Camden is one of the most generous people I’ve ever known, and if he wants to spoil me, he can. He has the means, so I won’t ever say no, but it does make the relationship feel a littlelopsided. “Just makes me feel a little silly, knowing what I bought you as a gift.”
He shakes his head, hands molding to my face. “Whatever it is, I’m sure I’ll love it. Besides…” He kisses my lips. “You are my most treasured gift.”
I thump his hard chest, biting back a laugh, wondering what the world would think if they knew Bad Boy Camden Long was a total simp. “You are so cheesy.”
“Most definitely. Come here.” He pulls me into his lap and then turns on the TV, streaming the original Grinch cartoon, at my request, and after it’s over, he scoops me up to carry me to bed, where we fall asleep cuddled together in our matching pajamas, though his don’t last long.
He wakes up around midnight to strip down to his underwear, saying he’s too hot to sleep, yet he has no problem pulling me on top of him. He swears he sleeps better with my weight next to him, which reinforces that I made the right purchase.
Because he grins when he opens my gift the next morning—a weighted pillow and a pillowcase I had made out of my old Montclair State T-shirt. “It’s for when you can’t sleep or feel anxious on the road.”
He gives the pillow a squeeze, arms around it like it’s me. “It’s perfect.” He even puts the pillowcase on it then tugs me to him for a kiss. “Thank you.”
Among the miles of professionally wrapped paper torn to shreds are the piles of gifts he bought for Paisley and me: purses, jackets, gift certificates for spa days, and best of all, an easel and paint supplies for his sister since she’s recently become interested in painting through the art class she takes. So now she can do it whenever she wants.
After a breakfast of cinnamon rolls, with a large side of turkey bacon and eggs on Camden’s plate, he heads out for practice, while Paisley and I laze around, doing absolutely nothing. My parents text me to ask if I’m going to Mass, knowing full well I’m not planning on it, but I’m guilted enough to say acouple of silent prayers and then find homes for my new gifts. A lot of my belongings have migrated over to Camden’s bedroom, closet, and bathroom, so when I stay here, I don’t need to pack a bag anymore. Erik might not have noticed, but Molly definitely has since she popped her head into my room at their house last week and raised her eyebrows in silent question at the emptiness of it.
Without saying a word, she understood. Because she merely hugged me and said, “I told you so.”
She did. All thatPride and Prejudicetalk. She Jane Austened me.
But then I asked her not to say anything to Erik because Camden and I would tell him after the season, and she easily agreed before helping me pack up a few more of my things.
Now, I’m back at my brother’s house with Camden and Paisley in tow, a few gift bags in hand. Molly greets us with Kai on her hip, and I immediately take him from her, smothering his cheek with kisses. Camden leans over my shoulder to coo at him. “What’s up, little one? You’re getting bigger every time I see you.”
Kai waves his chubby hands, reaching for him, so I pass my nephew off to Camden, who holds him comfortably, his forearm under Kai’s little bum covered in a onesie. His other hand spans the baby’s back, and I’m tempted to give in to Camden’s little breeding kink. Seeing his big form cradling that little body is too adorable for my ovaries to stand.
I know that when the time comes, he’ll be a great dad. Giving and patient, though I’m sure he’ll be soft when it comes to rules. I can already imagine he’ll be the good cop, and I’ll have to be the bad one.
“All right?” Erik asks, slinging his arm around my shoulders, rousing me from my daydream of Camden on the floor next to our baby, a toddler running behind him.
“Yep. Mm-hmm.”
“You were out of it for a second.”
“Yeah.” I force a laugh. “Tired, I guess.”
“Come on.” He tugs me to the dining room. “Dinner’s ready.”
With so few of us, Erik and Molly asked their chef to “whip something up.” The supposedly quick meal is filet mignon, grilled shrimp and vegetables, along with salad and mashed sweet potatoes.
We all dig in, Molly, Paisley, and me on one side with Erik, Camden, and Kai in his high chair on the other, having a grand time mushing the potatoes against his tray. The boys talk shop while we chat about the cat Molly’s trying to talk Erik into adopting and how Paisley and I have given in to Camden’s whims to call the guinea pigs Rocky and Balboa. But since Molly isn’t as fluent in ASL as everyone else, I translate for the both of them.
Out of the corner of his eye, Camden must spot the bracelet and ring he gifted me on my hand while I sign because he offers me a sweet, shy smile, turning to watch me for a moment before going back to his conversation with my brother.
But I should have known Erik would clock it, and after we exchange gifts—mostly presents for Kai to open, ripping at the tissue paper, smacking his hands on the little light-up keyboard—he corners me, hands on his hips.
“What’s going on with you and Cam?”
“What?”
He tips his head back toward the living room, where his best friend—my boyfriend—is seated between Paisley and Molly, flying Kai above his head. “Is something going on between you two? Are you sleeping with him?”
I don’t like the accusatory tone in his voice, or the fact that he says “sleeping with” like it’s “murdering people.”
I roll my eyes, pushing his shoulder away, so I can brush by him. “Even if my personal life were any of your business, I wouldn’t tell you.”
He catches my wrist. The one with my new bracelet. “But you are my sister. And he is my best friend.”
