“I like her,” Jeremy says, glancing in my direction. And when I look over at Ember and see the smile growing on her face as my friends slowly become hers, I realize I’ve denied something for a while. I like her too.
In more ways than one.
ten
Ember
Ispend more time at Declan’s house than my own. Our original plan of meeting Monday and Wednesday evenings, and then an additional night if needed, has resulted in me being here almost every night of the week between his classes and training sessions.
It always starts with us working on our project, but then someone shows up, and suddenly the project doesn’t exist, and I’m somehow watchingAnnabellewith the guys. Or Brinley’s cooking all of us dinner. Or I’m kicking Zeke’s ass at every video game they own.
So, the fact that I’m at my own place tonight, after finishing up homework with Maia and Brinley at the diner, isn’t only a surprise to me but also—
“Oh, you still live here?” Cam questions, walking through the front door. I’m camped out with Brinley doing a rom-com movie marathon in the living room. “I thought you might’ve moved in with Sanderson.”
“Nope,” I grin, “you’re stuck with me.”
“And if she moved in with a Sanderson, it would be me, not my brother.”
He rolls his eyes and grabs water out of the fridge.
“I mean it, though; I feel like I haven’t seen you in weeks.”
“You’re so dramatic. I see you before class most days.”
“So, you guys are friends now?” he wonders, ignoring my most recent comment. He watches me closely as he takes a sip of his water.
“I don’t know.” I shrug, glancing at Brinley. “I guess. I mean, we’re working on a project that’s important for both of our futures.”
“And that’s all?” He crosses his arms and stares me down. It’s moments like these that I forget he’s my twin and not my older overbearing brother.
I know where he’s heading. He thinks I’m falling. He thinks I’m hoping this will go somewhere, but I know better than that.I fell once for a guy like him. A guy I thought I could trust. And allowing myself to fall broke me in the end. I don’t want to be broken anymore. Not when I’m finally starting to feel whole again.
“That’s all, Cam,” I say. “He’s Brin’s brother. I wouldn’t do that.”
“I wouldn’t care,” she replies, eyes still glued to the tv. “Falling for your friend's brother is quite common.”
“Trust me, I know.” I eye Cam, who sighs, heading toward his room.
“I just,” he stops, not turning back around, “I don’t want you to get hurt. I don’t want either of us to relive freshman year.”
“You don’t have to worry about me, Cam. He’s just a friend.” I shake my head. “Honestly, I don’t even know if he’s that.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
I watch Cam walk into his room and wait for the door to shut before turning my attention back to the movie.
“What happened freshman year?” Brinley asks, and I forget that she wasn’t going here when all that went down.
“Nothing.”
“You don’t think you and Dec are friends?” She pauses the movie, and I shrug.
“I don’t know. Before you, I didn’t remember what it was like having friends,” I respond. “I mean, new friends. I don’t know when or how you know—”
“You guys are friends,” she says. “He talks about you, you know.”
