So now what?
He looked down at the application once more, focused on the digits beside her debt, and wondered how much of that she owed even still.
What it came down to was truth. So, would Camila—if given the chance—come clean about applying to get on the show? James felt confident that she would. If she did, James wouldn’t hold it against her. He’d be willing to forgive the fact that she’d hidden it up to that point.
But what if she didn’t come clean?
He clenched his eyes shut and groaned. If Camila refused to fess up, he’d be left with just one possible assumption: that she couldn’t be trusted.
James stayed put for a while longer, hesitant to disrupt his elevated image of Camila. Of the person he’d built her up to be. Soon, he’d get up, dust the sand off his hands, and head back to the villa. Soon, he’d ask for the answer he dreaded to hear.
But for now, James would see Camila as the innocent, passionate, and honest woman he’d fallen in love with. For just a moment more, he’d hold onto hope.
* * *
Camila towel-dried her hair while eyeing the bright blue sky through the window. Last night’s storm had nearly gotten the best of her. Its noisy rain, relentless wind, and shocking claps of thunder had her wanting to venture out of her room and into James’ room instead. Sure, she’d wanted to cuddle up to him during the chaos, but more than that, Camila had something to get off her chest.
It didn’t feel right to keep parts of her past from him. Not when he’d been so open about the darkness in his own past. Still, yesterday had belonged to James and Winston. He’d finally got the resolution he’d been looking for.
In a way, yesterday would belong to her and James too. To their relationship. It marked the day they’d confessed their love for one another, and that was a day she wouldn’t soon forget.
The mere recollection made her sigh with warmth, happiness, and hope. And as she let her mind drift to the moments that followed, when James backed her against the doors and kissed her long and slow, a new sort of heat pushed through her.
James was spectacular. He knew how to make her feel wanted in all the right ways. Wanted as a woman, as a partner, as a friend. As an important part in his life. She’d had random pieces of that puzzle, scattered between one relationship to the next, but never had Camila enjoyed all of those qualities in one, rewarding relationship. She could finally see what kept her grandparents going all those years. And she hoped, very much, that James might be the person she’d spend similar years with as well.
Hopefully, what she shared with him today wouldn’t scare him away. She doubted it would. James was loving and compassionate. She knew that much by now. He’d be more concerned about her and what she’d dealt with than how it might taint his own image. At least, she hoped.
Today, she’d make time to let him know the details behind her parents’ death. Already, she looked forward to having the task off her chest once and for all.
She turned her mind to the breakfast menu. Camila had set aside some roasted potatoes from last night’s dinner, and she planned to mash them up with crumbled bacon, grated cheese, sour cream and chives. After shaping the mixture into patties, she’d batter and fry them until golden brown. Fried slices of yellow squash tossed with fresh, diced tomatoes would make for the perfect side dish.
In less than a week, they’d be back in LA, settling into a life of juggling work and their blooming relationship. And while Camila had reservations about what that transition might look like, she felt confident that they’d make one another priority. After all, they’d spent nearly every waking hour together for close to a month now. Aside from their romantic connection, they were friends. James had already invited her to come to his family’s annual life celebration gathering. She could hardly wait to meet the family members she’d heard so much about.
Camila was also looking forward to having a candid conversation with Gypsy about the billionaire she’d met at The Royal Palm. About who he was to her now. Thank heavens her young friend had been tied up in an adventure of her own, flying off to the Bahamas for her yoga study. She was staying in tents on the beach, cooking meals for a group over an open flame, and living a life that suited her free-spirited friend very well.
“Camila, can I talk to you for a moment, please?”
She glanced up to see James standing in the kitchen entryway. His posture was off, restless. Tight in the shoulders, weight shifting from foot to foot. That, combined with the somber tone of his voice, sparked a knot of fear in Camila’s gut.
She set the freshly washed tomato onto the counter and used the apron to dry off her hands. “What’s wrong, James?”
That’s when she noticed that deep furrow in his brow. It was a look she hadn’t seen him in since…since his appearance on the live television show.
“Hopefully nothing.” He motioned to the dining area. “Let’s…step over to the table, if you don’t mind.”
It was such a formal suggestion that it made her bristle. It reminded her of the way he’d tried to reason with her when she’d first arrived. Some attempt to keep things civilized.
Camila’s heart skipped a beat. “Why would we need to sit down?” She’d tried to put a touch of humor in the query, but it came out more accusing instead. That knot of anxiety swelled larger. Hotter. Began gnawing at her from the inside. “C’mon, James. Let’s just talk right here.”
James sighed, his shoulders dropping as he took two long strides into the kitchen. He locked his eyes on her. “Are you hiding something from me?”
Her breath hitched. A bomb had just gone off in her chest, she was sure of it. Camila managed a nod as she tried to form the words. He’d found out about her parents. Found out before she could even tell him. She should never have waited so long.
“Yes,” she finally admitted. “There is something I haven’t told you.” She was halfway through the sentence when James sighed with relief. It made her pause for a blink, but then she continued. “I’ve been trying to think of a way to bring this up all week, but I haven’t found the right time.”
“Good,” James said. “And I’m only bringing this up because, well, you know that I have to be careful about who I trust.”
Camila nodded, hoping he wouldn’t be so worried about his image that he couldn’t see past it. Hoping that he wouldn’t respond the way some of her middle school classmates did when they found out about it.
