24. Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Four
Cameron
She’s flying back to New York from Atlanta.
I glance over to Nila, sitting quietly in the seat beside me on the plane, as Frankie’s words echo in my mind. I know Nila has to take a job for someone else. I know she’s leaving. She hasn’t mentioned it to me even once.
She knows I know...
And I think that’s why she let me hold her all night.
However, as much as this feels like the end of it for us—that we’re never going to be anything other than a couple strangers who shared a few kisses and a whole lot of chemistry—I’m not going to let her go this easy. I just don’t know how to tell her .
But I’m running out of time.
“Have you ever watched this movie?” Nila tilts her phone to the side so I can see the romcom on the screen.
I shake my head. “I haven’t seen it, but ... um...” My mouth goes dry. “Frankie told me you’re flying to New York City from Atlanta.”
Her brows raise, but her eyes are full of recognition. “Yeah, that’s what the plan is. I got offered a job working for Vibrant Tech in the city, and they want me to get started sooner rather than later. I guess it all worked out since Dr. Shadid released that statement on your behalf.”
I nod, though part of me is wishing we could go back. “Great timing.” Almost too great of timing, really. “Are you looking forward to the new job?”
She shrugs, eyeing me as her gaze returns to the screen of her phone. “I don’t know. I guess so. Garrett Norris is supposed to be really phenomenal to work with—so they say,” she adds with a laugh.
“Oh yeah? I think I’ve heard of him. He’s supposed to be some kind of billionaire playboy, right?” My stomach churns, but I ignore it.
“I think all billionaires are playboys.” Nila snorts, pushing some of her red hair out of her face. “It’s a luxury they have.”
“Yeah...”
She gives me a weird look. “Are you jealous or something?”
My brow furrows. “Why would I be jealous? ”
“I don’t know ... maybe you’re the kind of guy who assumes I kiss all my clients.”
“I’ve never thought that.” I make a face at her, offended that she would even consider me making that sort of assumption.
She shrugs. “I’m just saying. I mean, it could come across that way after what happened between you and me.”
“No. What we have is special.”
She grows quiet, rolling her lips as we hold each other’s gaze. “I just think ... I don’t know. I have to get back to New York, and you need to focus on hockey.”
“Okay...” I don’t understand how that’s relevant to anything I just said, but I take it for what it is.
She’s blowing me off, and I’m pretty sure it’s because she’s scared of what we have—and the idea that I might not be able to support her from afar. Or that I would try to force her to quit her job like her ex did.
But she’s got it all wrong.
“You know, the distance isn’t really—”
“Do you wanna watch this movie with me?” Nila cuts me off in a way that irritates me.
I know the tactic.
She’s trying to prevent this conversation from going any deeper.
“I think I’ll just sleep,” I tell her, my tone growing edgy .
Disappointment flashes in her eyes, but I ignore it, instead fixating my attention on trying to catch a few hours of sleep before we’re back in Atlanta.
I close my eyes, trying to ignore the frustration and nerves banging around in my chest.
It doesn’t work.
At all.
In fact, I spend the next two hours only warring more and more with myself over Nila. I don’t want us just to be some sort of weird fling. I don’t want what we have to end at all. Heck, I’ll fly to NYC every freaking weekend if I have to for her.
I don’t know when it changed or when things shifted, but I know that I’m not letting her walk away—not without knowing the truth.
My knee bounces anxiously as we land in Atlanta, my palms beginning to sweat as she puts away her phone and headphones. I grab our carry-on bags and then let her exit the plane in front of me.
I don’t want to have this conversation anywhere that might hold up people from getting where they need to go.
But the moment we exit the terminal, I take a deep breath, grab her hand, and pull her off to the side. “Nila, I think we should talk before we say goodbye.”
“My flight is going to be leaving soon,” she tells me, her lips flatlining. “I don’t know how much talking we can do... ”
“Don’t blow me off,” I rasp, feeling beyond exasperated. “You keep doing this, but I know you have feelings for me. I know you do.”
“So what if I do, Cameron?” she says, folding her arms across her chest, but even that doesn’t speak louder than the heartache in her green eyes. “I can’t ... I can’t sacrifice my career for something I don’t even know will work—”
“I’d never ask that of you, Nila,” I reason. “I’d never do anything to tie you down or stop you from chasing your dreams. I just want to be there to support you and to try this out for real.”
“Cameron...”
“I think I fell in love with you,” I blurt out, my tone wavering as the words cross my lips.
“Don’t say that...” Nila’s eyes drop from mine. “I can’t. I can’t do this. I don’t want it to all end badly—I don’t want that for either of us. I can’t handle any more loss. Besides, you have enough on your plate, and I don’t know if I can commit to anything.” She turns to leave, and I don’t miss her batting away the tears slipping down her cheeks.
