I press my hands over my face.
Did that actually happen? Or did I just dream it?
Wait a minute. This isn’t my bed.
CHAPTER SEVEN
ALL IN MY HEAD
CAMDEN
It’s hard not to laugh as I drive Juju home. Her head lolls to the side as she drifts off, even in the minuscule distance it takes us to get from the restaurant to her place. But honestly, my mood has everything to do with the moment we just had in the kitchen.
I shouldn’t be, in any way, excited.
I’m not really.
Okay, I am, a little, but I shouldn’t be.
She’s still my best friend’s sister.
He’s never liked us being close—he’s the reason all of this weirdness started in the first place.
And as if that isn’t enough,she hates me. Just because her eyes softened in the kitchen and it seemed like she was leaning in to maybe kiss me doesn’t mean she really wanted to. In the next second, she blinked and stepped back, nearly stumbling into the open cooler.
I don’t blame her for hating me. I’ve been awful to her. For a long time. Once I knew how Jackson felt about our friendship, Ibacked way off and I knew it hurt Juju. She became sullen and short with me, which drove me crazy, but I didn’t do anything to change things. It took years before I started reacting to her the way I do now…acting like I hate her right back.
I’ve had times I’ve wondered if it’s true, times when I haven’t seen her in a long time and think maybe I’ve gotten past caring. But the second I see those green eyes staring back at me, even if they’re laced with disgust, I know that what I feel is not hate for Juliana Fair.
I pull into her driveway, and when she doesn’t budge, I sit there for a second, wondering what to do.
“Juju,” I say softly.
Nothing.
She’s looked so exhausted every time I’ve seen her lately. I hate to wake her up. I could try to carry her inside, but what if the door isn’t unlocked? I don’t want to wake up the whole house.
I back up and drive to my place.
I’ve been staying in the walk-out basement at the lake house since I moved back. It’s huge, so even with my family living here, it’s not too crowded. My old bedroom is upstairs with the rest of the family, but I figured with my late nights, the lower level would be best for everyone. Milo and Goldie need their rest. They’re working on their house in what little spare time they have with the resort renovations. And my grandmas and dad are light sleepers. My grandmas can bounce back with little sleep, but my dad needs all the rest he can get.
I’ve got a great setup in the basement—it’s technically a mother-in-law apartment, though neither grandma stays down there—but I’d still like my own place. It’s been years since I’ve lived at home, and it’s been an adjustment to be back as an adult. My siblings and I each have a large plot of land on the newproperty. I’d love to be further along on the plans for that, but opening the restaurant has taken all of my headspace.
I get out of the SUV and walk around to Juju’s side. When I open the door, I say her name again. She keeps sleeping.
“I’m going to carry you inside now, okay?”
Still nothing.
I lift her in my arms, and fuck me, she smells good. I said it without thinking earlier, and she assumed I meant the worst…probably because of all the other times I’ve been a jackass to her. But the mulled wine and citrus mixed with her berry shampoo is something I want to sink my nose into and never come up for air.
I walk into my dimly lit apartment, past the couch, and set her carefully on the bed. She’s out. I remove her shoes and tug the covers up to her shoulders, giving her one last glance before I leave the room.
I take a quick shower and then drag a pillow and blanket to the couch. It takes forever to fall asleep. I think about the way she looked at me in the kitchen and wonder if she’ll be soft like that in the morning or hate me for letting her crash here.
When I wake up, there’s daylight streaking through the windows. I sit up and stretch, my back cracking in protest. Movement in the doorway catches my attention, and I turn to see Juju standing there. Her hair is a mess and there’s a pillow crease on her cheek, but she looks beautiful. Her eyes are wide.
“Morning,” I say, my voice rough.
