Bender (The Core Four #1)(33)
“Okay, so I’m attracted to him. At the end of the day though, none of that matters. He’s been nothing but a dick to me, and I don’t know if I can forgive him for that.”
“Sure you can. After everything you told me, he seems to have a sweet spot for you. In fact, I know he does. I’ve done some digging with the little brother.”
I had a feeling I was going to need some cake for this. I spooned a bite and waited for her to tell me more.
“So Dodger and I have been getting pretty friendly.”
“I noticed,” I grumbled.
“Oh shut up, and be happy for me. Nothing is going to get weird, I promise. Anyway,” she emphasized, dropping the subject. “I’d already been noticing some subtle cues from Camden when he’s around you. He’d watch you when you weren’t looking, or I’d see him blowing off girls that came on to him. I decided to ask Dodger what was up with that. At first he didn’t want to say anything. Those boys are awfully tight lipped about everything. But me being me, all it took was a little coaxing, and he started talking.” She gave me a brilliant devilish smile. I couldn’t help the one that was spreading across my face. “Turns out Camden’s a pretty private person. He doesn’t date girls, and he never sleeps with them more than once. But when you told Dodge that Cam was bringing girls to the house, he apparently went and asked his brother about it. He accused him of trying to make you jealous. Cam, of course, told him he was ridiculous, but Dodger swears he’s never seen him behave the way that he does toward you. He says his brother has gone softer.”
“What does that mean, softer?” I questioned.
“I don’t know. But if I had to guess, I’d say that Camden’s walls are starting to come down, and he’s trying to figure out if you’ll let him in.”
I sat back again, completely confused and unable to respond. Did Camden like me? I wasn’t so sure. But I could tell a difference in how he was with me up in my room. His words were sincere. I mattered to him. Maybe he was ready to finally be friends. That had to be it. Maybe Camden had never been close with a girl before, been friends, because he’s never trusted them. I was feeling like I was onto something when Macie interrupted my thoughts.
“So what are you going to do about Luke?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, how are you going to let him down easy?”
I shook my head in confusion. “Let him down? I’m not walking away from Luke. He’s good to me, and we’ve already made plans for the Halloween party.”
She tilted her head. “But we’ve just established that you and Cam-″
“No, you’ve got a theory. I’m not walking away from something that could be the best thing that’s happened to me in years, Mace. I think Camden just wants a friendship with me. Luke doesn’t play games, and I enjoy being around him. I’m not walking away from that.”
“Even if the sex is mediocre?”
I scoffed. “Sex isn’t everything.”
The waitress had come by and given us our bill, and I pulled out a twenty to leave on the table.
“Oh young one, I have a lot to teach you.”
Standing up I grabbed my purse. “Alright Yoda, you can tell me all about it in the car. Let’s go before I order some ice cream to go with that cake you just hoovered.” We both laughed as we walked out of the restaurant.
I’d kept myself busy by going to the mall and browsing around. Then I stopped by the house to visit with Sarah and my mom for a bit. When things had gotten too tense, and mom and I were on the verge of an argument, I’d gotten up and left. I’d been avoiding coming home for most of the day because I wasn’t ready to face Camden just yet. When I unlocked the door and started to push it open, I saw the light from the television glowing in the darkened space. As I came inside I set my keys down on the counter and slipped off my flats. My heart sped up when Camden came out of the downstairs bathroom, shutting off the light behind him.
“Hey, you’re home.” He greeted me with his usual deep voice.
“Yeah, I went to meet up with Macie and stopped at my mom’s for a bit. I’m pretty tired though, so I think I’m going to go crash.” I was covering my mouth to stifle a yawn.
He seemed to be watching my every move, and it was unnerving me. “Okay, have a good night.”
“Yeah, you too.” I paused for a second, trying to consider what that look on his face meant.
I was too tired for any more mind games, so I turned and trudged up the steps. When I got to my door, I stopped. The knob was different. There wasn’t a lock on the outside, and it looked like it had been changed out for this new one. Tentatively I grabbed the handle and twisted, pushing the door open and switching on the light on the wall. As soon as my space was illuminated I gasped.
What. The. Hell. Was. This?
My room wasn’t how I’d left it. Freshly painted walls invaded my senses, and I took in every inch that was now different. There was a soft yellow that now colored the walls. It brightened the space even more than plain white did. But I didn’t get a chance to enjoy it. My eyes landed on the other offending objects in the room. Up against the wall, where my air mattress used to be, now stood an espresso-colored sleigh bed with two matching night stands on either side. Their sleek glossy finish reflected the light from the ceiling fan. Directly across from the bed was a matching dresser. On the floor was a grey rug that looked so plush you’d lose sight of your toes if you stepped on it barefoot. What in the hell was all of this? I took a few steps into the room and slowly approached the bed. Running my fingers across the polished wood, it felt soft to the touch. I felt my blood boil more with every step I took. I tipped my head back and forth, popping the bones in my neck.