Page 21 of Meeting Me, Loving You (Hearts of Maple Lake #1)

CAMERON

I set a large mug of hot coffee on the low table near Jules, who’s sitting on the floor beside the fire, her legs stretched out in front of her.

Dax nestles up against her hip, his fur looking more orange than white in the glow of the firelight.

His head rests in her lap, and I can see the warmth of the fire bringing a fresh hue of pink to Jules’ cheeks.

“Mmm, thank you,” she says, reaching toward the coffee with both hands. Her eyes close as she takes a sip, reveling in its warmth.

I take a seat on the couch and watch the firelight bounce on her eyelids, illuminating her in an ethereal glow. Her long brown hair is loose, flowing around her face, little tendrils dangling over her brows. She looks perfect.

Her eyes open, meeting mine, and I forget to look away.

“Sorry, I…” I sit forward, putting my mug on the table, and lean my forearms on my knees. She caught me staring at her . “It’s just that, you look relaxed,” I hurry to say. “It’s good to see.”

“I’m thawing out.” She raises her cup. “Relaxation and a hot beverage are vital to the process.” She takes another sip, watching me over the top of the mug .

“Is the coffee okay?”

She shrugs a shoulder. “It’s good. Thanks for adding all that sugar, you must think I’m crazy to want that much in here.” I welcome the sound of her soothing laughter.

“Who am I to judge?” I reply. “Although I don’t know how you can stomach sweet coffee.”

“I have to admit, I don’t really like coffee that much, but I got used to drinking it for the caffeine fix during undergrad.

” Her nose scrunches in an adorable way.

“At home, I have a very specific creamer I like, so, although it isn’t the same, I’m happy to have it. It seems like you’re always saving me.”

I run out of words and thoughts, and I default to a frozen stare as I look into her eyes across the distance between us. She’s looking back, not blinking, and suddenly I feel vulnerable. So I drop my gaze first, looking down at Dax.

“He seems to like the snow a lot,” I say, nodding toward her dog.

A warm smile spreads over Jules’ face.

“He was probably a snow bunny in another life. He’d stay out there bouncing through the snow all day if I let him.

” Jules leans down and presses a kiss to Dax’s head.

His eyes remain shut, and I suddenly feel a twinge of regret.

Regret that I didn’t get to stay here in Maple Lake to grow up.

Regret that I don’t know Juliet the way I wish I did.

Regret that I don’t talk to Tyler anymore—that life passed me by without the people who at one point meant the most to me.

“Are you okay?” Jules says.

I blink, coming back to the present. Jules’ eyes rest on me quizzically.

“Where did you go?” she asks.

I feel heat crawl up the back of my neck and I rub it away, hating that I’m still wearing a hoodie. I’m even starting to sweat, so I pull the sweatshirt over my head and drop it onto the couch beside me, leaving me in a plain black Tee.

“I was just thinking about Tyler,” I say.

“Tyler?”

“Yeah, I was just thinking about how much of his life I’ve missed out on since I left.” How much of your life I’ve missed out on.

“I’ll admit, Ty was pretty upset for a while after you moved.

He had spent so much of his time with you.

I think he didn’t know what to do when you were gone, you know?

” She pauses, fiddling with the handle on her coffee mug.

“Remember the time you two were playing basketball in the driveway and it got away and started rolling down the street?”

“That happened all the time. Like, almost every day,” I deadpan.

She stares blankly back at me. “Okay, Mr. Dunne,” she drawls out.

“I’ll be more specific.” She’s being sassy, and I have to say, I like this side of her.

“Remember the time it rained all day and it had finally stopped, so you both rushed outside. I think you and Tyler were thirteen, maybe fourteen. The basketball was rolling down the street, since we were sort of on a hill, and Ty chased it so far he almost gave up on it.” A smile pulls at the corner of my lips at the memory, and Jules grins as she tells the story.

“He ran a whole block before it got stuck under a parked car on the street and he could bring it home. He walked back panting, absolutely drenched from running through puddles. He worked so hard and ran as fast as he could to try and catch the ball.” She sips her coffee, the gears turning in her head, thinking of her next words.

