CHAPTER 8 #4
I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms but was secretly pleased with the praise.
It was difficult; not many witches could say they had successfully accomplished bringing someone back from the dead, even if it was illegal.
And not just a mindless zombie, but a full-fledged, living and breathing person who was slowly recalling himself and his memories with every passing day.
“As promised, your fancy cockatoo dining set,” I said sweetly to divert the conversation, gesturing a sweeping hand to the cardboard box resting on her desk. It was wrapped in yellow warning tape with black block letters across it that said “Ghost Caution” on repeat.
“I even had the guy put in the keep-your-ghost packing peanuts or whatever. You owe me for that too. So, you’re welcome.”
“Mandy has been bugging me about these all weekend,” she grouched. “You’re lucky I didn’t come to your house to get them.”
I smirked over at Cam with an “I told ya so” look and his lips twitched with humor.
“You’re also lucky I’m a super respectable best friend and knew you wanted your alone time with your new beau here,” she continued. “Cam darling. Tell me, just between us girls. What’s it like dating this pessimistic asshole?”
She jerked a thumb at me and Cam blinked owlishly. “Victor’s not an asshole. He’s very sweet. Kind.”
Alice snorted, shaking her head good-naturedly.
“Awe, how cute. He thinks you’re sweet,” she crooned.
“About damn time you found a guy like this, Vic. But Cam, I think it’s only fair that you know...
” Before I could react, Alice blurted, “He snores, has a weird ramen addiction, watches an unhealthy amount of anime, is addicted to smut, and lastly, have you seen his,” she put her hand up to feign whispering behind it, “collection?”
I spluttered, face going red with outrage, “What the... Cam hasn’t... What the fuck, Alice?”
She grinned wickedly, lips practically curling with mischief. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was the witch for how much she loved to stir the fucking pot.
Cam looked over at me and tilted his head in that adorably irresistible way of his. I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.
“He’s seen... a couple,” I muttered reluctantly.
Cam caught on quick.
“You have more dildos?” he asked, a touch too excitedly.
I groaned in annoyance which was fully directed at my best friend, “I am not talking about this in front of Alice.”
“Can I see them?” Cam took a step closer to me, and I heard Alice snickering at my expense.
“Anyway,” I said pointedly, “Cam and I have a pumpkin patch to get to, so we ‘gotta head out. They’ll be weighing Briarwood’s Biggest Bumpkin soon, and I don’t ‘wanna miss it. Free t-shirts.”
I spun on my heel and snagged Cam’s hand, dragging him toward the door. He turned slightly to wave back to Alice.
“It was nice to meet you,” he said cheerfully over his shoulder.
“You too, Cam!” she shouted after us. “Let’s all have dinner sometime, yeah? With Mandy’s haunted dining set!”
We strode back through the hall and across the main lobby hand in hand.
I offered the young security guard a wave but didn’t slow my stride.
I was a man on a mission, and I needed to get Cam out of here before Alice came running out with more questions.
Or worse, she’d tell Cam more dirty little secrets about me.
Ones far more embarrassing than eating too much ramen or my smut addiction.
She’d already revealed that I had a dildo collection, the little shit.
But, if that hadn’t weirded Cam out, everything else would be fine, right?
I’d always had trouble revealing my hobbies and stuff I enjoyed to other people.
Especially with people I dated. Not because I was embarrassed by the things I loved, but because I got sick and tired of them judging me for it, ridiculing me, telling me my hobbies were inappropriate because I was an adult.
Like, whatever the fuck that’s supposed to mean.
With Cam, though, I didn’t think I had to hide any of it. I didn’t have to hide any of me.
Afterall, he’d seemed very eager to see my dildo collection. Which was... odd. Not bad, just a little confusing. But if he truly wanted to see my extensive collection, who was I to deny him?
“Do you think she liked me?” Cam asked as we got settled in the car.
I turned on the ignition to get the heater going.
It was a particularly chilly day, and I was glad for the heavy jacket and scarf I had donned, but I still got cold easily.
Cam had on one of his new coats as well, not the leather jacket with its many, many zippers.
Like most of the clothes he’d picked, it was black.
We’d both opted for dark jeans and, of course, our matching Converse.
Reaching over, I grasped Cam’s chilled hand and twined our fingers together. I brought his knuckles up to my lips and placed a soft kiss there.
