Page 9 of Only in Our Dream (Moonflower Cove #15)

Cameron

G irls’ night couldn’t have arrived any slower if it had been a turtle walking through peanut butter. Cameron desperately needed a girls’ night and had been counting down the hours until she could meet up with her three best friends for drinks and chatting.

Especially with Melanie.

Her best friend had been uncharacteristically quiet for the last two days.

Well, three days if she went back to the night of the kiss.

She’d responded to texts with few words and even fewer emojis, which was also out of character for Melanie.

Melanie loved emojis more than anyone Cameron knew.

Cameron could almost convince herself that Melanie did it to annoy all of them.

Especially Isla, who never could decipher Melanie’s hieroglyphics.

As Cameron pulled open the wooden door to Olive or Twist, she looked around for any sight of her friends.

They had agreed upon seven p.m., so at seven-twenty she’d expected to find all three of them already waiting on her.

Instead, she only found Isla and Vera sitting at a high-top table toward the back of the bar.

“No Mel yet?” Cameron asked as she put her bag onto the back of an empty chair by Vera and quickly hugged her friend.

“Are we chopped liver?” Isla groaned as Cameron made her way over to hug her as well.

“No, I love you both. But it’s weird Mel’s not here yet.” Taking her seat by Vera, Cameron pulled out her phone. “Have you heard from her?”

“No,” Vera shook her head. “We honestly assumed you two were together.”

Cameron nervously laughed as she fumbled her phone onto the table with a loud crash.

“Why—why would you say that? Mel and I aren’t together. Why would we be together? I haven’t heard from her. Well, today I haven’t. Not really. Only in our group text, but you both are in that too.”

Oh, my god, Cam. Shut up.

Snatching a piece of cheese off the charcuterie board Isla and Vera had ordered, Cameron popped it into her mouth in an effort to make herself stop talking. What she didn’t realize in the dimly lit room was that it was blue cheese, which Cameron most definitely hated.

“Blah,” she spit the piece of cheese into a cocktail napkin. “Thanks for the warning.”

“You snatched it off our plate,” Isla teased as she arched an eyebrow at Cameron. “So that’s what you get for rambling and then stealing cheese.”

“Yeah, why are you rambling?” It was Vera’s turn to tease her. Cameron knew it was teasing by the playfulness in her blue eyes. “Is there something new between you and Mel that we need to know?”

“No,” Cameron answered way too quickly. As she then proceeded to ramble more. “There’s nothing new between us. Why would you even say that? I don’t know where she is or why she’s late. She’s not my responsibility. We’re just friends. That’s all.”

“Mhmm,” both Isla and Vera echoed in unison. Picking up a pita chip, Isla pointed it at Vera. “I told you there was something happening between them at the New Year’s party but you didn’t believe me.”

“And I didn’t until Cam told me Mel kissed her.”

“Babe, don’t bring that up. If she wants to talk about it, she can. But she also don’t have to.”

“Thank you.” Cameron nodded firmly at her friend. “I appreciate at least one of you not being nosy.”

“I would never. ” Vera dramatically clutched her heart, pretending offense. “Because I know my best friend Cameron would tell me if there was anything else happening between her and my other best friend, Melanie.”

It had long been assumed by more people than just Isla and Vera that there was something going on between Cameron and Melanie.

They were always together—in the hospital break room, at events around town, at dinner together.

And, yes, Cameron at times thought about how nice it would be for there actually to be more between them, but there wasn’t.

Granted, before the fated kiss, they had gotten a little flirty at the New Year’s Eve party.

Melanie looked stunning in her flapper dress and Cameron had visions of taking it off her.

But she’d marked it up to one too many drunken thoughts.

Even if she’d had more of the thoughts sober and alone than any other time.

The truth of the matter was Cameron hadn’t been able to decipher her feelings for Melanie since the party.

And the confused feelings had been amplified the last few days thanks to the kiss.

On one hand, everything had gone back to normal after Cameron had kissed her at the party.

True, it was just a cheek kiss. But Cameron had been too nervous for it to be more, especially with Isla’s camera pointed right at them.

Until the kiss the other night, Melanie had never tried to reciprocate.

