Chapter 12 Cameron
CHAPTER TWELVE
cameron
NOAH SHOVED HIS HANDS in his pockets as he walked up to me, and I knew immediately what this was.
His tone hadn’t been a passing hey, man…let’s catch up.
This was a hey, man…we need to talk.
“Noah, you—” I started, wanting to get ahead of it.
But Natalie’s brother held up a hand, cutting me off, and I stopped, deciding to hear him out. Might as well not expose things that didn’t need to be exposed.
“Look, Cam.” Noah released a heavy sigh that did not bode well for my future. “I don’t know what’s going on, but—”
“Nothing is going on, Noah,” I said as stoically as possible. “Nothing.”
He flashed me an annoyed look. “Just let me finish.”
I nodded. Fuck, yeah, okay, I’d been a little too eager to prove my point.
“Truthfully, I think you’d be great for Natalie,” he said and then waited, like he was testing my reaction to that.
But it wasn’t like I was going to say, “Yeah, man. I think I’d be great for your sister, too.
” Not when I was, in fact, her lawyer on an active case involving the custody of her nine-year-old daughter and his niece.
So I settled with, “I have nothing but professional respect for your sister.”
Noah dipped his chin, giving me a look that implied he wanted me to cut the bullshit.
“C’mon, Cam. You don’t need to do this. Blake and I both clocked it the moment you guys met. And now the looks and the cat and Chloe. Something’s up.”
“It’s because that wasn’t the first time we met,” I admitted, taking myself by surprise.
But I also felt relief flooding me with every word out of my mouth.
I hadn’t realized how much it was driving me wild to keep that bottled up, not until this moment when I got to let it out.
“We met in a bar about six months ago. Hit it off, shared a few drinks, but nothing came of it.”
Noah hadn’t been expecting that. His expression shifted, stunned. It almost looked like he didn’t believe me at first—which I couldn’t blame him for, considering Natalie had made it clear she rarely went out—but then something clicked in his brain.
“I…remember that, actually.”
“You do?”
“It was in November, right?”
I nodded, and he shook his head with a sort of disbelief, leaning back against the exposed brick wall.
“Natalie doesn’t go out often,” he said with a humorless laugh, confirming I’d been right about his thought process.
“Not just for herself. But it was the one-year anniversary of filing for her divorce. She wanted to commemorate it. Chloe hung out at my place. It made me nervous because Nat was going out alone, but I didn’t want to discourage her from celebrating, either.
And I was glad I didn’t. She came back and seemed…
” His gaze raked over me, somewhat assessing, like he was looking at me for the very first time. “It seemed good for her.”
“I didn’t know who she was,” I confessed. “I wish I’d known who she was.”
Biggest understatement of my life, for so many reasons.
“Fuck, man.” Noah’s expression changed from wonderment to sympathy. There was a speechlessness to him as he ran a hand over his jaw, like he didn’t know what to do with this new information. “She didn’t tell you?”
I shook my head. “Gave me a different name.”
For some reason, I found myself not wanting to share with him exactly what it was.
A dry laugh left Noah’s lips. “Of course she did.”
My brows lifted, and Noah noticed.
“Walls,” he muttered. “Natalie has a lot of walls she’s put up.” He gave me a thoughtful look. “But it seems like you’ve gotten through some of them already.”
I tried to play that off like it didn’t affect me, like I didn’t care that I was lucky enough to get a version of Natalie not everyone did. “Some of it is out of necessity,” I said logically. “I’m her lawyer. There’s some information she has to tell me, even if she doesn’t want to.”
“Right. You’re her lawyer.”
It was like he’d momentarily forgotten.
I wished to hell I could momentarily forget.
Or permanently.
“Yeah,” I said dryly.
“Look.” Noah settled his hands on his hips. “I don’t have a problem with this. Actually, I think it’s fucking great. But I do have a problem with this getting in the way of—”
I put my hand up, halting him in his tracks. “Jeopardizing this custody case is the last fucking thing I would do.”
“And yet her cat is growing attached to you,” Noah challenged, leaning forward with the tiniest glint in his eyes.
Because while I could tell he wanted to be supportive and chill about this, it was still his sister and niece’s livelihood and well-being on the line, and I couldn’t really blame him for that.
“Is Nat bringing her cat to your office?”
“No, it was just—” I sighed. Fuck. He was right; I knew he was right. “Chloe is exaggerating. I’ve met the cat like three times.”
“Three times,” Noah repeated. His eyes grew round and then narrowed, not at all happy by that revelation.
Shit, I should have lied about the cat.
Noah hung his head for a second and then gave me a tired look, like he hated that he had to spell this out for me, that he wished he didn’t have to meddle but knew it was for the best. “You have to be careful around Chloe, too. She gets attached easily. And if she gets confused about why you’re over all the time—”
“I know,” I said, nodding, recognizing the truth in what he was saying. “You’re right. I’ll do better.”
Something in my stomach sank at the thought of distancing myself from them.
I’d enjoyed that night on Natalie’s couch, watching TV with them, more than I cared to admit.
I liked seeing Chloe’s excitement about her new bookshelf.
Their home was warm and joyful, and I wasn’t sure if I’d just gotten too lonely as a recluse who lived alone, if maybe I was simply craving more human connection, to not spend most nights eating by myself, but I didn’t think that was it.
