Page 14 of Love Off Course

Camilo

T he kid is cute as hell. It’s a good thing he took after Araceli and not Marco’s ugly mug.

It’s been hours since she safely delivered him, and all seems to be calming down.

The horrible winds have died and now all we hear is rain.

Which means in another day or so, it’ll be time to get back to work.

My stomach clenches.

Going back to work means leaving. Again. This time, I’m leaving her.

I scan the crowd of people who have migrated back to the restaurant dining room where Eduardo has been making them eat things from the fridge so it won’t go to waste. Sheridan is sitting beside Damian, her head leaned against his shoulder as she yawns.

God, the things I want to do to that mouth.

She catches me staring and smirks, somehow reading my mind. The devious glint in her stare tells me she’d be down for it.

If we ever get the chance.

Fuck.

A sense of dread washes over me. I don’t like this feeling.

I don’t get attached to girls. Not like this.

Not so quick. Not in a way that feels irreversible.

I’m the guy who fucks and runs. Or flies in my case.

City after city, I find someone to warm my bed, but never my heart.

Sheridan would catch both on fire. The thought of seeing her in my bed is enough to get my dick hard.

I need to do something.

I’m going stir-crazy.

She gets up and walks off. I watch her ass in her jeans the entire way.

Because of our circumstance, I’ve yet to properly appreciate her body.

I crave to strip her down, throw her into my bed, and lick every inch of her with the bright overhead lights shining on every freckle on her body. My dick is embarrassingly hard now.

“Try to keep the roaring and moaning to a dull roar,” Carson says, chewing over a mouthful of food. “Last time, everyone heard everything. Some of us are trying to eat.”

I roll my eyes as I prowl off after her. I hear her voice in Eduardo’s office and smile. Time for round two. Before I step inside, I pause.

“I’m safe, Daddy. I think it’s passed over.” She chuckles. “You sound like you’ve been drinking.” A pause. “Is Mona okay postponing the wedding? Oh, good. I miss her too.” She laughs. “I do. I miss all of you.” Another pause. “Yeah, of course David too.”

Sourness roils in my gut.

“Oh,” she breathes. “Sure.” A pause. “Hi, David.” Another pause. “I’m fine. Thanks for asking.” A giggle, girlish and flirty.

Fuck this.

I storm back down the hallway, and into the restaurant. Carson sees my expression and abandons his plate to follow me over to the doors.

“We’re checking out the damage now that the worst is over,” I call out, uncaring if anyone is listening.

We push outside and are met with a cold spray of rain. It feels good after being stuck in Eddie’s with what feels like a million other people. I scrub my palm over my face and squint against the rain.

“Want to talk about it?” Carson asks, raising his voice over the wind.

“Nah, just me being a pussy and thinking for once with my head and not my dick.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Carson says. “Your dick gets enough airtime.”

My dick doesn’t get hurt. My dick fucking plays.

“Holy shit,” Carson exclaims. “You’re really upset. What happened?”

“Just heard her talking to him. David. The one she thinks she’s going to run off into the sunset with the moment she gets to Costa Rica.”

“And you care because…”

I glower at him. “I don’t.”

“Liar. She’s gotten to you. You going to let this fucker steal your girl?”

“She’s not mine,” I snap. “I’ve known her for three days, man. Three. You can’t fall in love in three days.”

His eyes twinkle. “Nah, you’re right. Three is overkill. Usually it only takes one.”

“Fuck off,” I grunt, storming through the heavy puddles toward the hotel.

He splashes after me, staying quiet for once. When we arrive at the hotel, I curse. A portion of the roof is completely gone. I knew this place was getting worse and worse. Mamá wasn’t bringing in many new visitors, so she didn’t have money for repairs. This is going to kill her.

“Oh boy,” Carson groans. “This fucking sucks.”

“Yep. Let’s see what else got hit.”

The front office is fine aside from a huge crack in the glass door. Several trees have fallen on the property. Abuela ’s spa is safe aside from standing in about six inches of water. All the villas are okay since they’re newer. Eddy’s remains unscathed.

It could have been worse, but it definitely could have been better too.

“ Mijo !” Mamá calls out from Eddy’s open doorway. “What is the damage?”

Sheridan stands beside her frowning. “Is everything okay?”

I’m soaked and pissed and hurt for a multitude of reasons.

“No, Sher, everything is not okay,” I snarl, unfairly pointing my venom her way. “ Mamá ’s shithole is even shittier now thanks to Rodrigo. The damages are going to be ridiculously expensive. I bet you can’t wait to get the fuck out of here so you can get back to David.”

Mamá walks up to me and smacks me. “?Suficiente!” Enough.

I glower at her. “It’s the truth. This place is a mess.”

“And so are you,” Mamá hisses. “Get yourself together.”

Sheridan swallows hard and then turns to walk back inside without another word, which is unlike her. She’s feisty and stings like a bee. Where’s her fight?

“You’re just going to walk away?” I call out. “Just like that?”

She looks over her shoulder, hurt flashing in her eyes. “Yeah. Just like that.”

“Over there, CZ,” Carson barks out as he points to yet another limb littering the airstrip.

