We got to my truck. I opened the door and said what I needed to say. “I meant what I said, Cam. Labels don’t mean shit when they don’t fit exactly who you are. No one expects you to conform to one word. If you need time to think and figure things out, or if you want to do anything to or with me to see if you like it, I’m here. You deserve to be with a person, or people, who you feel most comfortable around.” I stepped in closer, placing a hand on his hip. As he leaned into my touch, I placed the other on his cheek. “Stop hiding from yourself. I wish you could love yourself the way everyone around you loves you.”
He let out a shaky breath and rested his hands on my pecs. “Thank you for understanding. This isn’t easy for me at all. With that being said, you should come around more. I would love to get to know you better.”
I couldn’t hide the smile that spread across my face. “I would love that too, Cameron.” He smiled. Cam leaned forward and kissed me. It took everything in me not to pick him up andpress him into the side of my car. He needed to be in charge and lead this.
Cam pulled away too soon for my liking, and on instinct, I let out a small whimper. His eyebrows quirked in amusement.
I cleared my throat and spoke, “I’ll see you soon. Get some rest, love.”
“You too, Tuck.”
I climbed into my truck and watched him walk inside.
What have I gotten myself into?
19
CAM
The house was quiet when I walked back in. My head was absolutely reeling. I had too much on my mind, and my dick ached. It was practically begging me to touch it.
I think I surprised myself when I kissed him. This all feltweird. I didn’t want him to leave, but I was kind of relieved to have just Harper here with me as I sorted out what was going on in my head.
I stood in the foyer for a minute and rested my palms against the small table that was placed beneath a mirror. I looked up at myself, dark circles forming under my blue eyes. My hair was tousled, and my beard was starting to come in. I rubbed at the stubble that ran along my jawline.
Fuck.
What the fuck happened tonight? Could the three of us end up being more than just a hookup? Is that what I truly wanted? I mean, I haven’t been at peace with myself in so long that tonight felt like I was floating. Being with them even for a short amount of time made me happy. Honestly, it was the happiest I had been in basically forever. Ismiled to myself.
I’ll sort through my thoughts later; trouble was waiting for me.
I kicked off my shoes and headed for the living room.
Harper was curled up on the couch in those adorable mushroom print pajamas. This was probably my favorite set she had worn here.
Her skin caught the soft light from the lamp, all warm golden tones against the fuzzy pink, pale blanket she clutched. I remember when Wren bought her that blanket. It was specifically so Harper would stop stealing hers. They were like twins, constantly buying the same item but in a different color.
She sat there mindlessly scrolling on her phone. As I walked further into the living room, she turned to face me. And that's when I saw it.
Her eyes were a lighter brown than usual, rimmed red from crying, like the color had been washed out by everything she’d been holding in all day. They found mine for a second and then dropped. It was obvious to me that she didn’t want me to see her like this.
I stepped out of the living room and jogged down the hall. I ran right into the room she was staying in and grabbed her glasses and contact case off the dresser. I wanted to help in any way that I could, and getting her comfortable was the first step.
I walked back into the living room, and she looked at me, one eyebrow cocked in confusion.
I stepped closer, slow and careful. I handed Harper her glasses and case for her contacts. She took them wordlessly. The look on her face was shock or utter disbelief. She looked from me to the items in her hand and sighed. Harper took out her contacts and set the container on the table. She put on her glasses and looked at me with a small smile.
“Thank you.”
I nodded. I sat next to her on the couch, stealing some of her blanket.
“So, what’s up? You didn’t look like that before I walked out. What’s going on, Shortcake?”
She gave a small smile before blowing out a breath. “Honestly, I think tonight was a little too good; that reality hit hard when you guys walked out.”
I rested a hand on her thigh and motioned for her to continue talking. She gave a weak laugh and lay her head on my shoulder.
“It’s late, Cam. Sometimes I get sad when it's late. There's so much going on in my life, and I feel like instead of finding solutions, I’m adding to the problems.” She lifted her glasses and wiped the heel of her palm over her eye, smearing what was left of her makeup. “It was nice to see you and Tucker together. I don’t think I have ever seen you so happy.”
