Page 31

THIRTY

So much for avoiding Cam while I tried to sort out my feelings.

Standing in the wreckage of my former bedroom, it was hard to see much of a silver lining.

I’d spent all morning on the phone with Victoria and Adam, profusely apologizing for what happened to their hard work.

They insisted it wasn’t my fault, but the guilt overwhelmed me.

It was like the house knew I didn’t belong here, and it wanted to force me out against my will.

At least we were safe. Laila already made herself at home in the main house, napping in the dining room, when I left to see what I could salvage.

It wasn’t much. The water had destroyed most of my room, especially my closet.

Hopefully, I could get some pieces cleaned up, but I’d have to go shopping if I didn’t want to live in pajamas for the foreseeable future.

There went my road trip fund. Probably for the best. I’d avoided setting down roots for a long time, and maybe the universe was showing me it was time.

Most of my friends had started their own grown-up lives.

The dream of traveling around the country might be just that—a dream.

One I pictured but would never quite grasp.

“What else do you need?” Cam asked from my side.

I sucked in a sharp breath, unsure of what to say.

Tears were dying to come, but I pushed them back, trying to remind myself it was just stuff.

I was okay. My cat was okay. That was all that mattered in the end.

It still stung, knowing I’d be throwing away so many pieces of my home.

Yes, it had been temporary, but for a while, this space was mine.

I’d decorated it, made it cozy, done all the things I’d dreamed of doing since I was a kid.

Now, all of it was gone, thanks to one fucking storm.

Cam moved through the destruction, grabbing whatever he found and putting it into a box for me.

He’d called the team manager and told him what happened, insisting on staying home with me, which meant he’d miss his game.

I hated that he’d done that for me, especially during his rookie season.

He’d worked so damn hard to get there. Every game offered a chance to prove himself, especially now that he was a starter.

I held out my arms, motioning for me to hand over the box. “You should go,” I said solemnly. “If you leave now, you can get a warm-up in before the game. I’ve got this.”

Cam placed the box at his feet and shifted toward me. “No. I’m not going anywhere, Hadley. Stop telling me to leave.”

“This is ridiculous,” I shouted. “There’s nothing we can do right now! You shouldn’t have to miss out on your life because of my issues. You should be on that field, not digging through all my crap.”

Cam frowned, narrowing his umber eyes at me.

For a moment, my heartbeat pulsed wildly in my chest, knowing we were treading a dangerous line.

This was too much—I’d already come to rely on Cam, his strength, his warmth, all things that made me feel safer without him even trying.

It was the kind of support I’d barely even noticed until I spent a few days without him.

The more time we spent together, the more he chopped down my walls, and soon, I’d be helpless to stop falling for him.

He moved in front of me in two long strides, cupping my face with a familiarity I didn’t expect.

His touch brought some much needed heat to my skin as his thumb swiped along my cheek.

“Listen to me, Hadley. You think you have to be strong and handle this on your own, but I’m here, and fuck, I want to be here with you.

When life gets hard, when everything goes to shit, I want to be the one you call. Nothing else matters if you need me.”

“But your career?—”

“Is just that,” Cam finished for me. “It’s a job.

It’ll never come before the people who matter most to me.

” His eyes searched mine, and I swore, his words patched up the worn spots in my soul.

“Now, let’s get your stuff and head back to the house.

Cole’s got Emilia for another couple of hours, and you should get settled before she gets back. ”

I nodded, but Cam didn’t release me, instead pressing his thumb along my bottom lip. He swore under his breath, as if I was his biggest blessing and curse. “You’re making this hard for me, menace.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, although I knew damn well.

“Being around you, not touching you, it’s fucking torture, especially now that I’ve seen what you look like when you come.

” My cheeks blushed, and I tried to avert my eyes, but Cam’s grip on my chin wouldn’t let me.

“Don’t hide from me, Hadley. You are so fucking gorgeous all the time, but when you come…

” He sighed. “You’re everything. Never in my life have I seen anything as beautiful. ”

I swallowed, trying to keep my rising emotions at bay, but it was useless, like sandbags trying to hold back a tsunami.

Victoria’s words from last night echoed in my mind, reminding me how much I’d already missed out with Cam.

Perhaps we were meant to take this path, both too jaded by our experiences to let go sooner.

Without letting myself think of anything else, I lifted onto the tips of my toes and pressed a soft kiss to Cam’s lips.

He stilled under my touch, barely breathing when I leaned away from him.

If not for his expression, I would have thought I’d made a mistake, but the look in his eyes left no room for misinterpretation.

When I backed away, Cam’s hands found my hips, pulling me flush against him.

“Don’t you run away from me, Hadley. If we’re going to start this again, I need to know you’re not going anywhere.

I walked away from you once, and I’m man enough to admit I don’t have the strength to do it twice.

If you want this, you better be fucking sure you’re all in. ”

His words should have terrified me, should have had me running in the opposite direction.

For so long, the idea of commitment had frozen me, but now, I craved belonging.

Not to anyone else—just Cam. This bond between us had been simmering for so long, disguised under layers of misunderstandings and distrust. Now that it had finally been exposed, we couldn’t escape its pull.

I didn’t speak, not sure how to articulate what I felt around Cam. Was this what it felt like to fall for someone? It was fast—too fast. Then again, we’d been dancing around each other for years, and now that we’d connected, my heart didn’t want to waste time.

So instead of saying words I couldn’t quite get out, I kissed him again. And this time, I had no doubts about what I wanted.