“She loved you,” I told him emphatically with another kiss, this time to the back of his hand. “Sorry she said that stuff, though.” I didn’t specify what exactly because honestly, I was apologizing for most of what she’d said. “She can be a bit much, but she means well.”
“I don’t mind.” Cam’s reply was quick, and I found he was staring at where my lips hovered over the back of his hand. I watched his throat bob in a swallow. “I want to know more. About you. Everything.”
My breath whooshed out of my lungs in a rush and Cam visibly shivered.
“I do to,” I admitted in a whisper. “I want to know you, Cam. I want to know what makes you smile, what makes you laugh and cry, what makes you angry.” I lifted our hands to nuzzle his chilled palm against my cheek.
“The basic stuff too, like your favorite foods and what books you enjoy reading, any movies you like and don’t like. I just want to know you.”
The emotion swimming in Cam’s clear blue eyes made my heart flutter as if there were actual butterflies flittering around in there.
It was a ticklish sensation, but one that didn’t bother me in the slightest. I already knew what these blooming feelings were taking life in this hopeless romantic’s beating heart.
That was when the idea struck me. Today was the day. I would do it. I was officially going to ask Cam to be my boyfriend.
Entirely oblivious to the thoughts and feelings flooding me, he let out a little chuckle before saying, “I don’t think I want to use her haunted plates, though.”
I shuddered, “Me either.”
“But,” he added, leaning toward me as his eyes never left mine, “I would risk it if it meant getting to know you.”
Pure, undiluted happiness washed over me. It was warm and bright. It smelled like the shampoo Cam used just this morning, tasted like his lips which I hadn’t kissed nearly enough, and sounded like his musical laugh. One I wanted to hear every day for the rest of my life.
***
“Scoot over a little bit more. Just about... Right there!” I urged Cam as I held up my phone like some enthusiastic mom.
I had it aimed on him where he was leaning against the winning pumpkin of the Biggest Bumpkin award.
Its obnoxiously large blue ribbon was fluttering in the breeze, the tails flapping close to Cam’s face.
The damn thing was nearly as tall as him.
Cam smiled for me without me needing to ask, and I quickly snapped a few pictures like some cliché tourist.
I basically was today. I’d only lived in Briarwood for little over a year, but I hadn’t come to this event last October. And although I normally didn’t enjoy participating in activities that involved being around many people, or people in general, I was simply ecstatic to be here with Cam.
“Would you two like one together?” a woman asked next to me.
I jumped, startled. When I turned, I saw a petite blonde with two young kids clinging to her legs, their faces covered in face paint.
I gave her a kind smile that I hoped didn’t appear too forced; I was awkward by nature.
“Sure, that’d be great,” I told her. “Thank you.”
She grinned back as I handed my phone over to her with the camera feature open.
I bounded over to Cam, ecstatic to finally get actual pictures with him.
These would be the first of many. It was a cause for celebration, a step further in our relationship.
Cute couple’s photos. In front of a giant-ass pumpkin. Could we be any cornier?
When I reached Cam’s side, I grabbed his hand and tangled our fingers together. Smiling up at him like a fool, he mirrored me with a broad grin stretching over his own face, dimples deepening and eyes crinkling at the corners.
“Ready?” the woman asked.
After snapping several pictures for us, I danced onto my tiptoes to plant a smacking kiss on Cam’s cheek. I heard the camera click and my cheeks turned warm.
“Now that’s a keeper,” she announced as we strode closer so she could hand me back my phone. I slid it safely into my pocket, planning to safeguard the photos with my life. I was definitely getting them printed. I was going to make an entire album of me and Cam. Maybe a scrapbook too.
“Thank you again!” I called with a wave as she made for the hay wagon.
They were doing haunted hayrides and were loading up for the next round. Her kids were beyond excited, bouncing jumping beans and practically dragging her behind them by each hand.
“You like kids.”
I turned my attention back to Cam. He was watching me with the softest expression.
One I hadn’t seen on him before. It made his handsome face transform into something gentle.
I had the strong urge to pull my phone back out and take another picture of him, just to immortalize that unique look forever.
His words weren’t a question, but at the same time, sounded like one.
“Yeah, I’ve always wanted to have kids someday,” I admitted to him.