So for all Cameron knew, it wasn’t a mutual feeling.

Cameron felt it was mutual now, though.

“You know you’d be the first to know if anything ever happened between us that was more than that kiss.” Cameron rolled her eyes jokingly at Vera. “But I’m not ruining my friendship with Mel.”

“Did I hear my name?”

Melanie seemed to appear out of nowhere from behind Cameron.

If she heard anything besides her name, her face didn’t show it.

Cameron had to keep herself in line to avoid checking Melanie out from head to toe as she sat beside her.

The black tee was one Cameron had seen before, as were the tight jeans.

But the smile on Melanie’s face was one Cameron hadn’t seen in years.

It lit up Melanie’s eyes the way they used to look; all hazel and bright and beautiful.

Cameron cleared her throat and laughed. “Just these two idiots giving me blue cheese.”

“But you hate blue cheese,” Melanie dramatically sighed as she put a hand on Cameron’s back. “I’m so sorry they did that to you, Cam.”

Across the round table, Cameron could feel Isla’s and Vera’s eyes on them.

They were like four tiny lasers pointed right at Melanie’s hand still on Cameron’s shoulder.

Normally, she wouldn’t have thought anything about it.

But her ramblings made her even more susceptible to them noticing every little thing that happened between her and Melanie.

Even if nothing was happening.

Cameron was on the verge of driving herself insane when someone came over to take their drink order.

Isla and Vera ordered a second round of drinks for themselves as well as fried cheese sticks for the table.

Melanie ordered a gin martini, and Cameron decided a beer over a cocktail was the safer option.

The last thing her scrambled brain needed was strong alcohol to mix with her confused feelings for Melanie.

If she were honest with herself, which she rarely was, she’d admit that yes, she did like Melanie as more than a friend.

And she did desperately want to kiss her again.

But above that, she’d never make any kind of move while Melanie was married to Rob.

Being a home-wrecker wasn’t something Cameron wanted to add to her resume.

As long as they were married, Cameron’s feelings for her best friend would just have to stay on the back burner.

Which was why Cameron was instantly regretful that she had a mouthful of a hot fried cheese stick when Melanie said oh so casually, “So, Rob and I are getting a divorce.”

“What?”

“What happened?”

Isla and Vera both leaned onto the table toward Melanie as Cameron fought for her life to hurriedly chew and swallow the flaming hot cheese stick. Her eyes began to water as she reached for her drink.

“Are you okay?”

Cameron wasn’t entirely sure who asked or who it was directed to as she downed nearly the entire beer.

“I’m so sorry,” she dramatically set the beer back down on the table. Using a cocktail napkin, she dabbed at the tears in her eyes. “I didn’t realize they were that hot.”

“Fresh cheese sticks straight from the fryer usually are,” Melanie laughed, placing a soft hand on Cameron’s back.

Six seconds or sixty minutes could have passed as Cameron looked into Melanie’s eyes. They weren’t as sad as Cameron had expected to find them after breaking the news. Instead, Melanie looked happier than she had in years. Lighter even.

“And here I was thinking you were just upset over my news.” Melanie winked at her, nearly driving Cameron insane.

What. Is. Wrong. With. Me?

“I’m so sorry, Mel.” Under the table, Cameron put her hand on Melanie’s thigh. “Really.”

“I am, too. Sort of.” Melanie shrugged as she looked around the table at all of them. “The last few years haven’t been the best for me and Rob. I know you’ve all had to notice.”

Isla, Vera, and Cameron all exchanged glances before looking down at the table.

“It’s okay,” Melanie waved them off. “It’s my fault for not telling you all and just letting you assume. But I didn’t know how to say I was unhappy in my marriage and that I was going to therapy to,” Melanie seemed to search for the right word, “figure myself out.”

Cameron cocked her head toward Melanie, but it was Vera who asked what Cameron was also thinking.

“What do you mean, Mel?”

Taking a deep breath, Melanie intentionally made eye contact with the three of them before pausing on Cameron. Cameron was keenly aware of her hand still on Melanie’s thigh, but she didn’t dare move it. Not now. Not when Melanie was clearly about to say something big.

“I’m bisexual.”

