Chapter 15
Dallas
Dallas stared after Camilla, fully aware of the fact that her boyfriend was standing within punching distance, and he couldn’t recall a single time in his life when he wished he was a lesser man.
Jason glanced over at him with a sheepish grin. “Hey, man.”
Dallas grunted. Camilla’s behavior today was about the same as it had been when they were on that double date. Not only was she avoiding having a conversation with him, she was avoiding him altogether.
“I don’t know what she told you…”
Dallas shot a dark look at the man he was currently jealous of.
Jason cleared his throat and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Then he ran a nervous hand through his hair. “I don’t know if this will make much of a difference, but I don’t think we’ll actually go to dinner on Friday.”
Eyes narrowing, Dallas faced Jason. “What are you talking about?”
The man shrugged. He was a couple inches shorter than Dallas, but he was just as built—maybe even more.
Other than that, he looked to be Dallas’s opposite.
His hair was black. His eyes a brown so dark that they almost matched his hair.
He was clean-shaven and wore clothes that could get dirty.
Dallas couldn’t recall a single moment when Jason had been wearing something other than a T-shirt and jeans.
Was this the kind of man Camilla wanted?
If so, this was how Dallas had dressed when they’d been dating.
He’d also been doing grunt work on a local ranch when they’d met.
He frowned and scrubbed at the scruff on his jaw absently.
“Why don’t you think you’re going to dinner on Friday? I was here when she asked about it.”
“I dunno, man. Our last date didn’t end so great.” His eyes flicked to Dallas and away as if he knew something he wasn’t sure he should share. That had the muscles in Dallas’s shoulders bunching.
“What do you mean that your last date didn’t go well?”
“Just what I said. It was a great date and all. Honestly, I was surprised when she asked me out to begin with. It’s clear she’s not interested.”
What was this guy talking about? How could he brush off his relationship like that? This wasn’t making sense. Dallas pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
“What’s not to understand? People have bad first dates all the time. We didn’t click. And I have a feeling the only reason she asked me to dinner—”
“Wait, what? Say that again?” Dallas snapped.
Jason’s eyes widened slightly. “What?”
“The part you said about first dates.”
The guy actually looked confused. “Are you telling me that you’ve never had a bad first date?”
“Of course not. But that wasn’t your first date.”
This time Jason smirked at him. He was actually amused.
Why did he find this conversation humorous?
Dallas glowered at the man, waiting expectantly for the response that Jason might have to explain himself. When he didn’t say anything, Dallas prodded, “Well? It wasn’t, was it?”
“What do you think is going on between Camilla and me?” Jason asked with a chuckle. “That we’ve been going out a while? Does it look like we’re that familiar? Come on, man. The way she talked to me during that date doesn’t exactly scream that we were close.”
“You’re dating,” Dallas muttered flatly. “You guys are in a relationship, aren’t you?”
“Is that what she said?” Jason’s surprised gaze turned toward the house, but Dallas already knew she was long gone.
There was no sight of her. “Look, I don’t know what she’s been telling you, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth.
The rodeo was our first date. And this dinner?
If it happens? It would be our second. I’m not the type of person who wants to take a girl out when they’re in love with someone else. ”
Jason might as well have sucker-punched Dallas for the amount of air his lungs were currently allowing to pass through his airways. So many words filtered through his head, and yet not a single one could manage to get past his lips. Jason couldn’t possibly be referring to Dallas, could he?
“In love… with someone else?”
Jason chuckled and moved past Dallas with a clap to his shoulder. “Dude. I forgot what it’s like to be so blinded by my own insecurities that I can’t see what’s right in front of me.” He continued with the quiet laughter as he headed away.
The guy didn’t blatantly lay everything out, and yet, at the same time, he couldn’t have made it clearer.
Camilla wasn’t dating anyone—least of all him. Why would Cheyenne tell him she was dating Jason?
Camilla didn’t even have feelings for Jason.
But she was in love with someone else.
Dallas. She was in love with Dallas.
His chest ached. Or rather, what his chest held. Dallas rubbed at the spot above his heart, digging his knuckles into his skin until he likely bruised it.
They needed to talk this out, but Camilla was making that incredibly difficult.
For Pete’s sake!
Dallas strode toward the house. Even if he couldn’t get Camilla to speak to him about her feelings, the air still needed to be cleared. He’d given her enough space. He’d waited long enough. Now she was going to have to give him what he wanted, and he prayed he wouldn’t be pushing her too far.
His steps were surer than his heart. The way that organ practically thrashed within his body made it perfectly clear how terrified he was over what might happen next.
