Chapter Thirty-Five. Homecoming
Chapter Thirty-Five
HOMECOMING
The next morning, Cam was up with the sunrise. She walked to Burton Street alone, needing time to think, to breathe, to function without smelling Danny’s delicious cologne or staring into his big brown eyes.
Yesterday, on the sand, he’d confessed to loving her. To always loving her. The admission had kept her awake through the darkest hours of the night, and with how little sleep she was functioning on, her journey into town was akin to an out-of-body experience.
She’d always found Danny handsome, but until that summer, she never thought of him as more than a friend for precisely the reasons he vocalized.
Before Cory, she’d been a wide-eyed college freshman, scared of chasing off her first group of friends.
For the latter three years, her focus had been on Cory and Cory alone.
And when school ended, all she cared about was preserving their friend group, battered after an awkward breakup and four different cities between the five of them.
Danny had always been there for her. He understood her better than anyone ever had. And to know he loved her and wanted to be with her …
She was floating. Gliding beside the sun, the moon, and the stars.
Except she couldn’t want him back, love him back, unless she was brave enough to finally put her dreams first.
Cam hugged her arms to her chest as she neared Café Tupelo. She’d stolen one of his jackets, and despite escaping his presence to clear her mind, she found herself wanting to be immersed in his scent. It was easy to pretend the fabric was him, embracing her while she spiraled.
When she reached the storefront, the red CLOSED sign stared back at her, along with a handwritten note taped to the door, announcing their temporary closure for the next three days.
Cam laughed until she cried.
Time had never been on her and Danny’s side. Even now. She had a job offer lingering in the ether, Morgan and Drew were arriving tomorrow, Cory’s wedding was on Saturday …
The summer was ending and she had no idea what to do. Even in an ideal world, she wasn’t sure how to make everything she wanted fit together like the seamless snap of matching puzzle pieces.
With no choice but to switch gears, she took off for the smoothie shop down the road and ordered drinks for her and Danny.
When she got back to his place, he was freshly showered, scribbling notes in the journal she knew he used for Beau’s.
Reggie was sprawled across him, golden head buried in his armpit, desperate for his scent the same way Cam was.
As soon as she shut the front door, he turned her way. In typical Danny fashion, he gave her a friendly smile and a wave, like the previous night he hadn’t professed his love for her.
Like he wasn’t waiting for her to decide the entire trajectory of her life and if he fit into it.
She’d never met someone so fucking selfless.
She sat on Reggie’s favorite armchair and handed Danny the smoothie, doing her best to act normal. “I wanted to grab donuts, but Café Tupelo was closed. So … I hope smoothies are okay.”
“Thank you,” he replied, looking over the orange drink. “This is great.”
He took a few sips before giving her another smile and returning his focus to the journal. Did she … bring up last night? Did she throw herself into his arms, and see how patient he was willing to be once she got naked?
Or did she do the right thing, the mature thing, the fair thing, and figure out what came next?
“What are you working on?” she asked instead. In addition to his journal, he had a spread of paperwork in front of him. A pen was tucked behind his ear, and with the return of his black-framed glasses, he looked unbearably handsome.
How had she ever looked away from him?
“Some last-minute stuff for the reception,” he explained.
“Tabby’s mother threw a fit about the centerpieces the florist is making, and because of the new design, Cory and Tabby now want round tables instead of rectangles.
” Danny laughed, shuffling through the papers.
“It’s changed the entire floor plan and the logistics of the rental tables being delivered.
That, and Tabby’s signature cocktail is a caipirinha, and she wants a specific brand of cachaca which isn’t sold in a ton of places.
I had to pull some strings to get a crate delivered before Saturday. ”
“That’s intense. I’m sorry it’s been so much extra work.”
Cam struggled to picture the wedding. To imagine walking down the aisle at twenty-six, when she didn’t know where she’d be a month from now, let alone who she’d spend forever with.
Except her gaze returned to Danny constantly.
Because no matter what he said, he was her tether.
He was her mile marker, her reminder that home was close by.
Here he was, talking about Cory’s wedding, the same event she once believed she’d costar in, and all she could think about was how handsome Danny would look in his suit.
“Is there anything I can help with?” she asked, hopeful, desperate even that he’d throw her a bone. Her last shift before the wedding was that night, so she had plenty of spare time to assist Danny with whatever.
“Absolutely. There’s lots to do here and at Beau’s. Reggie’s gotten fur everywhere.”
She eyed the golden fur covering her clothes and laughed. “Very true. What should I start with?”
