15. Gabrielle
Gabrielle
Twelve years apart, and as soon as I’m back around Cam, it feels like all the years apart don’t even exist. Being near him feels like the most natural thing in the world.
So why am I so nervous? It’s just Cam. Just my childhood best friend, my first love, the guy who disappeared from my life for years and then showed back up with my heart still firmly in the palm of his hands. No big deal.
I pace my apartment, waiting for him, pretending like I’m not second-guessing everything right now. Kinsley has already told me to shut up three times over the phone, which, considering her usual lack of patience, is actually pretty generous.
I get off the phone with her shortly after so she can go back to work and not get herself in trouble for sneaking the phone call with me that I told her was a 911 emergency.
It’s fine. I’m fine. This is all—fine.
Then there’s a knock at my door.
I take a deep breath before pulling it open.
And—yep. Mistake. Huge mistake.
Cam leans against the door frame, wearing a fitted dark gray athletic T-shirt and black sweats. His hair is still slightly damp from a fresh shower.
He’s not supposed to look this good while looking so casual.
Definitely not helping my restraint.
“You ready?” he says, his eyes roaming over me before a slow smile tugs at his lips.
I grab my bag and walk out of the apartment, locking the door behind me. When I turn to face Cam, I see him still watching me.
It’s like the man can magically summon all of the butterflies to swarm my stomach just by looking at me.
I narrow my eyes at him. “Are we actually going to leave, or are you just going to stand there staring all day?”
His grin deepens. “What can I say? I enjoy the view.”
I roll my eyes, but I can’t fight the smile pulling at my lips as I start to walk toward the stairs, stopping once I get to them and waiting for him.
He falls into step beside me, nudging me lightly with his arm. “Let’s go, trouble.”
* * *
It isn’t until we’re far away from the city that I realize where we’re going.
The shore.
I stare out the window, my stomach flipping. “Cam.”
His grip tightens on the wheel, but he keeps his eyes on the road. “What?”
I turn toward him fully. “Are we going where I think we’re going?”
His smirk is slow, cocky, and so him that I feel a little dizzy. “Guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”
We pull into the parking lot of our favorite arcade. The one we used to spend way too much time at as teenagers. The one where we spent hours competing over games, stuffing our faces with cheap pizza, and talking about everything and nothing like we had all the time in the world.
It looks exactly the same.
I glance over at him as he parks. “I can’t believe this run-down place is still open.”
“Right?” he grins. “Figured I’d bring you back to the scene of all your past humiliations.”
I scoff. “My humiliations? Please. You’re the one who cried after losing three rounds of air hockey in a row.”
His jaw drops. “I did not cry.”
“Oh, you so did. There were real tears, Cam.”
“There was one single tear, and it was because I had something in my eye.”
We immediately fall right back into a fun rhythm together.
We play every game we used to obsess over, talking trash and competing like we’re fifteen again. He lets me win a few times, but I don’t call him out on it.
When I finally beat him in the race simulator—fair and square—I throw my hands up. “Victory!”
Cam groans. “You’re way too competitive.”
I shoot him a smug grin. “Doesn’t feel good, does it?”
He rolls his eyes, but his lips twitch like he’s holding back a smile. “I’ll let you have this one. Only because I have something even better planned for back at my place.”
I arch a brow. “Should I be scared?”
He just smirks. “Probably.”
We’re going to his place.
That shouldn’t make me as nervous as it does.
Just two friends, Gabrielle.
Just two…friends.
* * *
I don’t know what I expected, but it sure as hell wasn’t this.
When we step into Cam’s apartment, I freeze just inside the doorway, blinking like I might’ve walked into the wrong place.
This…is not the Cam I used to know.
It’s clean. Organized. Not a single pile of clothes on the floor, no random junk cluttering the counters, no mysterious boy smell lingering in the air. Instead, it smells fresh, just like him, and everything is neatly put together like an actual responsible adult lives here.
I cross my arms, narrowing my eyes at him. “Okay…who the hell are you, and what did you do with Cameron Hayes?”
Cam chuckles, kicking off his shoes. “What?”
I gesture around wildly. “This! There’s no mess! No clutter! Do you even own things? Where are the dishes left in the sink? The laundry pile you used to call ‘the chair’?”
His smirk deepens. “What, you don’t think I’m capable of keeping a place clean?”
I give him a look. “Cam, when we were teenagers, I once found a granola bar under your bed that could legally vote.”
He grins. “Adulthood, Gab.”
I shake my head, still in disbelief. “No, because I’m actually concerned.”
