“So you have feelings for her?” he asks calmly.
I close my eyes. “Maybe? I think so…I don’t know. Obviously, there’s something there, in spite of that, we’re in a weird ass situation.”
“Do you think she has feelings for you? Kamila has always been caring with everyone. I remember when she brought you that soup when you had the flu?—”
Throwing my razor in the sink, I yell, “How did everyone know about that except for me?!”
Ethan laughs. “You were too busy wrapped up in Ana with your on-and-off fights to see just how much your best friend cared about you, Cam. It’s okay, you were only seventeen.” His voice drops three octaves. “Listen, my advice is firstly to thank her for last night, if you haven’t already.”
“I did.”
“Secondly, don’t bring anything up until you’ve sorted out whatever it is that’s going through your head. Nomaybes. NoI don’t know. None of that. Kamila doesn’t stand for that shit, and she deserves more. So, get your head in the game and try to figure out what you’re feeling.”
Picking my razor back up, I agree.
“Finally, if you do come to the conclusion that you have feelings for her and really, truly want to be with her the right way with none of those idiotic rules, you have to keep in mind that she might not want the same thing.”
Acid burns in my throat at the idea of losing her permanently.
“I can feel your nerves through the fucking phone. Don’t let that stop you, brother. Be brave. If you don’t do it, I can guarantee you’re going to regret it for a long, long time.”
Once we hang up, Ethan’s words run through my head until I reach my room that’s missing a five-foot-three Latina woman. My heart squeezes at her absence. A piece of folded paper on the bed catches my eye.
Thanks for thecoffee.
Consider us even.
-K
P.S. I took the cinnamon from your room since I ran out of mine. I’ll also be asking Zoey for that cupcake recipe soon ;)
Chapter Thirty-Seven
KAMILA
“Hey, Kamila. Didn’t expect you to come in today.” Abe smiles at me from behind the bar as I open the front door to King’s Wolf.
He must’ve forgotten that I’m always here on Thursdays.
“Didn’t Tara send you an email? She’s come down with a cold and wasn't able to make it in today.”
Of course she’s also sick.
“I haven’t checked my email since last night, guess I missed it.”
Abe pauses what he’s doing for a moment and motions over to a chair. “Why don’t you sit down? I can fix you up somethin’ to drink, non-alcoholic, of course.”
Not wanting to be alone with my thoughts just yet, I take my jacket off. “That would be great, Abe, thanks.”
“Anything in particular you want?”
I hum. “Surprise me.”
Abe works quickly behind the bar, pouring all the ingredients. It looks like he has five arms at the speed he’s making the drink. I’m focused on his movements when he starts talking.
“What’s up with you and that Cameron boy?” His southern accent emphasizes the curiosity and skepticism in his question.
It’s been over twenty-four hours since I left Cam’s room. Twenty-four hours since I accidentally fell asleep next to him, since we talked like regular old pals. And twenty-four hours since we left so many things unspoken. The simple act of him having the things in his dorm to make my favorite daily drink was a major surprise.
