Chapter 29 Cam
CAM
The sky started turning gold when we met up with Tucker down at the beach.
The sun hung low, casting long shadows across the sand and setting the tops of the waves on fire with light.
The shoreline glowed. It was a warm amber stretching out in both directions, broken only by driftwood and scattered stones.
The water was glassy near the edge, gently lapping against the shore in a soft, rhythmic hush. Farther out, the lake caught the sky’s reflection—molten gold fading into blush pinks and smoky purples. Seagulls floated overhead, their wings catching the light as they glided silently across the sky.
Footprints trailed behind us in the sand, slowly filling with shadows as the sun dipped lower. Everything looked sharper somehow, like the light had carved each detail into place. The beach has been my happy place since I was a kid. I loved everything about it, even if it was a bit cold.
Harper looked like summer and fall collided in the best way.
Her golden, amber-toned skin caught the last light of the day, glowing warmly against the backdrop of the lake.
Her pink hair was straight and in pigtails, with a couple of strands framing her face.
She wore a black crew neck with a little ghost trick-or-treating across the chest, something goofy but completely her.
Her leggings were black, and she carried her beat-up shoes in one hand as we all walked. She was stunning.
Tucker was a different kind of beautiful.
I never really looked at men the way I look at him.
He was wearing a half-up, half-down hairstyle that kept his slightly damp hair out of his face.
I think my favorite part of his face was his eyes.
I had never seen a green so captivating in my life.
I loved that when he laughed, his eyes would crinkle at the sides.
Tuck constantly just looked so damn happy.
He wore dark gray sweatpants and a flannel over a T-shirt with his company logo on it.
He held his shoes, and he walked barefoot through the sand.
My joggers were bunched up around my calves, and I carried my shoes in one hand as we walked along the shore.
I had on a plain black T-shirt under an open flannel jacket, and even though I told myself I’d be fine with this jacket, the breeze had a bite to it.
I should’ve layered up, but I didn’t really care to.
I was glad I had my hat on, keeping my hair out of my face.
Watching Harper fight the wind made me quietly thankful I didn’t have to.
My hands and feet were cold, but my chest felt warm. I was at ease. I was happy.
“Okay,” she said after a minute, tone half-teasing. “You guys wanted to get to know me, right?”
I nodded. “Lay it on us, Shortcake.”
She shot me a look. “Still stuck on that nickname, huh?”
“You love it.”
She didn’t deny it.
“Fine. Basic facts. I’m twenty-seven. I was born on July twenty-ninth, which makes me a Leo—technically.”
“Technically?”
Tucker cut in. “Are we talking about zodiac signs?”
“Of course we are. And I’m not, like, a stereotypical Leo,” she said, tossing a strand of hair out of her eyes. “I don’t love being the center of attention. But I do love deeply and overthink everything.”
“That makes sense,” Tucker said while giving her his sweetest smile.
“My favorite color’s obviously pink,” she added, motioning toward her hair with a small smirk. “But more like blush or rose or dusty pink. Not the neon bullshit. Wait, I also really love green. Either sage green or like a darker, emerald green.”
“Noted.” I made a mental note for future gifts.
“I love cottagecore stuff,” she continued, eyes sweeping the horizon. “Gardens, lace, old books, picnic baskets, mushrooms, cottages covered in foliage. The works.”
I nodded as she continued to speak.
“I’m a terrible cook,” she admitted, “but baking? That’s my shit. Give me a Sunday morning and an early 2000s playlist, and I’ll make enough muffins for a small village.”
Tucker raised an eyebrow. “But what kind of muffins? Cooking isn’t important to me because I enjoy doing it, but if you’re telling me, you can bake… this changes everything.”
“Really, any type! I love trying new recipes and experimenting.” She was clearly excited, given the speed at which she was talking. “Cam likes to cook too!”
Clearly intrigued, Tucker looked at me and said, “Really? I wouldn’t have guessed that.”
I laughed. “I guess there’s a lot you have to learn.”
“I guess so, loverboy.”
“Hey! That’s my nickname for him.” Harper shot him a glare.
“Sorry, Sugar.” He laughed.
There was a pause in the conversation as Harper stopped to look at the sunset. She decided pretty quickly that she was done walking and wanted to just stare at it. So, she sat in the cold, dry sand. Tuck and I followed suit, sitting on either side of her.
She looked from me to Tucker, then back at the setting sun.
“I have food allergies,” she said, like it were an apology.
“Technically, gluten sensitivity. Also, I’m allergic to corn and dairy.
But I ignore them half the time and just suffer the consequences.
I basically live with a constant tummy ache when I’m not at my house, to make it easier on everyone else. ”
I glanced over at her, taking that in, cataloguing it.
Mental note: No gluten. No corn. No dairy. And stop letting her fuck up her body for the sake of others.
“Got it,” I said softly. “I’ll be more careful about that.”
She glanced at me, a little surprised. “You don’t have to—”
“I want to.”
“Harper, you don’t need to be in constant pain or discomfort to make things easier for people. You deserve better than that. And with us, you don’t have to suffer the consequences.” Tucker put a hand on her thigh to comfort her.
“Thank you, guys.” She laid her hand on top of his, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Something passed between us. The way her lips parted slightly before curling into a small smile told me we said the right thing.
“I want to be an esthetician,” she said a moment later, voice softer now. “Because when I was a teenager, I struggled badly with acne. I know Cam probably remembers.”
I did. Harper and Wren used to spend weekends trying out new skincare hacks they saw on YouTube.
“I hated my skin,” she said. “Like, I truly hated it. It led to an entire issue with my body image, self-worth, and stuff like that. So, I don’t want anyone else to feel that way.
I want to help people feel confident. Beautiful.
I want people to know that even if they have acne or skin issues, they deserve to take up space. ”
I stopped staring at the water for a second, just to look at her. She didn’t even realize how powerful that was.
“You already make people feel that way,” I said quietly.
Harper blinked, then looked away. I reached for her hand, and she let me take it.