Cam just laughs, moving into the kitchen like I’m not having the most shocking revelation.
“Relax. I just figured out that living in my own mess isn’t fun when there’s no mom to clean up after me.”
I shake my head, laughing. “You’ve changed, Hayes.”
His smile softens. “Not everything.”
Something about the way he says it makes my chest feel tight, but before I can try to unpack that, he gestures toward the couch. “Go pick out a movie while I cook.”
I squint at him. “You cook now, too?”
“Again, Gabrielle—Job. Adulthood. Survival skills.”
I huff, making my way to his DVD collection. “Alright, well, don’t burn anything down. I’d hate for your fancy apartment to go up in flames.”
He flips me off, and I grin.
I browse his collection, scanning the shelves until I find exactly what I’m looking for.
The fact that he still keeps all of the old DVDs we used to watch, along with new ones, makes me smile. It’s such a Cam thing to still have DVDs like an old soul.
A little while later, when he returns with two plates of food, he sees the movie I picked and groans. “No.”
“Yes,” I say sweetly, holding up the case. “You promised.”
He rubs his temples. “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Gabrielle? Really?”
I beam. “Cinematic masterpiece.”
He mutters something under his breath but sits beside me anyway. Close enough that our shoulders brush.
And as the movie starts, I feel it—how easy this is. How right it feels.
And that terrifies me…all over again, like I’m back in my teenage years.
When Cam is finished with his plate, he sets it down in front of him on the coffee table, and without missing a beat, he lifts my legs up, placing them on his lap.
It’s how we watched every movie growing up.
I would always prop my feet up on his lap and get comfortable until I fell asleep mid-movie. Every time.
It used to be such a natural thing. Now it feels like a lot more.
Cam looks over at me mid movie before saying, “So…is this movie about us?”
I pause mid-sip of wine, side-eyeing him. “Excuse me?”
He gestures toward the TV, where Andie is currently sabotaging her date with Ben in the most ridiculous ways possible. “I mean, think about it. Girl and guy meet, lots of banter, lots of laughter, then some hidden feelings…” He shrugs, flashing me that damn smile of his. “Sounds familiar, is all.”
I scoff. “Oh, please. First of all, I’m not actively trying to drive you away.”
He tilts his head like he’s weighing my words. “Mmm, debatable.”
I roll my eyes, nudging his leg with my foot. “And you’re not trying to make you fall in love with you.”
Cam hums, taking a sip of his drink before looking at me. “What if I am?”
The air in the room shifts. My heart jolts.
I let out a short, nervous laugh, playing it off. “Trying to make me fall in love with you?”
He doesn’t break eye contact, his voice softer now. “Maybe.”
I swallow, suddenly hyper-aware of the way his fingers are resting on my knee. “And why would you do that?”
His smirk deepens, but there’s a hesitation with it too. “Because, Gabrielle…” He leans in just slightly, voice low. “I don’t think I ever really stopped.”
I freeze, my pulse tripping over itself. My fingers tighten around the throw blanket in my lap as I force out a breathy laugh, trying to keep things light. “Stopped…what?”
His eyes flick between mine, searching. “Wanting you.”
The air between us feels thick.
I swallow, turning my attention back to the screen, pretending my heart isn’t hammering out of my chest. “You’re trouble, Hayes. You know that?”
Cam chuckles, leaning back slightly but not moving away. “Yeah?” His voice is warm and teasing. “I was hoping you still enjoyed getting into trouble like you used to.”
I don’t answer. I keep my eyes on the screen, but I can still feel him watching me.
After a beat, his voice softens. “Does that scare you?”
My fingers squeeze the pillow I’m holding. I finally turn to look at him, and his expression is unreadable now—a bit more careful.
“I don’t want to chase you away already, Gab,” he says quietly. “So if that came off too forward, I’m sorry. It’s just…easy. Falling back into this.”
Yeah. It is.
I swallow hard, my throat suddenly feeling extremely dry.
“It is,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper.
His eyes search mine like he’s waiting for me to say more—to either pull away or meet him in the middle here.
But I don’t know what to do with those feelings. There are so many unanswered questions that I don’t know how to ask yet.
Instead, I just give him a small smile, nudging his arm lightly. “You’re missing the movie, Hayes.”
His lips twitch, but he doesn’t push it anymore. He just nods, exhaling like he’s letting it go. “Wouldn’t want to miss any of the educational value.”
I let out a breathy laugh, grateful for the shift back into something safe.
But even as we both turn back to the screen, his words linger.
Because he’s right. It is easy, and maybe that’s what scares me the most, because nothing this easy can end well.