Camden Hayes, the guy no one needs. I’m an afterthought. After losing my parents and then my granny, who was my whole world, I won’t survive watching Yana and Logan continue on together without me. Not after this. Not after I had a taste.
Dammit, I should’ve gone to bed last night. I shouldn’t have let it happen.
By the time the cabin comes into view in the distance, the storm brewing in my chest is as violent as the one last night.
And that’s when I see her. Yana, walking toward me, bundled up in a jacket, her hair catching snowflakes in a messy bun.
“Hey,” she says softly as she approaches.
I stop in my tracks and force a nod, slipping my hands in my pockets and curling them into fists. “Hey.”
“Merry Christmas, Camden.”
“Thanks.” I swallow thickly, my throat suddenly dry. “I suppose I can’t really wishyoua merry Christmas, can I?”
“You can. People always say it back to me, and I usually don’t correct them.” She smiles at me, her eyes sparkling. “Are you heading back inside?”
“Yeah,” I huff, my breath forming a cloud between us. “It’s colder out here than I expected.” And the walk was useless. I’m still as riled up as I was when I left the cabin, if not more.
She nibbles her bottom lip. “Mind if I join you?”
Snorting, I hold out an arm, gesturing to the forest around us. “We’re in the middle of nowhere. You really think I’d be against having your company?”
“Maybe I was counting on it.” She winks at me, and the tension in my muscles melts a little.
We fall into step, snow crunching under our shoes. It’s a short walk back to the cabin, but I’m grateful for even these crumbs of her time. Fuck, I’m desperate…and delusional. What a combination.
“How do you usually celebrate Christmas and New Year’s?” she asks.
“I’ve always celebrated with my granny.” I suck in a breath. “But last year I spent the holidays alone. Logan’s family has invited me to visit anytime I want, but…” I scratch at my jaw. “I don’t know.”
“It’s great that the two of you have such a strong friendship. I have a lot of friends at home, but my best friend is close with my family too, so I get it.”
