Page 51 of Made to Be

“Damn, I didn’t realize how big you really were. Different when you’re lying on a table, am I right?” She said it like it was an inside joke. No one laughed. I cringed with secondhand embarrassment. “But for real, it’s uncanny seeing you standing before me,” she continued, undeterred and looked at Cam then back to me. “I still can’t believe you actually did it, Vic.”

“Wow, your faith in me is astounding,” I said flatly.

“No, really,” she insisted. “Isn’t necromancy like... really hard? I looked into it a bit since you were here last. I’m a proactive friend. Seriously, color me impressed.”

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms but was secretly pleased with the praise. Itwasdifficult; not many witches could say they had successfully accomplished bringing someone back from the dead, even if it was illegal. And not just a mindless zombie,but a full-fledged, living and breathing person who was slowly recalling himself and his memories with every passing day.

“As promised, your fancy cockatoo dining set,” I said sweetly to divert the conversation, gesturing a sweeping hand to the cardboard box resting on her desk. It was wrapped in yellow warning tape with black block letters across it that said “Ghost Caution” on repeat.

“I even had the guy put in the keep-your-ghost packing peanuts or whatever. You owe me for that too. So, you’re welcome.”

“Mandy has been bugging me about these all weekend,” she grouched. “You’re lucky I didn’t come to your house to get them.”

I smirked over at Cam with an“I told ya so”look and his lips twitched with humor.

“You’re also lucky I’m a super respectable best friend and knew you wanted your alone time with your new beau here,” she continued. “Cam darling. Tell me, just between us girls. What’s it like dating this pessimistic asshole?”

She jerked a thumb at me and Cam blinked owlishly. “Victor’s not an asshole. He’s very sweet. Kind.”

Alice snorted, shaking her head good-naturedly. “Awe, how cute. He thinks you’re sweet,” she crooned. “About damn time you found a guy like this, Vic. But Cam, I think it’s only fair that you know...” Before Icould react, Alice blurted, “He snores, has a weird ramen addiction, watches an unhealthy amount of anime, is addicted to smut, and lastly, have you seen his,” she put her hand up to feign whispering behind it, “collection?”

I spluttered, face going red with outrage, “What the... Cam hasn’t... What thefuck, Alice?”

She grinned wickedly, lips practically curling with mischief. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was the witch for how much shelovedto stir the fucking pot.

Cam looked over at me and tilted his head in that adorably irresistible way of his. I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.

“He’s seen... a couple,” I muttered reluctantly.

Cam caught on quick.

“You have more dildos?” he asked, a touch too excitedly.

I groaned in annoyance which was fully directed at my best friend, “I am not talking about this in front of Alice.”

“Can I see them?” Cam took a step closer to me, and I heard Alice snickering at my expense.

“Anyway,” I said pointedly, “Cam and I have a pumpkin patch to get to, so we ‘gotta head out. They’ll be weighing Briarwood’s Biggest Bumpkin soon, and I don’t ‘wanna miss it. Free t-shirts.”

I spun on my heel and snagged Cam’s hand, dragging him toward the door. He turned slightly to wave back to Alice.

“It was nice to meet you,” he said cheerfully over his shoulder.

“You too, Cam!” she shouted after us. “Let’s all have dinner sometime, yeah? With Mandy’s haunted dining set!”

We strode back through the hall and across the main lobby hand in hand. I offered the young security guard a wave but didn’t slow my stride. I was a man on a mission, and I needed to get Cam out of here before Alice came running out with more questions. Or worse, she’d tell Cam more dirty little secrets about me. Ones far more embarrassing than eating too much ramen or my smut addiction. She’d already revealed that I had a dildo collection, the little shit. But, if that hadn’t weirded Cam out, everything else would be fine, right?

I’d always had trouble revealing my hobbies and stuff I enjoyed to other people. Especially with people I dated. Not because I was embarrassed by the things I loved, but because I got sick and tired of them judging me for it, ridiculing me, telling me my hobbies were inappropriate because I was an adult. Like, whatever the fuck that’s supposed to mean.

With Cam, though, I didn’t think I had to hide any of it. I didn’t have to hide any of me.

Afterall, he’d seemed very eager to see my dildo collection. Which was... odd. Not bad, just a littleconfusing. But if he truly wanted to see my extensive collection, who was I to deny him?

“Do you think she liked me?” Cam asked as we got settled in the car.

I turned on the ignition to get the heater going. It was a particularly chilly day, and I was glad for the heavy jacket and scarf I had donned, but I still got cold easily. Cam had on one of his new coats as well, not the leather jacket with its many, many zippers. Like most of the clothes he’d picked, it was black. We’d both opted for dark jeans and, of course, our matching Converse.

Reaching over, I grasped Cam’s chilled hand and twined our fingers together. I brought his knuckles up to my lips and placed a soft kiss there.