After my meltdown earlier today, Carson, Alejandro, Nicolás, Mateo, and I all left to assess the damages at the airstrip. Toro came along for the ride and hasn’t been doing shit except running full speed through the deep puddles.

The place is a mess with debris, but the hangar is safe and so is the plane.

Carson spent a good hour on the phone with the powers that be, reorganizing the flight schedule.

As soon as we get this place cleaned up and we get the all-clear to fly, we’ll be out of here and on our way to our original destination. Costa Rica. To David.

“Quite an arm on you,” one of my stupid cousins calls out. “You should join the NFL.”

I shoot him the bird and pick up another limb to heave off the airstrip. Throwing sticks and tree limbs is satisfying and doing wonders to calm my rage. Why am I so pissed over a one-night stand? That’s all she was. We fucked. No big deal. I’m acting like she broke my goddamn heart.

The heart in question clenches painfully in my chest.

I need to get the hell out of Tahueca and back into the sky. At least up there, I can quiet my thoughts and breathe. Right now, I feel as though I’m suffocating.

We work for hours straight. The guys take a break to raid the breakroom in the hangar. Carson and I sit on a bench out front, staring out at the cleared airstrip as the rain continues to pelt us.

“So?”

“So what?” I grunt.

“We going to talk about it?”

“And have you give me some ‘romantic comedy bullshit remedy’? Nah, I’m good.”

“God, you’re such a little bitch when your feelings are hurt. I’m being serious. You’re upset and we should talk about it.”

I let out a frustrated sigh. “Want to know the truth?”

He gives me an exasperated look. “Obviously.”

“I feel attached to her. She’s been nothing but a challenge I wanted to conquer.

But somewhere along the way, I feel like I cracked her open and saw inside.

I fucking liked everything she was hiding from the world.

I wanted to see more.” I swipe the rain off my face with my palm.

“She’s been nothing but upfront. She wants to get to her dad’s wedding and she’s been actively pursuing some guy who doesn’t deserve her.

I thought…I don’t know what I thought or expected, but knowing she’s going back to him to continue her pursuit doesn’t sit well with me.

Sher deserves to be pursued, not the other way around.

He’s a dick for not realizing he’s had a good thing all along. ”

Carson nods and leans forward, resting his elbows on his soaked jean-covered knees. “And you want to be the guy who pursues her?”

“Fuck yeah. I mean, no. It’s pointless. I have my job and she has her life. It’ll be like it was with Mamá . I’ll never be home and she’ll be lonely. I know how these things go.”

“Are you done feeling sorry for yourself?”

“Asshole.”

He laughs. “Listen, I get it. I do. My story doesn’t differ too much from yours aside from the fact that I’m hotter.

But I have to leave my family all the time.

It’s the nature of my job. My wife knows what she married into and we make it work.

Just because I fly planes for a living doesn’t mean I don’t deserve a family or love or happiness.

Same goes for you, CZ. You’re allowed these things. ”

“She has David,” I state bitterly.

“She could have you. But that would mean accepting some things you’re not ready to accept. Like the fact that love could happen in one day or three. That it’s not the wildest and craziest thing to happen out there. Sometimes, it just happens because it’s right.”

“I’m not in love with her.” I’m something with her, though.

“Fine. Be stubborn and blind. But at least admit that you could fall in love with her given the time. Am I right?”

I nod. “I guess, though I haven’t ever been in love, so I wouldn’t recognize it even if it smacked me right in the face.”

He sighs and gives me a sad look. “Sometimes it’s less subtle than that. It’s seeing it walk away for you to realize what you had. I just hate watching you make the same mistakes as I did.”

“Okay, Dad,” I bite out.

“All I’m saying is you need to open your eyes and your heart to the possibility that you really, really like Sheridan and that she might be worth changing your dumbass ways for.”

“You make it sound easy.”

“Because it is, CZ.”

“Sheridan isn’t Krissy. She’s…” Bitchier. Frostier. Harder. So much more. More beautiful. More sweet. More sexy. More everything.

“What’s the worst that could happen if you told her how you feel?” he asks. “She’ll tell you it was a fun ride, but Prince David awaits. At least then, you tried.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“It is.”

“You’re fucking impossible, man.”

“You love me.”

“Unfortunately.”

“Now if only we could get you to readily admit that to Sherrie. Grand gestures always work in the movies.”

“My life is not a movie,” I grunt.

“Could be…”

“Don’t give Damian any ideas. I dread what sort of videos he’s already made.”

“I bet there’s an entire compilation series of your ass.”

“Now that’d be a great movie.” I smirk. “Camilo’s Ass, coming to a theater near you.”

“I’d rather watch Frozen 2 .” He rolls his eyes.

“Krissy will be in theater sixty-nine watching Camilo’s Ass.”

“You’re such a dick.”

“Camilo’s Dick is the sequel,” I tease, winking at him.

“Hopefully it’ll go to IMAX so everyone can see it.”

“Asshole,” I say with a laugh.

“Takes one to know one.”

We both grow silent and I sigh.

“I need to apologize to her.”

“Grand gestures get the girl,” he offers.

“What could be grander than my winning personality?”

“I’ll be praying for you, because with that dumbass attitude, there’s no way you can win the girl.” He shakes his head. “Let’s get out of here. I’m ready to watch this train wreck.”