As soon as we were submerged in the water, I saw the tension leave him, and he was back to being the guy I liked so much. We talked about all the random things we usually talked about, and since he seemed to not want to talk about dinner or his family, I didn’t bring them up.
But now that I was asking questions about his family and his past, he was back to being guarded. I wasn’t used to that, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it. I could only correlate it to one thing, and that made me feel uneasy. I didn’t want him to have any regrets about bringing me home with him.
“And Callie’s Dillon’s sister?” I tried, hoping it was a safe question.
“Yes.”
“Parker’s a cutie,” I said, fighting for things to talk about that wouldn’t make him shut down.
“Yeah, he is,” Cam said flatly
I sighed in frustration, and Cam looked over at me.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, sounding concerned.
I hesitated before saying, “Nothing. I’m fine.”
Instead of probing like he normally would have, he seemed content with my answer as his gaze shifted out the window, and the silence I’d feared closed in around us. I looked out the window to see Chris pulling into a gravel parking lot with a few cars in it and glanced back at Cam, not sure what was going on with him. I just knew I didn’t like it.
“Here we are,” he said as he started to open his door.
“Wait,” I told him, and he paused to look back at me. I turned to Chris. “Can you give us a minute?”
“Sure, Andi,” he said, meeting my gaze for several seconds. It felt like he’d also noticed how odd Cam was acting, and he was relieved I wasn’t going to let it go. “I’ll be outside.”
I waited for him to close the driver’s side door and then decided to be quick, because I knew how cold it was. I could see Chris’s breath in the air as he stood a few feet from the car, his hands shoved into his coat pockets.
“Cam,” I said, squeezing his hand as I gave him a small smile. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” he said, forcing a smile on his face.
“You’re lying. Don’t do that.”
I watched him blink a few times. He seemed unsure of what to say, which was completely out of character for him.
“Tell me what’s going on with you,” I urged. “You’re regretting bringing me here – to meet your family – aren’t you? And don’t lie.”
He didn’t say anything for several seconds, and then he said in a slow, measured voice, “It’s not that I regret anything. I’m just sort of seeing things through your eyes, and I’m thinking I should have thought this through before I agreed.”
“So, you don’t want me here?” I clarified, my heart pounding as I waited for him to tell me what I didn’t want to hear. But if he said it, I’d be on the first plane home. I wasn’t going to stay where I wasn’t wanted.
“No, Andi, I want you here more than anything. I’m just realizing a few things, and I’m a little inside my head right now. This was a big step, bringing you here, and I’m just trying to imagine what you’re thinking. I’m hoping you’re not going to change your opinion of me.”
I was looking at him like he was crazy, because he just might have been. “Cam, what are you talking about? I’m having a great time. My opinion of you is the same as it has always been. Nothing’s changed.”
He shook his head slowly. “But this place, my family, they all bring out parts of me that I’d rather keep hidden – especially from you. I don’t let anyone see this side of me, and it’s worse when the girl I really like is seeing it. I’m afraid of screwing things up with you.”
“You’re not screwing anything up. Trust me,” I said as I slid closer to him.
He sighed. “But my family is crazy. They’re loud and borderline obnoxious, and I just threw you in there with them with no warning.”
I laughed softly, because he really was being irrational. “Cam, I liked your family. They were a lot of fun. I was fine last night.”
“Yeah, but my mom asked you nine million questions, my sister talked non-stop, and Preston kept saying things he should have just kept to himself. Fair warning, he’s probably going to do that again today. It’s just who he is. I met your dad, and he seems like a really great guy – all polished and professional. My family’s not like that. They’re kind of nuts. I still can’t believe my mom showed you pictures of me when I was a kid.”
“I loved those pictures,” I said sincerely, because I had. He’d been so adorable up on stage as a teenager.
Cam just sighed and shook his head.
“Camden,” I said softly. “Don’t do this, and don’t compare our families. It’s not a contest, and if you try to make it one, you’re going to get upset for the wrong reasons. You know we grew up differently, but that doesn’t change anything for us today. Your family isn’t perfect, but they’re pretty great in a lot of ways. I’ve never seen people who love each other as much as they do. I wish my family was that connected. I come from money. My parents have a big house in a nice neighborhood where appearances matter more than anything. Real emotions are covered up by what’s considered socially acceptable, and no one ever speaks their mind. Don’t get me wrong, my parents are wonderful people, but they’re not warm like your mom and stepdad are. And there are so many things we don’t see eye-to-eye on. They hate that I didn’t conform to their standards, and I moved out of the south. I feel like I disappointed them when I did that, because what they wanted was for me to move back to Atlanta, marry my college boyfriend, and start popping out kids. Work wasn’t necessary when I could be in the Junior League. They never understood why I moved to New York. They hate the way I live, what I do, and that my apartment is the size of a large postage stamp. They hate that I refuse to take their money so I can live in a nicer place, and they’re terrified every day that I’m going to get mugged. They love me, but they don’t support me like your family does. Maybe you can’t see it, but your mom is so proud of you. Asher and Ella look up to you, and I honestly think Preston does too. They love you so much. I could see it, and I honestly thought they were all really great.”
