Page 41 of What Should Have Been Ours

Cam chuckles, kicking off his shoes. “What?”

I gesture around wildly. “This! There’s no mess! No clutter! Do you even own things? Where are the dishes left in the sink? The laundry pile you used to call ‘the chair’?”

His smirk deepens. “What, you don’t think I’m capable of keeping a place clean?”

I give him a look. “Cam, when we were teenagers, I once found a granola bar under your bed that could legally vote.”

He grins. “Adulthood, Gab.”

I shake my head, still in disbelief. “No, because I’m actually concerned.”

Cam just laughs, moving into the kitchen like I’m not having the most shocking revelation.

“Relax. I just figured out that living in my own mess isn’t fun when there’s no mom to clean up after me.”

I shake my head, laughing. “You’ve changed, Hayes.”

His smile softens. “Not everything.”

Something about the way he says it makes my chest feel tight, but before I can try to unpack that, he gestures toward the couch. “Go pick out a movie while I cook.”

I squint at him. “You cook now, too?”

“Again, Gabrielle—Job. Adulthood. Survival skills.”

I huff, making my way to his DVD collection. “Alright, well, don’t burn anything down. I’d hate for your fancy apartment to go up in flames.”

He flips me off, and I grin.

I browse his collection, scanning the shelves until I find exactly what I’m looking for.

The fact that he still keeps all of the old DVDs we used to watch, along with new ones, makes me smile. It’s such a Cam thing to still have DVDs like an old soul.

A little while later, when he returns with two plates of food, he sees the movie I picked and groans. “No.”

“Yes,” I say sweetly, holding up the case. “You promised.”

He rubs his temples. “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Gabrielle? Really?”

I beam. “Cinematic masterpiece.”

He mutters something under his breath but sits beside me anyway. Close enough that our shoulders brush.

And as the movie starts, I feel it—how easy this is. How right it feels.

And that terrifies me…all over again, like I’m back in my teenage years.

When Cam is finished with his plate, he sets it down in front of him on the coffee table, and without missing a beat, he lifts my legs up, placing them on his lap. It’s how we watched every movie growing up. I would always prop my feet up on his lap and get comfortable until I fell asleep mid-movie. Every time.

It used to be such a natural thing. Now it feels like a lot more.

Cam looks over at me mid movie before saying, “So…is this movie about us?”

I pause mid-sip of wine, side-eyeing him. “Excuse me?”

He gestures toward the TV, where Andie is currently sabotaging her date with Ben in the most ridiculous ways possible. “I mean, think about it. Girl and guy meet, lots of banter, lots of laughter, then some hidden feelings…” He shrugs, flashing me that damn smile of his. “Sounds familiar, is all.”

I scoff. “Oh, please. First of all, I’m not actively trying to drive you away.”