And then nothing happens.
No smile that lingers. No mention of being gone all of yesterday. Noare you okay?Nothingabout the kisses.
He turns back to the coffee.
The silence stretches. Not awkward. Not hostile. But empty.
It's reasonable. He’s dealing with a public nightmare. Lawyers. Leaks. Headlines that slice instead of inform. Cam isn’t a talker on his best days. I knew that walking into this.
Still.
I lean against the island and scroll my phone once, then lock it again. I don’t want to be the first to bring up doubts. I don’t want to make this heavier than it already is.
But some small, treacherous part of me is waiting.
For reassurance. For acknowledgment. For anything that says that kiss mattered to him too.
The kettle clicks off. He pours. Steam curls between us.
He doesn’t look at me again.
My chest tightens, slow and sneaky.
I’ve had relationships before with men who went quiet instead of honest. Who retreated behind “being busy” and “handling things” until I started apologizing for wanting clarity.
I shake the thought away.
This is different.
Cam is different.
But the feeling is the same. The doubt slips in, quiet and insidious. It doesn’t accuse. It just asks questions I don’t want to answer yet.
Maybe he regrets it. Maybe the kiss was adrenaline. Maybe calling me his wife scared him.
My phone buzzes again.
I don’t look right away. I already know it’s going to hurt. My body braces before my mind catches up, shoulders tightening like I’m about to take a hit.
When I finally glance down, it’s a clip.
A podcast logo I recognize. Bright colors. Laughing hosts frozen mid-grin.
And my ex’s name.
I put in one earbud, and push the button.
“Look,” my ex says easily, leaning back like he’s settling into a barstool instead of dismantling me in public, “I’m not surprised she rushed into something again. I just feel bad for Camden Drake. He could do so much better than her.”
One of the hosts chuckles. The sound makes my stomach flip.
“Lila hates being alone,” he continues, shrugging. “She makes everything about herself. That’s just who she is.”
They laugh.
I stare at the screen, frozen, even after the clip has finished running.
I lock my phone and set it face-down on the counter with more force than necessary.
