Chapter 9
NINE
Lymric
“I haven’t seen him in two days.”
I don’t mean for it to sound so miserable, but the moment the words leave my mouth, I realize just how much I miss Camden.
Lilou arches a perfectly shaped brow, her lips twitching as she sips her latte. “And whose fault is that?”
I scowl, stirring my iced coffee with unnecessary force. “Mine. I know. You don’t have to sound so smug about it.”
“I’m not smug,” she says innocently, but her hazel eyes gleam with way too much amusement. “I’m just trying to figure out why you look like someone kicked your puppy when you’re the one who pulled away.”
I glare at her, but she’s not wrong.
I kissed Camden, let myself melt into him, let myself fall into something that felt dangerously close to real. And then—like an idiot—I ran.
Because Camden said he loved me.
And I wasn’t ready for that.
I mean, how could he love me? We’ve only known each other for two weeks. Two weeks! That’s not enough time for love.
Right?
I sigh, dropping my head into my hands. “Ugh. I’m such a mess.”
Lilou chuckles, patting my arm. “You’re not a mess. You’re just overthinking this. You always do.”
“I do not always overthink things.”
She gives me a pointed look.
I groan. “Okay, fine. Maybe I do. But this is different. This is?—”
“Him?”
I look up, frowning. “What?”
“This is him . The guy. The one you didn’t think existed.”
I swallow hard. “It’s too soon to say that.”
She tilts her head, studying me. “Is it?”
I shift uncomfortably, my stomach twisting. “I don’t know. Maybe?”
Lilou sighs, setting her coffee down. “Lym, you can have your dream job and a man who loves you. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.”
I shake my head. “You don’t understand. My whole life has been about moving forward, about chasing the next adventure. That’s my dream.”
“And no one’s telling you to give it up,” she says softly. “But have you thought about the fact that maybe he could be part of the dream too?”
I don’t have an answer for that.
Because the truth is—I have.
I’ve thought about Camden way too much these past two days. Every time I try to distract myself, my mind pulls me back to him. The way he looks at me, like I’m his whole world. The way he touches me, like he can’t believe I’m real.
The way he said I love you like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Like he knew .
And I freaked the hell out.
I push my coffee away, suddenly too restless to sit still. “I don’t know what to do, Lil.”
She leans forward, smiling. “I do.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Oh, you do, do you?”
“Yep.” She winks. “You go talk to him.”
I snort. “That’s your grand advice?”
“Yes! Because this isn’t about what you should do. It’s about what you want to do.”
I hesitate. “And what if I don’t know what I want?”
Lilou gives me a knowing look. “Then why do you miss him so much?”
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.
Because she’s right. I do miss him.
I miss the way he makes me feel grounded, the way his rough voice turns soft when he calls me baby . The way he holds me like he never wants to let go.
I miss him .
I sigh, dropping my head back against the booth. “God. I’m so screwed.”
Lilou grins. “No, babe. You’re in love.”
My heart stutters, and I shake my head. “I don’t?—”
She smirks. “Deny it all you want, but I bet if he walked in here right now, you’d throw yourself at him.”
I roll my eyes, but my stomach does a nervous flip. Because she’s not wrong.
Before I can say anything, the café door swings open, and a group of women walks in, laughing. I recognize a few of them—friends of Lilou’s, women from town.
Lilou’s eyes light up. “Perfect timing. Let’s go out tonight.”
I blink. “What?”
“A girls’ night,” she says, grinning. “Drinks, dancing, fun. You need a distraction.”
I hesitate. “I don’t know…”
“Come on, Lym! It’ll be fun.”
I sigh, but I know I’m going to give in. I need to clear my head, and maybe a night out is exactly what I need.
“Fine,” I mutter.
Lilou squeals. “Yes! It’s gonna be epic .”
I hope she’s right, because right now, all I can think about is Camden.
We get ready and head out. Lilou drives us, and she gets the first round while I find us a table.
After that, things start to get a little fuzzy.
One drink turns into two, and then three. When I stand to get us another round, I sway on my feet.
I am definitely drunk.
Not too drunk. Just enough drunk.
For now, anyway.
Which is why I don’t think twice before pulling out my phone and scrolling to Camden’s name.
Lilou and the other girls are still dancing, but I need a break, so I step outside, leaning against the cool brick wall of the bar. The night air helps, but not enough to sober me up completely.
My finger hovers over the call button.
I shouldn’t.
I should just go back inside, order another drink, and—Before I can stop myself, I press the button.
It only rings once before he picks up.
“Lymric?”
His voice is rough, deep, concerned , and something about the way he says my name makes my chest ache.
“Hi,” I say, my voice softer than I mean for it to be.
There’s a beat of silence. “Where are you?”
“At a bar,” I admit. “With Lilou.”
His voice drops. “Are you drunk?”
I let out a small laugh. “Maybe a little.”
Another pause. Then?—
“I’m coming to get you.”
I blink. “What? No. I didn’t call for that.”
“Don’t care.” His voice is firm. “I’m coming. Stay put.”
And then the line goes dead.
I stare at my phone.
Did I just?—
Oh god. I called Camden. And now he’s coming.
I should be freaking out. But instead, relief washes over me. Because I want to see him. I need to see him.
Ten minutes later, Camden’s truck pulls up, and he hops out like a man on a mission. His sharp blue eyes lock onto me, sweeping over me like he’s checking for injuries, like he’s making sure I’m okay.
“Cam—”
Before I can finish, he’s in front of me, gripping my chin and tilting my face up. His jaw is tight, his nostrils flaring.
“You call me when you need me,” he growls. “No matter what. Understand?”
I swallow hard. “I wasn’t?—”
“Understand.”
It’s not a question. It’s a command , and for the first time in days, I stop fighting it.
“Okay,” I whisper.
His eyes darken, like he wasn’t expecting me to agree so easily. His hand slides down, curling around my wrist, grounding me.
“Come on,” he murmurs, voice softer now. “Let’s get you home.”
I turn, intending to head back to tell Lilou goodbye, and that’s when I see her peeking her head out the door and smiling at the two of us. I smile back as I let him lead me to the truck, my heart pounding.
Because I know this moment, this night, changes everything.