“I’ve gotta head to Providence to pick up some last-minute supplies,” he said, standing and stretching. “You’re welcome to join.”
“I’d love to.”
When he smiled, her heart soared. “Okay! Then let’s hit the road. Maybe even find some donuts.”
Cam followed, even if she was craving something else entirely.
All of Wednesday and into Thursday, she and Danny acted like nothing had happened. There was no awkwardness between them, no stilted conversation about his confession on the sand. It reminded her how strong their friendship was, that their bond could eclipse his monumental admission.
But even if the beach conversation wasn’t addressed, it was all she thought about. Her every hour was consumed with thoughts of Danny. Of being with him. Of kissing his lips and lying in his arms at night.
She was lucky she had distractions. Her Wednesday night shift at Beau’s, the wedding preparations, the pending deadline for her job offer …
But mostly, the arrival of their friends.
At two o’clock sharp on Thursday afternoon, Drew’s new car whizzed into its usual parking space in Beau’s lot. He climbed out, wearing black sunglasses, and for once casual clothes instead of his work attire.
Cam was excited to see Drew, but she had tunnel vision on the person exiting the passenger side. “MORGAN!” she screamed, rushing across the parking lot. Morgan met her halfway and they collided in a hug.
Drew rolled his eyes. “Oh, that’s nice! Morgan hugs you. Meanwhile I picked her up at Logan and the first thing she did was make fun of my shirt.”
As Morgan laughed, they separated. Her blonde hair was trimmed into a choppy bob, and her usually pale skin was a shade darker, thanks to hours under the Scandinavian summer sun. In her perfectly tailored yet somehow effortless white shirt and black pants, she looked especially European.
Morgan threw an arm around Drew, two fingers pulling at his short-sleeved button-up shirt. “That’s because your shirt has little beer bottles on it. It’s a look,” she teased.
Drew held out his arms and did a twirl. “I think it’s a nice shirt. It’s summery.”
“Don’t let them bully you,” Danny said, jogging over. “I happen to like it.”
Morgan pulled him into a quick hug, and after Drew gave him a bro hug, she threw her arms around both guys. “My favorite boys,” she cried, jostling them. “I’ve missed you idiots.”
“We missed you too, Morgan,” Danny promised, squeezing her shoulder. “I’m glad you’re back stateside, even if only for a little while.”
“Are we really your favorites?” Drew asked. “Because you flew in for Cory’s wedding. That’s a hell of a haul.”
Morgan returned to Cam’s side. “A wedding is hopefully a once-in-a-lifetime event. There’s no way I could miss it. As for Cory? He dropped in my rankings. Because who could possibly know Cam and not lock her down forever?”
Drew clutched his chest. “Camille, will you marry me?”
Cam smiled, knowing they were teasing and having fun like friends did. But she couldn’t help herself from looking at Danny. His gaze was soft, telling with no words spoken.
“Sorry, Andrew,” she replied. “I’m going to pass.”
“Ouch! I’m heartbroken. I may never recover from this.”
“Except you spent the entire drive talking about the bridesmaids,” Morgan said, nose crinkling in disgust.
“Oh, come on!” he cried. “You’re no better. You name-dropped four women in the car.” He looked between Cam and Danny, four fingers held up. “She calls me a pig but she’s entertaining more Europeans than Eurovision.”
“It’s just the talking stage!” she yelled, shoving him. “There’s no harm in talking to more than one person.”
“Exactly! And I intend to talk to the bridesmaids.”
As Morgan and Drew debated the thin line between talking and dating, Cam found her attention drawn back to Danny. He watched their friends bicker with a gentle smile on his face. When he noticed her focus, he winked, so boyishly flirty her heart skipped a beat.
His confession had been a switch from red to green, waving on the attraction she’d tried to bury deep. Now that she knew his true feelings, her emotions bubbled to the surface, threatening to overflow every time she met dark, brown eyes.
Even in the presence of their friends, she was ready to drag him into his beer shed. Drew’s car. The fucking street.
He was all she could think about and she wanted him everywhere.
“Why don’t we head inside?” Danny interrupted. “Morgan can give us all the fun updates about her Danish adventures over lunch.”
As they crossed the parking lot, Drew said, “She didn’t bring us souvenirs. No butter cookies or Legos or anything. I think it’s rude.”
“I’m going to school! Not playing tourist,” Morgan snapped.
“I would’ve accepted another key chain—”
“My travels are not for expanding your collection—”
With the sun on her face and her friends beside her, Cam found a sliver of peace. But with only days to decide her fate, she wondered how long that comfort would last.