“Open up, it’s Camden,” he answered, and Tina’s tone of voice sounded much sweeter than before. He left the door open after he went in, and Elena had to keep herself from eavesdropping. After a minute of Camden’s stern lecturing voice, Tina did not sound as sweet when she answered him. Five minutes later, Camden walked her out to the living room, where she apologized to Elena for her outburst. And not resentfully, either, much to Elena’s shock.
“Thank you, Pepita. I accept your apology. It’s no fun for anyone when one of us gets upset for no good reason.” She glanced up at Camden, who stood smiling behind Tina, then back to her daughter. “I’m sorry I snapped at you when you called me on my grumpiness. I think we’re all gonna try harder next time to listen to each other first, before anybody gets wound up. Sound good?”
Tina gave her a solemn nod.
“Group hug?”
That earned Elena a smile, both from her girl and her guy. She folded her daughter in her arms and Camden wrapped his arms around them both and kissed her cheek. Even Toby got in on the act, licking Tina’s face until she giggled.
“Now,” Elena said, “I see you’ve already got your jammies on, which, thank you for that. Go brush your teeth and then it’s off to bed.”
The little girl looked from her mom to Camden and back. “Do I still get a tuck-in and kisses?”
Elena’s heart clenched. “Baby, of course you do! Just because we had a little argument doesn’t mean no kisses. We never, ever, hold back affection like that, and especially never ever after we’ve made up. I love you no matter what, forever.”
“That goes for me too, Mermaid. Love you, no matter what.” Camden gave her one more big squeeze. “Now, no stalling. Go brush your teeth and we’ll be right in after.”
After tucking Tina in—with Toby at his customary place at the foot of her bed—Elena and Camden found themselves back on the couch. Camden sat down at one end and Elena sat down at the other, mortified at her behavior and what lay under it, afraid that despite what he’d said, Camden was about to break things off. Instead, he slid across the couch and scooped her into his lap before she could protest. He kissed her firmly on the lips then looked deeply into her eyes. “Like you said, we never, ever hold back affection just because we had an argument. Especially after we’ve made up.”
“Havewe made up?” Elena asked in a voice that sounded unbelievably timid to her ears.
Camden grinned. “Are you calling me a liar?”
“What? No.”
“Then, yes, we made up the minute we accepted each other’s apologies. But, it doesn’t mean we’re done here. I’ve been holding back from you, Elena, and that stops tonight. I don’t want to leave you feeling like you’re walking through a minefield, and that’s what you’d be doing if I didn’t tell you about my past. I’ve been avoiding it, because it’s ugly and there are parts of it I’m ashamed of. Parts which, I’m afraid once you hear them, you’ll think twice about being with me.”
Elena brought her fingers to his lips. “There is nothing you could say that would change the fact that I love you.”
His amber eyes went wide. “Elena.”
“I do. I love you, Camden Bains. When you said it to me earlier tonight, I realized I’ve been in love with you for a while now.”
Camden looked confused. “I…when did I—”
“That’s what I thought.” Elena grinned. “It just slipped out, right before you hung up when you were picking up dinner. Love you. Like you’d felt it for so long, it was just…natural.”
“It is. I do. I love you, Elena Martinez. I’m sorry it just slipped out like that. I should have said it to you over a fancy dinner, or at the opera, or—”
“Opera? Seriously?”
Camden shrugged. “It’s the fanciest thing I can think of.”
Elena laughed.
“No, seriously, you deserved to hear it while we were doing something, I don’t know, special. God, I fucked that up.”
“No, you didn’t. It was perfect, the way you did it. Natural. I love that you did it that way. I loveyou.”
Camden looked so soft, and so momentarily vulnerable, that it shook her to the core.
“I’m gonna remember that you said that, baby, after I talk to you.”
“Then, talk to me. Get whatever it is off your chest so we can move on.”
Seventeen
Ilove you.