He clenched his hands tightly at his sides, only releasing them when he reached the front door to Camilla’s house.
Lifting his fist, he briefly closed his eyes, praying for strength to follow through with this ridiculous plan.
Then he rapped his knuckles on the door and stepped back.
The seconds ticked by far too slowly for comfort. He knew Camilla was inside. Her siblings were probably home, too. Which begged one question.
Had Camilla turned them all against him?
Mateo had seemed okay with him. Even Roman had started to warm up to him. Had he ruined everything by going on that group date with Melody?
No. He refused to let that be the case.
Dallas lifted his fist, intent on pounding loud enough to make it clear he was done waiting, but the door swung inward.
Isabelle gasped, her wide eyes landing on Dallas before her cheeks took on a pink hue. “Dallas? What are you… Mateo isn’t—”
“Not looking for Mateo,” Dallas grunted, his eyes shifting behind her as if he’d get a glimpse of Camilla behind her. “I need to talk to Camilla.”
Her brows raised and she shifted where she stood, making it appear as though she’d stand in his way if he were to attempt to barge into the house. “Camilla isn’t—”
“Don’t bother lying. I know she’s here.”
Isabelle worried her lower lip and glanced over her shoulder. “I don’t think she wants to see you.”
“What else is new?” he muttered. “I know she doesn’t want to see me.”
Her eyes shifted back to him and her frown deepened. “Then why…”
His expression crumpled and he dragged a hand down his face. “Please, Isabelle,” he whispered. He didn’t know why he was suddenly crumbling. Nothing bad had happened—not really. “I just want to talk to her.”
“About what?” Isabelle looked away and that blush on her face deepened. “Oh.”
He nodded. “I won’t be long. Just… tell me where she is so I can… try.”
Isabelle studied him for a moment, her attention darting from him and away for several seconds before she finally nodded. “She’s in her room,” she confessed before stepping aside and granting him access.
Dallas knew where her room was. He didn’t need to be escorted, and he was more than relieved that Isabelle didn’t feel the need to take him upstairs.
The door was shut when he reached it. And his heart stuttered to a stop. Now that he was here, he didn’t know what to say.
He stood in the hallway, staring at that door.
How many times had he stood right here and not given it a second thought to knock and head inside?
Countless times.
Too many.
And he’d taken them all for granted.
Dallas shuffled forward until he was inches from the door. Then he took a deep breath and knocked. “Camilla?”
A loud sound came on the other side of the door—like Camilla had dropped something.
He cleared his throat. “Camilla, it’s Dallas.”
“I know who you are.” Her voice came so close from the other side of the door that he could imagine her standing mere inches from him.
“It’s time we talk.”
“I have nothing to say to you.” This time, her voice was quieter—almost like she didn’t believe what she was saying herself.
“Then I’m going to talk.”
Camilla didn’t respond that time. He couldn’t tell if she wanted him to say anything or if she’d walked away from the door and planned to ignore him.
Regardless, he was going to finally tell her exactly how he felt.
Turning, he leaned against the door and slid to the floor. Resting his forearms on his knees, Dallas let his head fall back against the wood and closed his eyes. “You probably don’t believe me, but I didn’t come here to torture you.”
Was he mistaken? Or did he hear her snort?
“My job requires me to be here, but I did reach out to your brother because there was a good chance I’d be able to see you again.
” He opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling.
This was harder than he’d thought it would be.
“I thought that I’d be able to see you happy and convince myself to let you go.
Cheyenne has told me more times than I can count that you’ve moved on.
She told me there was no reason for me to come back because it would only hurt you.
And maybe that was why I chose to stay away this long.
I know I could have come back at any time, and you’ll never know how much I regret my decisions… ”
He swallowed at the lump lodged in his throat. The fact that Camilla wasn’t speaking, nor could he hear her on the other side of the door, was making him wonder if all of this was for nothing. Still, he had started this dialogue, and he needed to finish it.
“When I heard you were dating that guy, it tore me up, Camilla. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to be here without messing something up.
No matter how many times I told myself I’d be happy with just rekindling our friendship…
I knew I was lying to myself.” He closed his eyes again, fighting the emotion that threatened to break free.
His voice cracked on his next confession. “I’m still in love with you.”
Silence.
Utter and complete silence.
The last threads of hope he had keeping his heart together unraveled. His limbs felt heavy. How was he supposed to get to his feet right now? Camilla didn’t want him. He’d laid it all out and she had picked her side.
He sucked in a deep breath, then exhaled. Just as he was about to pull away from the door, it was yanked open.
Dallas fell back with an “oof” and peered up at the tear-streaked face of the girl of his dreams.