I can see the concentration in her eyes and in the crease of her brow.

She lowers her mug to the floor beside her, toying with the handle again as it rests by her leg.

“I think Ty felt a lot like that when you left. He spent his whole life keeping up with you, running a hundred miles an hour. You two were always together, always in it for the long run. Until, you weren’t.

It’s as if the basketball had gone on without him, and he couldn’t follow it, forcing him to come home empty-handed. His best friend was gone.”

I release a long breath and sit back, my head dropping to the back of the couch.

What Jules said is true. I left, and Tyler couldn’t follow.

Although it wasn’t my choice to leave, I had abandoned my friends.

I’ve always blamed my parents for making me go, but I never stopped to think about how people here were affected by that decision just as much as I was.

“I should have tried to stay more connected.” My voice is strained, coming out quieter than intended. “I never wanted to leave. It was hard for me, but I didn’t think of how Tyler or my other friends would be changed because of it. I didn’t mean for us to grow apart, it just… happened.”

“I’m not blaming you for that. Your parents made a decision that I’m sure they thought was the best thing for your family.

Your dad got a job, that’s all. Cam, look at me.

” Her voice is kind and gentle, pulling my eyes to meet hers.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, and Ty doesn’t think so either.

Life happens, people get separated, and we move on. ”

Jules falters and I wait for her to say more, but she doesn’t.

Her gaze drifts to the fire, and I think she’s trying to believe her own words.

Life happens. People get separated. And we move on.

It hits me like a ton of bricks—Jules might have been talking about me and Tyler in her basketball scenario, but it’s the same between her and Natalie.

In Jules’ life, Natalie was the one who rolled away and didn’t come back, leaving Jules to walk home empty-handed without a basketball—without her sister.

Jules is clinging to her hurt from the past, holding out for someone that may never come back. She’s not moving on, and it makes me hurt for her .

I need to distract Jules from her thoughts.

“You want to study now?” I ask.

“Yup, that would be great. I have a big test in two weeks that I’m sort of freaking out about. I’ll get my backpack.” Relief and exhaustion coat her words as she heads to the kitchen to grab her bag.

Three hours pass, and we spend them studying for Juliet’s upcoming exam.

We took a short break to eat—a quickly cooked meal of spaghetti I whipped up within a few minutes—and we got back to the textbooks and notecards.

I’m not even the student in this situation, and my brain hurts from information overload.

As good as I may be at mathematics, I know nothing about nursing.

Give me numbers and some crazy symbols, and I’ll have the time of my life working out the answer.

But what Jules is studying is beyond my comprehension.

She’s saying things about myocardial cells and something about how symptoms are not the same as signs of a disease.

I thought they were synonymous. I’m doing my best to help her study her notes and am quickly reassured I chose the correct profession for myself.

Jules’ brain is chock full of information, and I’m glad to have this chance to see her in action.

I can only imagine how amazing she must be at work, where she puts all of this knowledge into practice.

We’re near the fire, both of us sitting on the floor, our backs against the couch.

Jules’ elbow gently brushes mine as she digs through her backpack for a textbook.

I try to keep my focus on her textbook rather than the spark I feel where her body grazes mine, but it’s near impossible.

She doesn’t give any indication that she notices the touch, and my stomach sinks at the idea that she isn’t affected like I am.

Her hair cascades over one side of her face while the neckline of her oversized knit sweater slides off her shoulder, leaving a hint of skin to shimmer in the firelight.

The setting sun casts warm orange light through the windows that envelopes her frame, blanketing the room in a haze of soundless serenity.

The firewood crackles as the flames dance, and shadows roam the room.

Twilight crept up on us faster than expected, and I wonder if the power is back on at her apartment yet.

As selfish as it is, I almost hope it isn’t so we can stay here like this. Just me and her… And Dax of course.

“You’re an amazing nurse,” I say, catching her off guard.

She sits back after she’s retrieved the book she wants from her bag and she narrows her eyes at me.

“How would you know if I’m an amazing nurse? Just knowing a bunch of stuff doesn’t make me great at my job.”