“You’re scared.” I grab her arm. “And I am, too, but it’s not worth letting it go...”
“Stop it,” she snaps, pulling away from me and shaking her head. “It doesn’t matter what I am. It just can’t happen. I’m sorry. I am. But this ends here. It has to end here. We had an agreement. We both agreed that good things come to an end. Goodbye, Cameron. ”
Nila grabs the handle of her carry-on and walks away, leaving me standing there like an idiot in the airport.
I put it all on the line for her and she shot it down. More than once.
And dang, that hurts.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and reluctantly, I fish it out as Nila disappears into the crowd. I know we have something, but I can’t force her to take the chance with me.
I sigh as I glance down at Kade’s name lighting up the screen. He promised to pick me up, and I’m sure he’s waiting somewhere around here for me.
And just like that, I head for the exit, leaving whatever Nila and I had in the dust.
“You do not look as happy to be home as I thought you would,” Kade says to me as I climb into the passenger seat of his GT. “I thought you’d be bouncing off the walls with excitement. Did they kill your spirit in the mountains?”
I side-eye him. “No, but they might as well have.”
“Whoa, that’s intense. What’d they do to you up there? Make you drink the punch?” He bursts into laughter, though his eyes stay lined with concern as he pulls away from the pickup area .
“Nila,” I tell him. “Nila happened.”
“Oh...” His voice trails off as he navigates the traffic. “I take it things escalated in the mountains, yeah?”
I avoid his gaze, focusing on the window and traffic—anything to keep from showing how defeated I am. Even Lacey breaking up with me didn’t sting like this. I just ... I really thought I could convince her that there was something more between us.
“Dude.” Kade nudges me. “Just tell me what happened.”
“I really like her. I don’t know. I thought she felt the same way, but I guess I was wrong. I don’t know if she led me on, or if she’s just too scared to take the plunge, so she’s pushing me away.”
“Isn’t she the one who broke up with her ex-boyfriend because she didn’t want to be tied down? I think that’s what you told us. Right?”
“Yeah, but I would never try to stop her from following her dreams. I would’ve supported her in everything she did—no different than the level of support I’d hope someone would give me when it comes to hockey.”
Kade nods as he turns onto the freeway, punching the gas. “I don’t know why you’re surprised. Some women are just like that. They don’t want to commit to someone. Maybe she enjoys the freedom of flirting with hot clients.”
I make a face at him. “Seriously? Why would you even say that?”
“Uh, here.” Kade fumbles with his phone and tosses it on my lap. “You should look up Garrett Norris. He’s broadcasting it all over social media that she’s coming to work for him.”
I roll my eyes and set his phone back on the console. “I don’t care. I’m well aware of who he is, and I don’t think Nila is like that. I don’t think she cares at all about who her client is. If anything, she was super weird about us potentially being together because of that.”
“Oh,” Kade says and then shrugs. “Well, maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about, then. I literally have no clue when it comes to women. All I know is that I fell in love years ago, and I’ve never found anything close to that.”
I eye him. “Yeah? You never mentioned that.”
He frowns and then blows out a sharp breath. “No, I don’t talk about it because, to this day, it still stings when I think about it. I still think about her all the time. I kinda think there’s something wrong with me.” His dark eyes cloud over with an emotion I relate to right now, and it leaves me feeling even more empty.
“Can we go somewhere else?” I ask as he turns onto my street. “Like maybe to the rink? I could stand some practice and stretching my legs after that plane ride.”
He gives me a sympathetic smile. “Nah, we gotta go here.”
I sigh, already knowing where this is going. “There’s a freaking welcome home party, isn’t there? ”
“You didn’t hear it from me.” Kade chuckles, shooting me a wink. “But just know that it wasn’t my idea. I had no desire to throw you any kind of party. But you know us, we like to throw parties for everything. It’s excessive.”
“No kidding. It was probably Dylan, wasn’t it?”
“No comment,” Kade says as he pulls into my driveway.
I glance around, noting that there are no cars in sight. They’re being smooth, probably parking on the other side of the street.
I really don’t feel like a party.
I push the door open on the passenger side and plaster a smile on my face anyway. I don’t want anyone to think I’m not happy to be home or that I don’t appreciate their thoughtful gesture.
But as I make my way to the front door, I feel more numb than anything. I’m pretty sure my heart is on its way to New York City and I’m not so sure that the risk I took with Nila was worth the heartache I got in return.
“Come on,” Kade grunts, stepping in front of me. “It’s better to just get it over with.”
I nod. “Yeah, let’s just rip the Band-Aid off.”
He pulls the door open and I step into the darkened space, reach out, and then flip the light on.
“ Welcome home! ” everyone shouts, jumping and cheering.
I force a smile.
Welcome home.