Cameron wasted no time pulling Melanie into a hug. She held on tightly to Melanie, kissing her cheek as she rubbed her back.

“I’m so proud of you.”

“I’d been wanting to tell you so bad,” Melanie’s voice was barely a whisper, so Cameron knew the words were only meant for her.

“Thank you for telling me.”

As Cameron reluctantly pulled out of Melanie’s embrace, she watched as Isla and Vera made their way around the table to hug her as well.

It was no wonder Melanie looked so happy tonight.

She had two major breakthroughs in her life.

Cameron tried not to hide the fact she was mildly sad to not have known about them before Isla and Vera though.

Melanie turned her attention back to Cameron, placing a hand on her thigh as she spoke. “And I’m sorry for kissing you the other night then leaving. That was childish, and I’ve been kicking myself ever since then.”

“It’s okay, really.”

“No, it’s not, but I appreciate you saying that.” Melanie sheepishly lowered her eyes before looking over at Isla and Vera. “I assume you two knew that happened.”

“What? No.” Isla waved her off unconvincingly. “We had no idea.”

“Cam told me, and I told my lying wife,” Vera added with a laugh.

“Oh, and Dylan knows.”

Melanie spun around toward her. “ What ?”

“She saw us kissing,” Cameron nervously scratched the back of her neck. “But that’s all she knows. I haven’t told her anything else because, well…”

Cameron’s voice trailed off, but something in Melanie’s eyes told her she understood. They silently communicated that they would talk about it later.

After all, there were still hours of drinks, food, and chatting to be had.

The foursome talked about everything from Melanie’s divorce to her coming out to their kids then to why they had ordered six desserts between them.

And all the while, Cameron tried not to overthink how Melanie had scooted her chair closer to hers as they kept putting their hands on each other’s legs or backs or arms.

Normally, they were both affectionate with each other. Hell, Cameron was that way with all her friends. But it was different now with Melanie. It seemed more intentional, and that scared Cameron.

“I’m going to pop off to the restroom really quick.”

Thankfully, she had the restroom to herself.

She braced herself on the counter as she took in several deep breaths.

Although she’d only had a beer and a half all night, Cameron still felt drunk.

Or maybe high. Not that kind of high. Just a happy high.

Melanie was getting a divorce and was bisexual.

And she’d had her hand on Cameron’s thigh almost all night.

That has to mean something, right?

Cameron had no clue. She wished she had someone to talk to about it, but the person she would normally turn to about relationships was Melanie.

Not that that conversation happened often.

Hell, Cameron couldn’t even remember the last time she’d dated someone.

Maybe it was the blonde from radiology a few years ago?

The one Melanie hated? Or maybe it was the redhead from OB that randomly transferred hospitals soon after they stopped seeing each other.

Either way, the point was Cameron didn’t date much. Her kids and career always came first.

That’s not to say that Cameron hasn’t thought about dating Melanie before.

She had a lot. And even more so after the kiss.

But she’d always kept those feelings tightly under wraps because she respected Melanie and her husband and their friendship too damn much.

But now, Cameron had to wonder if things would change between them.

Don’t.

Cameron shook her head. There was no point in wondering what if.

She’d learned that lesson long ago. Life was about going out there and getting what you wanted.

There was no sense in waiting for a perfect time or person that would never come.

Instead, Cameron believed in taking life by the horns.

It’s why she had two kids by herself and hadn’t ever married anyone.

Besides, even if things were going to be different for her and Melanie now, Melanie would still be in the middle of a divorce and figuring out her sexuality.

There was no way she’d want to date Cameron, the single mom of two who can’t commit to anything besides a chocolate crème filled donut.

In no universe would Cameron expect there to just suddenly be more between her and her best friend.

They weren’t in a Hallmark movie. One kiss and a pending divorce didn’t change everything.

Pulling a towel from the dispenser, Cameron tucked it under her arm as she splashed some cold water onto her face. She carefully dabbed the excess water off and tossed the towel into the trash as the bathroom door opened. In the mirror, Cameron locked eyes with Melanie.

“Hey,” Melanie smiled, making Cameron’s heart flutter.

Shit .

Maybe she was in a Hallmark movie.