Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
H anging Out
Maribel
My chest warms as I see Cam up ahead. He looks great even from this distance. He’s wearing a pair of light blue jeans that are hugging his thighs. His head is down, and his hands are in his pockets. The jean jacket he has on over his white tee fits his broader shoulders nicely.
As I get closer, he lifts his head, and a smile comes to his face that blows me away. His eyes sparkle with it and his face lights up. I’m pulled into his smile as we close the small distance between us.
I’m so caught up; I lean in to kiss him but catch myself at the last minute and turn to kiss his cheek. Cam wraps his arms around me and pulls me into a hug. His cologne wraps around me as well, hugging me just as tight.
“How was the movie?”
“It was good. I needed the laugh,” I reply.
“Oh yeah? Want to talk about it?”
“Not at all. I came to hang out with a friend and forget all of that drama.”
“Then let’s go. I plan to have a ton of fun kicking your ass in bowling,” he says and frowns.
“What? What’s that look about?”
“If I knew you were going to wear boots like that, I would have planned something else. It’s going to be a shame for you to trade those out for them ugly-ass shoes.”
I burst into laughter and shake my head. “Whatever, Cam.”
“See. I already made you laugh.”
I smile wide. “That you have. Now, about you kicking my ass. Not going to happen.”
“We’ll see.”
He wraps his arm around my shoulders and leads me into the bowling alley. Cam keeps me laughing the entire time we’re renting our shoes and setting up our game. We’re having so much fun as we play neck and neck.
I think I take him by surprise when he sees how well I play. Both of our competitive sides come out. Cam throws another strike and turns to taunt me.
He looks so hot as he does a little celebration. I bite my lip as I watch him and the way his muscles flex beneath his T-shirt. Cam has this effortless way of drawing you in.
“Your turn, twinkle toes,” he croons.
“You’re celebrating like you’ve won or something. You do know I’m one strike away from tying this up for good.”
“No way you’re going to get another strike.”
“Sounds like you want to place a wager.”
He shrugs and pulls a face. “If you get another strike to tie the game, I’ll buy you lunch for a week.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re just trying to get me to hang out with you during the week,” I tease.
He winks at me and shrugs. “If you don’t mind waiting around for me to finish practice, we can have lunch all week. Friends have lunch together.”
“You know what, you’re on. If I win, you’re treating me to Chinese at least twice next week. Not for lunch, I want dinner,” I say.
“You’re on.”
“At your place?”
He takes a pause to think for a second. I’m testing him. I feel like Cam has been trying to hide something from me.
I have a lot of nerve since I haven’t told him my real name, but I’m still curious. He runs his hand through his hair and turns on that smile of his. I start feeling like a mouse caught in a trap.
“Yeah, sure. We can have dinner at my place. That’s cool,” he finally says.
“Deal.”
I stand and grab my bowling ball. I go to take my turn, but Cam comes to stand behind me and wraps his arms around me. He leans to whisper into my ear.
“When you come to my place, make sure you don’t dress like this. I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep my hands to myself. Especially if you smell this good.”
I roll my eyes in my head and try not to moan. Butterflies fill my belly and that pulse between my legs that’s starting to become a constant when I’m around him begins to throb viciously.
He begins to sway me in his arms as if we’re dancing to our own music. I’m lost in the trance he’s creating and almost forget I’m supposed to be taking my turn.
“Amina, you know you feel right in my arms, don’t you?”
I open my eyes and gasp, coming back to my senses. Tears prick the backs of my eyes. I should be able to fall for someone like Cam. I’m being robbed of falling for someone of my choosing.
I tug free of his hold and make sure to miss a few pins. Being in Cam’s space is the last thing I need. I don’t want to get either of our hopes up for more than the friendship we have.
“Now you don’t have to worry about any of that,” I chirp as I turn to face him.
He narrows his eyes at me. “Best two out of three. Let’s go again.”
“I thought we were going to grab a bite. I’m starving. I’ll even let you count this as one of my lunches.” I smile sweetly with my words, but he keeps his gaze narrowed on me.
“My brother cooked, so we could go to my place,” he says with a cocky grin.
“He’ll be home? So it won’t be just the two of us?”
“Yeah, he’ll be there. He goes to bed early, but we can eat then hang in my room.”
The pulse between my legs tells me this is not a great idea. I chew on my lip, thinking about accepting the offer, but my phone rings before I can answer. I pull it from my back pocket and groan, rolling my eyes as I scowl.