“Yeah, but they said things that I wished they wouldn’t have said. Asher flirted with you.”
I shook my head. “So what? He’s a kid. I thought it was kind of adorable. I wasn’t offended by any of it. And I’m sure my parents will say something in front of you that will have me cringing too. Hell, my dad says things about gays in front of Gabe all the time that make me think he’s an ignorant jerk, but there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s just how families are. They drive us crazy, but we love them anyway.”
“But what about all this?” he asked, gesturing around us. “You’re not appalled by it? It’s kind of a shithole.”
“Well,” I said, thinking I needed to choose my words carefully since we were treading on dangerous ground, “it’s not where I’d choose to live, but I’m not going to hold it against you that you grew up here. It’s not your fault you were poor, and it doesn’t change my opinion of you in the least. Trust me. I take stock in one thing, and that’s the guy you are. It has nothing to do with your money or your fame or your cool job. It has to do with your heart and your selfless nature and the concern you have for others. It has to do with the person you are. And I have a feeling that has a lot to do with the hand you were dealt. You had to work hard to get where you are today. It wasn’t just given to you, and you’re a better person because of that.”
He was still looking at me skeptically, like he didn’t believe me.
“You had to interview to get into Westside, right?” I asked him, figuring I’d change tactics.
“Yeah, I did. I had like five interviews in addition to singing a bunch of times for the music producers at the label.”
“Right, and what did you talk about in those interviews?”
Cam shrugged. “Lots of stuff – how much I loved to sing and perform, what my other hobbies were, where I grew up,
my family, Dillon.”
“Okay, so I’m thinking that something about you stood out, and that’s why you got picked. A million guys can sing as well as you, but you have this part of your personality that is so confident and strong, and I’m willing to bet that it came from overcoming adversity. You weren’t satisfied with your lot in life, so you decided to fight back against it. You might not realize it, but not many people would have the guts to fly to L.A. to perform for a major label and go up against thousands of other guys, but you did. And because of it, you have the coolest life. You’re happy. I can see that, but if you’d have stayed here, you wouldn’t have been happy. I respect that you had the drive to get out when you did, to fight for what you wanted.”
“Yeah?”
I nodded. “Yes. I saw that in you from the start. Your confidence and your tenacity were the things I liked most about you. They’re what made me want to be around you when I hardly knew you. You were like this magnetic force that I needed to pull me out of my head, and it worked because I could see how settled you were in your own skin. I wanted that too.”
“And here I thought you liked me because I was cute,” Cam said, and I realized he was attempting to make a joke. I was glad after the tension that had been between us for the whole car ride. It felt like I might be finally getting through to him.
I scooted closer to him. “Well, I’m not going to lie,” I said, rubbing my index finger along his freshly shaved jaw. “You’re freaking gorgeous. But beyond your ridiculously good looks, there’s so much more to you that I adore, and I know other people feel the same way. I’ve seen you when you interact with others. People naturally gravitate to you. They want to be close to you, and I know firsthand how that feels. You knew how hesitant and guarded I was when we met, yet you didn’t let that deter you. You were charming and sweet and genuine, and I let you in when I was at a point when I pretty much hated men. But somehow you got through to me.”
“You really thought I was charming?”
“So charming,” I said, meeting his green-eyed gaze. “I didn’t even know I was falling for you until I was halfway there. I’m practically robbing the cradle to date you, but I’m okay with that, because you’re such a great guy. You also have a ridiculously hot body, you’re an incredible kisser, and you make me smile nonstop, but I consider those to be just added bonuses.”
I figured using one of the lines we’d said to each other before would carry some weight.
Cam smirked at me. “You’re making cracks about my age again? Really?”
I shrugged. “It’s an easy target. I still think you’re a baby.”
“But you’re still here.”
“I’m still here, and I’m not going anywhere. I promise. Whatever this thing is between us, and I know we’ve said it’s too soon to define it, I’m here because it makes me happy to be with you. Nothing you can say or do will change that as long as you don’t change who you are.”
“What you see is what you get,” he told me.
“And I like that guy so much,” I said, shaking my head in awe. “Just be you, and I’ll be happy.”
Cam took a deep breath. “Okay.”
“So no more freaking out. No getting upset if your brother says something wild and out there, because you know he will. And tonight if your dad doesn’t act perfect, don’t hold it against him. People aren’t perfect, and no one is expecting them to be, especially me.”
Cam leaned his forehead against mine. “I didn’t even want a girlfriend. I wasn’t looking for anything like this, and then you just waltzed into my life, and since that day, I haven’t been able to think of anything else.” He took a deep breath. “Andi, this thing with us scares the shit out of me, because I’m afraid I’m going to fuck it up. I’m afraid I’m going to lose you. I’m not that guy. I don’t live my life like that, but it’s like all of a sudden I can’t focus on anything else. I’m terrified.”
