I hesitated. “I don’t know…”
Ollie stuck out his lower lip, and it was so ridiculous, that I laughed. “Cam will be happy to see you.”
“Yeah, I don’t think—”
“Sounds like a plan right there,” he interrupted. “Don’t think about it. Come over. Just for a little while, okay? Maybe we can take Raphael for a walk.”
I laughed again, thinking of Ollie and the poor tortoise as I glanced back at their apartment. Why shouldn’t I stop by? It would be a normal thing to do and Ollie lived there. He could invite me. And if I was honest with myself, I wanted to see Cam.
I… I missed him.
Taking a deep breath, I nodded. “Okay. Just for a little while.”
“Great!” Ollie looped his free arm through mine, and before I could change my mind, he led me down the hall.
“Wait! I don’t have shoes on.”
“Who cares?” He gave me a goofy grin as we crossed the short distance. “Shoes are overrated.”
My heart rate kicked up as Ollie nudged the door open. Immediately the sound of laughter and fighting amplified until for a moment, I was little overwhelmed. Everyone was focused on the TV. Ollie let go of my arm and set the case in the fridge. He picked up two shot glasses off the counter in the kitchen. What in the hell was I doing here?
“Jose welcomes you,” he offered me one of the tiny glasses.
My hand shook a little as I took it. The voice in my head told me no, but God damn it, I was tired of that voice. It was the same voice that had told me to tell Cam to go away. The same voice that told me to listen to my parents. The same voice that told me to let Blaine take me into that room. That voice had done nothing but fuck me over. I downed the shot and immediately my eyes watered as the liquid scorched my throat.
“Holy smokes,” I muttered, blinking rapidly.
Ollie laughed as he replaced the shot with a bottle of beer and then he grabbed my arm, pulling back into the living room. “Look who I found!” he shouted.
Several heads turned, and my fingers tightened around the neck of the beer. I didn’t see anyone except him and the moment I laid eyes on Cam, I knew this was a bad, bad idea.
It seemed like months since I last saw him.
Cam sat on the couch, baseball cap on backward. He was leaning forward, yelling at the two guys on the TV that were beating the crap out of each other. The burgundy hoodie was unzipped, revealing a white shirt underneath. Beside him on the couch was Steph.
I took a healthy drink of the beer.
She looked perfect, as usual. Hair a glossy brunette, the tight black turtleneck stretched over her breasts. She must’ve said something, because Cam finally looked over, and it was like being punched in the chest.
Surprise flickered across his striking face and then his gaze dropped to what was in my hand. His brows shot up and then our eyes locked. My heart seemed to skip a beat. To me, it seemed like everyone stopped talking and started staring, but in reality, only seconds passed and no one probably even noticed anything.
One side of his lips curved up. “Hey.”
“Hey,” I replied lamely.
He continued watching me for a few more moments and then turned back to the screen, shoulders straight and tense. He didn’t want me here. It was written all over him, and besides, Steph was beside him.
I started for the door, but somehow Ollie ended up behind me and the next thing I knew, he had me sitting in an empty recliner, facing the TV. Two shirtless guys in spandex shirts were punching each other in the face.
Hmm.
Tensed, I drank the beer faster than I probably should’ve. Steph’s husky chuckle crawled into my stomach and started clawing at my insides. Over the course of minutes, she was practically in Cam’s lap now, one hand wrapped around his bicep. She leaned in and whispered in his ear. Cam shook his head, and the most perfect pout filled out her lips. What had she said?
Someone—Ollie, maybe?—handed me another shot of Jose that warmed my stomach and washed away Steph’s claws.
“Like the socks.”
Glancing up, I saw one of Cam’s friends. I didn’t know his name or really recognize his face, but he had a nice smile. I stretched my legs out, wiggling my toes in my rainbow colored socks. “Thanks.”
He ran a hand over the close-cut brown hair and clasped the back of his neck. “So you normally watch UFC fights?”
I looked at the screen. A guy was kicked back into the cage. “This is the first time I’ve watched one of these.”
“You don’t sound like you’ll be watching one of these again.”
Opening my mouth, I was surprised to hear a giggle come out. “Yeah, I don’t know if this will be something I watch regularly.”