I guess Dez didn’t get enough of telling me how much my life sucks because I’m going to marry him whether I like it or not. His timing couldn’t suck more. I send the call to voicemail, not wanting to deal with him again tonight.
“Can I take a rain check? I think I should head home.”
“Is that the drama you were talking about?” he asks and gestures his head toward my phone.
“Yeah, something like that.”
“Cool. I won lunch with you for a week. I won’t be greedy. Can I take you home? I can get in a few more laughs before I get you to your door.”
“Sure, I would like that. I had fun, Cam. Thanks.”
“No, darlin’. Thank you. This was the most normal date I’ve ever been on.”
I hear a note of a story in those words, but I don’t pry because I get the feeling that will make things too intimate between us. We are already skating a thin line. Instead of asking questions, I keep my mouth shut and go to change my shoes.
Cameron
I probably shouldn’t have pushed things at the bowling alley, but I couldn’t help myself. When she asked to come to my place, I couldn’t help wanting to let my guard down with her. For a moment, I dared to dream about her being safe—being able to join the team.
If not as a support for Caleb, then a support for me. Sometimes I just need a space for me. I need time not only to be an individual but to decompress from being a shield and role model.
I wouldn’t want my brother to have to count on anyone else to model after, but sometimes it’s exhausting to have to remember I can’t go with my first reaction. Especially when I’ve been doing so almost all my life. Caleb looks to me first for what’s an appropriate response to situations and I can’t fail him.
I think he would love Amina. I know her sarcasm would challenge him as much as mine does, but that would be good for him. He learns from immersion—fully being involved.
I hate to lose, even though I would have won either way. I only meant to distract her from making a strike. However, she threw her turn to lose.
I don’t know how to feel about that. I might be coming on too strong. I’ve never felt this self-conscious in my life. Amina has made me think more and more about how much I haven’t experienced because of my long-standing relationship with Kay.
“Cam?”
I come out of my thoughts as Amina calls my name. I glance at her in the passenger seat. She’s looking back at me with her brows knitted.
“I’m sorry, what was that?”
I didn’t mean to space out. I just haven’t been able to stop thinking about the change in her face and body when her phone rang at the bowling alley. I’ve been wondering what’s keeping her from giving me a real shot.
“You mentioned skating and hanging out again. I think skating would be fun.”
“Want to go next weekend? I’m going to the team kickback the following weekend,” I reply.
“Sounds cool. We can do that.”
“Cool. I’m down.”
“Tell me more about this kickback?”
“No big deal. Just the baseball team getting together for a bonfire or some shit.”
I get ready to invite her but pause. Cal will need me to be there for him. I don’t think it would be a good idea to introduce her for the first time that night.
Then there’s the fact that I wouldn’t know how to introduce her. I sort of don’t want to be rejected either. If she tells me no because of our secret friendship, that’s going to sting.
“Sounds fun. That’s good for the team, right? Time to bond and get to know each other.”
“Yup, that’s what we’re aiming for. I think it’s going to be cool.”
I find a spot to park so I can walk her to her door. Once I’m in the space, I get out of the car and round it to open her door. She steps out and I can’t keep myself from allowing my gaze to roam over her.
She’s so gorgeous no matter what she wears, but tonight, this outfit she has on makes me want to hold her close and keep her in my arms. My mind goes back to holding her in the bowling alley. That thought keeps me from tugging her into my embrace.
Again, I think my actions might have been too much. Several times during the night, I had to keep myself from kissing her. Those lips of hers are so sexy and inviting.
I clear my throat and take a step back. She looks up into my eyes, searching with her own. I have no doubt she feels this connection between us, but something is holding her back.
I’m trying not to pry or push. I want to respect her boundaries. It’s my hope that, with time, she will tell me what’s holding her back and then I can work around it.
I want Amina and I’m not going to walk away easily. The peace I have when I’m with her is worth fighting for. It’s something I’ve never had.
“I’ll text later,” I say as we get to the front door of her apartment building.
“Thanks again for tonight. You make a great friend.”
“You know, someday you’re going to look back on how hard you tried to keep me in the friend zone, and you’re going to regret the time we lost pretending this isn’t already happening.”
I lean in and peck the tip of her nose. “You make a great friend too. I know you’re going to make an even better baseball wife.” I wink and turn to leave.
With a glance over my shoulder, I find her staring after me with a dazed expression. I had to learn patience as a young boy. Amina has no idea how long I’m capable of waiting for what I want.