Before You (Before You #1)(53)

Cam looked up when she emerged from the bedroom, dressed and ready for the day in a pair of yellow skinny jeans, a grey and white polka dot blouse with a coral belt, and matching ballet flats. She noticed that his hair was still wet from a recent shower.

“Bre, I’m so glad you’re here.”

Bre smiled and surveyed the room. Noticing the blankets on the couch, she said, “Why did you sleep on the couch?”

“I came home late, and you looked so peaceful that I didn’t want to disturb you.” Cam picked up the blankets and tossed them in the corner.

“I wouldn’t have minded. It’s your room,” she responded with a faint smile.

Cam spread his arms. “Come here and give me a hug. You’re acting too reserved. What happened to the girl who used to jump into my arms the minute she saw me?”

She sighed, then she stomped theatrically toward Cam, sliding her arms around his waist. He bent down to kiss her lightly on the top of her head. “Mm… Bre, you always smell so good—like home.”

“So what are the plans for the weekend?” The words came out muffled as she pressed her head into his chest.

“Tonight we have a dinner charity event arranged by our agent for the band and our dates.”

“So who were you going to bring if I didn’t agree to come?” she asked playfully.

“I guess I would have had to take one of Jax’s cast offs or suffered alone in silence.”

At the mention of Jax, Bre tensed slightly. She tipped her face up to look at Cam. “So who is Jax bringing?”

“Oh, he’s bringing some girl named Anna. You’ve never met her before.”

“Have she and Jax been dating long?” Bre stood motionless, not wanting to hear the answer, but at the same time needing to hear it.

“I don’t know. A month or so, maybe longer.”

“Is it serious?”

“Come on, this is Jax we’re talking about. Is anything ever serious with him?” he responded, pushing her hair away from her face.

“I guess not.”

Cam bent his head, letting his lips travel the length of her neck, the scruff on his face lightly scraping her skin. “Mmm, Bre… I’ve missed you.”

“Cam, you can’t do that. We broke up,” she said, stepping away from him.

“Not really. I warned you that I still considered you my girlfriend.”

“I’m pretty sure that can’t be a one-side decision. So where did Jax meet Anna?”

“Why are you so curious about Jax?” he asked, pulling her next to him again.

“No reason.” Her heartbeat raced, alarmed by Cam’s question and with the way he touched her. She wasn’t ready for this. She couldn’t be intimate with Cam. It felt wrong on so many levels.

“I love you,” he murmured next to her ear, his warm breath teasing her neck.

She leaned back and smiled briefly. “I love you, too. You’re my best friend.” Suddenly, she felt ill. The words that were once second nature now seemed hollow and empty. Sure, there was a piece of her that still loved Cam, but not the way those words suggested. This was so hard. She wished she could erase the last few months, so she didn’t have to make any decisions.

He lifted her chin and his warm blue eyes searched her face. “See, I knew you didn’t really want to break up with me.” Closing his eyes, his lips brushed across hers. Her first instinct was to pull away from him. “Relax,” he murmured, his lips still touching hers.

Maybe if she kissed him, everything would become clear. Sighing, she leaned into him, desperately wanting to feel something; love, lust, hate, anything. Cam’s kiss turned strong and possessive, his tongue boldly pressing between her lips, giving her fair warning of how he wanted to spend the afternoon. Even when his hands wandered to her waist, skimming her bare stomach, she felt nothing except sadness creeping through her veins.

Overwhelmed, she pulled back, turning her head to the side to break contact. She had to hold in a whimper. Being with Cam just didn’t feel right anymore. Even if she never saw Jax again, and Cam never found out what happened between the two of them, she would know. She didn’t want to be in a relationship where she had to lie about being faithful and she certainly didn’t want to be with someone she loved as a friend, but nothing more. Her love life was an absolute disaster. Thank God she had the gallery and her art.

Cam smiled down at her fondly, completely unaware of her thoughts, almost as though he felt something entirely different when they kissed. “I’m so lucky to have you in my life. I can’t believe you put up with me.”

Drained from her realizations, she only had enough energy to let a half-smile form on her lips, but again, Cam didn’t notice or didn’t care. He no longer saw her or knew her, and apparently it didn’t bother him, but it bothered her. “What time are we going tonight?”

“Seven. Do you have something to wear? If not, we can spend the day shopping.” He planted a firm kiss on the tip of her nose and then her forehead. “It will be fun, don’t you think?”

“Sure… it sounds nice. I didn’t bring anything very formal,” she said, stepping out of his embrace to avoid any further intimacy. “Did you pick up my purse from Jax last night? I can’t buy anything without my wallet.”