“Don’t be,” I urged him as I pressed my lips to his, sealing my words with a kiss. “I’ve dated guys who promised me the world. I’ve dated guys who seemed too good to be true. I’ve dated guys who ended up being liars and cheaters and just plain jerks. Trust me when I tell you I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think you were an incredible man. I know you try so hard to make the world see your greatness, but I’m telling you, you do it without any effort. Hell, I agreed to spend three whole days with you because you were there for me in my most vulnerable moment, and you didn’t think twice about staying with me when you knew I needed you. Most guys wouldn’t do that for someone they just met when the promise of sex wasn’t on the table.”
“I couldn’t stand that you were hurting.”
“I know. And I feel the same way right now.”
Cam looked at me in awe. “I’m lucky,” he said around a sigh as if he was just realizing it. “I didn’t understand that before. I used to make fun of Dillon for having a girlfriend. I thought he was nuts for doing long distance with Meredith given how little he got to see her, but he assured me she was worth it. I get that now.”
“Because you’re equating what we have to what Dillon and Meredith have?” I asked, hoping I was dissecting his revelation correctly. I held my breath as I waited for his answer, knowing in that moment exactly what I wanted him to say.
Cam nodded. “Yeah, kind of,” he said slowly as if he was still digesting the information.
“So, you’re saying that I’m your girlfriend?” I questioned, wondering if I was ready for that. A month ago I would have said no, but now I couldn’t imagine not being with Cam.
“I think I am. I’m not sure how we’re going to do this, but I don’t want to consider another option where you’re concerned.”
Yeah, I was ready for it.
“We’re going to do it just like we’ve been doing it,” I said confidently, the surge hitting me after hearing his words. “We’ll see each other when we can, we’ll talk on the phone a lot, and we’ll make the time we have together count.”
Cam sighed, but I could see his eyes light up with the same hope I was feeling that this thing between us was going to work. I was in if he was, and I was glad to see his nerves had been nothing more than a fear of the unknown.
“I’m going on tour in March,” he reminded me. “It’s a six month tour with stops on four continents.”
“I know, but you’ll get breaks, right?”
“Yeah, we’ll get breaks.”
“Okay, great. So we can work with that. You can come see me when you’re not performing, and maybe I’ll even fly out to see you occasionally when you’re on the road.”
“You think it’ll be that easy?” he questioned.
I shook my head. “No, I don’t think it’ll be easy, but I think it’ll be worth it.”
“I agree,” he said with little to no hesitation. I took that as a good sign.
“Okay, great. So I’m your girlfriend. Awesome. Are we supposed to make some formal announcement or something? I’m not sure how this works, you know, since this is the first time I’m officially dating a celebrity and all.”
Cam laughed, and it was such a great sound to hear.
“No, no announcements. I don’t want this to be a big thing, and I’d like to protect your privacy as long as possible.”
“I’d like that too.”
“So nothing changes, except I get to call you my girlfriend, which I think is pretty awesome. And if I get asked in an interview, I’m going to say that I have a girlfriend. You’re cool with that, right?”
“Absolutely,” I said as I cupped his face in my hands and kissed him. I hated the idea of being in the public eye and having my privacy zapped, but if it meant getting to be with Cam, I’d happily do it.
He smiled sheepishly. “Cool.”
A knock on the window had us both turning around to see Chris cupping his red hands over his mouth and blowing into them. His cheeks were equally red.
“Oh, shit!” I gasped. “We forgot he was out there.”
&nb
sp; Cam looked sheepish as he opened the door. “Sorry man.”
“It’s fine,” Chris said in a shaky voice that sounded cold. “You two good?”
I noticed his ears were pink too. We needed to get him some gloves and a hat.
“We’re great,” Cam said as we scrambled out of the car and Chris opened the driver’s side door and turned off the engine.
Cam took my hand as we started to make our way inside.
“So were you serious about fighting your brother today?” I asked him as we entered the gym. The whole place smelled like sweat, and I fought the urge to wrinkle my nose.
“Yeah, I was,” Cam said, sounding like he might be second guessing his decision on my behalf. “That’s okay, right?”
“You tell me. You’re the one who trains for this stuff.”
“Trained,” he corrected. “Now I just do it to blow off steam, but I promise it’s totally safe.”
“Blow away then,” I said, making a sweeping gesture with my arm.
Cam leaned down and kissed me. “Best girlfriend ever.”
“Hey kids,” Preston said a few minutes later when he spotted us.
He was dressed in basketball shorts and a tank top, which was surprising considering the temperature inside the gym. It couldn’t have been above sixty, and I was glad to keep my coat on. But Preston’s hair was sweat-soaked, like he’d been working out or sparring or something. I wasn’t exactly sure what he did as the owner.
“Hey man,” Cam said, giving him a bro hug.
“You’re early. I thought we were grabbing lunch at one,” Preston questioned.
Behind him two guys were going at it in the ring while a handful of people stood nearby watching, one giving instructions. Another guy was pounding out a steady rhythm on a heavy bag and a few more were lifting weights in an area beyond the octagon shaped ring.
“I wanted to show Andi the place,” Cam said, putting his arm around me. “And make good on my promise to kick your ass.”
Westside Series Box Set Page 25