“That you and Lacey looked a little like you’d just done something wrong, and that I was pretty sure I knew what that something was.”
“What?” Cameron said in a totally different tone. “No. Kennedy, no.”
“I know,” she replied. “And I think part of me had always known that you’d never cheat on me.”
“No, I wouldn’t. I messed up. I forgot to tell her that you didn’t want a couple’s massage and that it would just be me. Then, I tried to be friends with her, but she thought this was a job, which it was, and she asked if she could go. She did. That’s it.”
“You like her, Cam,” Kennedy stated and finally looked over at her.
“Yes. She’s nice.”
“Cam, come on. Let’s just do this.”
“Do what?”
“Cameron, I love you.”
“I know. I love you, too.”
“I love you, but I’m notinlove with you anymore.”
“Oh, wow.” Cameron turned her face toward the wall. “God, that really fucking hurts.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt you. The last thing I ever want to do is hurt you. You’re my favorite person.”
“That you’re no longer in love with?”
“I don’t know when it happened or how. You didn’t do anything. I’m not sure if I did, either. It just happened. But I do love you, and I think that’s what’s taking us so long to get here: we bothreallylove each other and don’t want to hurt the other person. But I think we’re doing that anyway, and we’ll just continue to do that unless we finally admit it.”
“That we’re over?” Cameron asked, still without looking at Kennedy.
“Don’t you feel it, too?”
Cameron nodded slowly and replied, “I do. I didn’t know how to tell you, though.”
“I didn’t know how to tellyou, either,” Kennedy shared. “I mean, five years, Cam. It might not seem like a lot to some people, but in Hollywood, five years is practically a silver anniversary.”
Cameron chuckled and said, “Yeah, I guess. I just don’t get it, Ken. What happened? We were perfect together. Then, we weren’t, and I don’t know how we got here.”
“I think the fight was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
“That’s a terrible expression.”
Kennedy gave her a tight smile and said, “I know. It was like all my anger at you, which wasn’t really at you but at myself for not being mature enough to tell you that I wasn’t sure about us anymore, just came out. Then, we lost job opportunities because of it, and all we do is sit around this house and bother each other. I was honestly happy to have Zane call me today, becausethe thought of sitting here while you and Lacey flirt was too much for me, but I didn’t have anywhere else to go; at least, not somewhere that would’ve made sense. I can’t just go to a grocery store around here most days. Even in a hat and sunglasses, I get recognized, and I didn’t want to deal with that.”
“Did you get the directing thing?”
“They were willing to talk to me, but it’s not for me. It’s a half-hour comedy and only one episode. I have no experience in comedy.”
“Ithink you’re funny,” Cameron teased.
“Thanks,” she replied, laughing a little, and then added, “Cam, I don’t know how tonothave you in my life. I lived for over thirty years without you around, but now that I know you and I’ve been loved by you, I don’t know what to do. I think that’s part of the reason it’s taken me so long to finally say it.”
“I could’ve said it, too.” Cameron turned to her. “But I didn’t want to lose you, either, Ken. You’re my best friend.”
“When did we go from wanting to tear each other’s clothes off all the time to not wanting to touch each other at all because it felt weird?”
“I don’t know. It’s been a while.”
