Page 37

Brooke

After Thanksgiving, we are straight to studying for our winter exams, which are more stressful now that I've officially switched majors to business and photography.

Even with exams coming up, the boys still have hockey, and it's an away game this weekend. They left yesterday for their game but won't be back until tomorrow afternoon.

I'm sitting on the sofa with a blanket and trying to edit images.

It's looking good so far. Gunnar's mom sent me a load of stuff that she had from when he was younger, and she also ran a collection at their local hockey rink, which bulked out what could have been a sparse month for me.

She turned up the morning after Thanksgiving and took me for coffee just the two of us.

After our first cup, I felt comfortable enough to talk about things with my mom.

She looked up a couple of local therapists for me to call when I'm ready, after I mentioned that I might want to explore that route.

I gave her and Mr C the biggest hug when I said goodbye.

The door opens, and I lift my head as Cami comes in, bringing a gust of cold air behind her. She's wearing what she calls her warm puffer coat.

"How cold is it out there?" she exclaims, taking her coat and gloves off, moving over to the sofa I'm on, kicking off her Ugg boots before diving under the blanket with me.

"So cold," I agree, moving away from her cold feet and making her laugh. "Where have you been? I thought you had practice till three?"

"I did, but um, I met up with Chris after." She sighs, adjusting the blanket and not looking at me. "I ended it."

"Nooo!" I gasp, shutting my laptop and sitting up. "But I thought it was going well?"

She groans, throwing her head back against the sofa, covering her eyes. "It was. I just realised I wasn't a hundred per cent in it."

"Cam, what's going on?" I reach my hands out and she takes them, pulling herself forward. I've been getting worried she's not been herself for a while, and now this.

"I'm going to sound like a horrible person." She moans, pulling her hands away and covering her eyes with them again.

"Never." I shake my head at her, leaning forward and slapping her hands away. "Not to me."

"You can't tell anyone." She points a finger at me, shaking her head. "I mean it, B, not a soul."

I suddenly feel a wave of guilt that she trusts me so much, and I'm lying to her.

I've thought about telling her about Grant and me, but then I get scared she's going to be mad or tell me I'm stupid because he's such a player.

What we have at the moment is just some fun, and it's not a forever thing.

I don't want to ruin it between us, but that doesn't mean I don't feel bad about not telling Cami.

"I won't." Nodding and biting my lip, worried about what she was going to tell me.

"I broke it off with Chris because I have feelings for Gunnar."

“Oh”, I whisper, staring at her. I was fairly sure there was something between them, but couldn't work out what. But, wow, hearing it is so different.

“B, please say something”

"Has something happened between you two?" I ask, not entirely sure what else to ask at this point.

"No, no!" she cries out. "I mean, the night we met, I thought something might, but then I found out he was with Sasha, and I couldn't, and he wouldn't. I mean, he's obsessed with her, right?" She looks down at her hands.

"Oh, Cam." I pull her in for a hug and rub her back.

"It just doesn't feel like it's going to go away soon, and it wasn't fair to Chris.

" She's still looking down at her hands and wraps my arms around me.

I thought her dating Chris might become serious.

I had met him at a couple of parties, and she kept going on dates with him, so I thought she was enjoying being with him.

"I'm okay." She nods, pulling away. "Just a stupid unrequited crush."

"If it makes you feel better, Sasha is awful and you're amazing."

She laughs. "I wish Gunnar could see that."

I stand up, move to the fridge, and grab a bottle of wine. Cami smiles as I bring it and two glasses over. "You want to go out tonight?" I ask as I pour each of us a glass.

"And drown my sorrows?" She snorts, taking a long sip.

"Well, yeah," I say, "but seriously, we can have a girls' night since the boys are gone."

"I don't know." She takes another sip of her wine. "I feel crummy. How about we stay in and I help you edit The Drop." She reaches for my laptop.

"Wait, no!" I shout, reaching for it as she opens it to find pictures of Gunnar modelling a shirt with post-training shower wet hair, even if I have to admit it's a hot picture.

"Yup, great." She takes a beat to down her wine before gesturing with the empty glass at my laptop screen. "I thought she didn't allow you to use him for The Drop anymore."

"Mrs C told him he was being a terrible friend and then told Sasha to get over it; it's for charity." I grimace, closing the laptop and moving it out of reach just in case she feels like throwing it across the room.

"God, I love that woman but nope let's go out, seeing that sucks."

"I'm sorry." I wince.

"Not your fault, B; he's so hot." She groans, throwing herself back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling.

"This isn't a conversation I thought we would have this weekend." I chuckle, leaning back too.

"Why couldn't it be, Adam?" She groans, covering her eyes. "He's so available."

"And he definitely wouldn't turn you down." I nod sympathetically.

"Right? He's obsessed with me." She sighs, and I laugh, standing and pulling her with me to get ready.