Which was why Noah’s glare was good for me. I needed this—the reminder. It would help me keep my shit together around Natalie when I felt increasingly like I was slipping, falling, something.
“Good. Okay.” Noah sounded satisfied.
But I wasn’t done. Because even if Noah was good, I needed to verbalize this—put it into the atmosphere. For myself, for him, for Natalie.
“I don’t take this lightly, Noah. It’s not just Natalie’s case that would be at risk.
It’s my job, too. If I—” I cut myself off, looking up at the ceiling and knowing I shouldn’t spell it out any further, detail what I wanted to happen when it came to his sister.
“I could lose my ability to practice law, something I’ve been working toward my entire life. ”
“And we don’t want that to happen,” Noah said, gripping my shoulder. “Because from what I hear, you’re pretty fucking good at your job.”
“I am,” I said, meeting his gaze, reassuring him. “And I’m incredibly close to a promotion I don’t want to fuck up.”
We both wanted the same things here.
Noah nodded. “Julian told me about that. I’m sure you’ll get it.” His lips kicked to one side. “Would some tickets to a Knights game help? I heard your boss is a fan.”
“I’m not interested in bribery,” I said with a lifeless chuckle. “But thanks.”
“I want to help.” An obvious sincerity rang through Noah’s tone. “With anything I can.”
“Appreciate it, man.”
I really did; it was more than I deserved after the fucking line I’d been tightrope walking with his sister.
With one last meaningful look, Noah strode past me, making his way to the bathroom, and I continued back to the table.
I kept Noah’s reminders about how much was at stake for me and Natalie tucked into my chest as I walked, preparing to see her again, telling myself that I could do this.
I could ignore how fucking brilliant she was, how effortlessly beautiful she looked, how much tension simmered between us.
I concocted a plan in my head. It only spanned over the next few minutes, but at the moment, that was all I needed.
I’d walk up to her, confirm our meeting time for her deposition, and then I’d walk away, simple as that.
I’d leave this little London and Briggs family reunion and head home. Like a fucking professional.
It was a great plan.
Totally foolproof.
At least until I approached the table and found the girls still hovering together at one end of it, but this time with Natalie and Delilah included.
Or, more importantly, until I overheard Gemma saying, “I think you just need someone to rip off the Band-Aid, you know? You deserve to get laid, girl.”
“I know,” Natalie said beneath her breath, confirming they were talking about her.
My senses heightened; my body tensed. I stilled a pace or two behind her and noted the way her attention skirted to Chloe, clocking that she was all the way at the end of the other table, working on a crossword.
“I just want to have a little fun and know that it’s just going to be fun.
Nothing too serious. Someone to experiment with.
I don’t even know what I like. I never got a chance to figure it out. ”
I don’t even know what I like.
The words bounced around my brain, both enraging and inciting me.
I bet I knew what she’d like.
Me.
“Oh, I’m sure we can find someone to fit that bill,” Gemma said, a bit playful and impish, like she’d been waiting for this moment where she got to set Natalie up for a long time. “A no-strings-attached arrangement with you? There’d be a line out the door.”
Natalie swatted Gemma, like she was being ridiculous.
She wasn’t being ridiculous.
There would easily be a line out the door.
And fuck if I didn’t want to be the first one in it.
I wanted there to be zero competition about who that arrangement would be with, even if my strings already felt a little more than attached. I’d deal with that problem later.
A somewhat nervous laugh left Natalie’s mouth before she cocked her head to the side.
“Do you know anyone? Preferably someone who doesn’t know my brothers.
” She looked at Juniper across from her, and I felt my jaw harden at her question.
“Maybe you’re the better person to ask, then.
Not this one.” She cocked her head toward Gemma.
“I bet Julian knows someone,” Juniper said, and I shoved my hand into my pocket, not wanting anyone to see the way it had automatically balled into a fist. Juniper lifted her gaze from the group of girls, searching for her husband.
“Maybe…” Her words died in her throat when she saw me standing behind the table, clearly listening. Shit. “Cam…does?”
Absolutely fucking not.
She gave me a regrettable expression, like she knew this was killing me, a problem all on its own. But she couldn’t have not acknowledged me. Not when I’d walked up from behind, and Julian wasn’t even paying attention to their conversation.
I cleared my throat, pushing words out of it.
“I’m afraid I can’t recommend anyone to you, Natalie.” I was a selfish bastard, but I didn’t care. The thought of anyone I knew—or didn’t know—touching Natalie made me want to choke on my own tongue. “But maybe Julian will be more helpful.”
Natalie turned, her expression unreadable. I met her gaze, not wanting to shy away but also not wanting her to see the truth in mine. She swallowed hard, and I gritted my teeth, hating every bit of this.
“I have to go,” I said after a beat of silence. “But I wanted to confirm the time for your depo—”
“Nine o’clock Monday, right?” she interrupted breathlessly, like she couldn’t wait for this interaction to be over.
Made sense.
I couldn’t be upset at her for wanting to experience something better than Korey had given her. God knows she deserved that. And I couldn’t blame her for not wanting it with me. It couldn’t be with me, not right now.
But fuck if I wanted to hear about it.
I gave a curt nod. “Correct. I’ll see you at the office.”
And then I didn’t wait another second before turning on my heel and walking out of the restaurant.