Page 48 of Out of Place

“What’s the deal, man?” Cam nods at Olivia.

“I like her,” I tell him. It’s more than that, but I don’t think Cam is asking me to spill my guts right now.

He scoffs. “How can you possibly like someone like her?”

“How can you not like someone like her? She’s gorgeous, funny, confident. Yeah, she’s different from most of the women in Thundersville, but that’s what I like about her. She is exactly who she is and doesn’t care what anyone thinks.”

“She doesn’t belong here, man.” Cam has always been a little grumpy, but I’ve never seen him this pissed off. And it’s kind of pissing me off that he’s talking about my girl like this.

“Cam, she’s doing her job, just like the rest of us. This is so out of her wheelhouse, but she hasn’t been late once, and she stopped complaining after the first week. She’s working her ass off to prove herself around here, and all you’re doing is being a dick.”

“What about Ellie?” he asks.

My head cocks in his direction. That’s not at all what I was expecting from him. “What about Ellie?”

“Y’all are really done? Like that’s it?” he says as if we haven’t been done for years.

“Yeah, man. Ellie and I are done. Even if Olivia wasn’t here, I wouldn’t be with Ellie. I need her, you, and everyone else in this goddamn town to understand that. Ellie is my friend. That’s it. There’s a reason we aren’t together.”

He’s quiet for a long minute, soaking in my outburst. It’s too early for this shit, but I’m tired of everyone throwing Ellie in my face. Just because we dated in high school doesn’t mean we’re gonna get married.

“Is this why you don’t like Olivia?” I ask. “Because you think it’s breaking up our friend group or some shit?”

“Nothing will be the same,” he says, “if you alienate Ellie like that. You know she still has a thing for you.”

“Ellie and I have talked about this. She understands that friendship is all I’m willing to give her. She’s fine, Cam. And you know what? Maybe things do need to change. I want Ellie to find her person. Someone who swoops her off her feet like she wants. I want that for all my friends. But she’s never going to find it if she’s hanging on to hope for me.”

He shakes his head like he’s disappointed in me. Fine, let him be disappointed. This is my life, not his. “Olivia’s going to leave eventually. You know that, right?”

I roll my eyes. “Yes, I know that. But I’m going to enjoy my time with her while she’s here. I really like her, Cam. And as my best friend, I would like you to give her a fair chance.”

He spits out a mumbled, “Fine.”

“Thank you.”

We get back to work in a tense silence. I’ll let him be mad. I have to trust that he’ll come around. And if he doesn’t, then oh, well. I like Olivia. I like her a little too much. If I’m willing to have my heart broken when she leaves, other people need to stop acting like I’m a child. I know they care about me, but I can make my own decisions. And Olivia is my decision.

* * *

Olivia is almost to the main house when I finally catch up with her at the end of the day. I grab her by the waist and pull her into me, kissing her forehead.

“Good day?” I ask.

“Better now,” she responds, making me smile.

“Good. Will you come to dinner with me at my parents’ house tomorrow? My mom is dying to meet you, and my little sister, Lucy, is home from college right now.”

She freezes in my arms, and I wonder why she’s concerned about meeting my family. I don’t say anything and let her think through whatever is going on in her head right now.

“You want me to meet your family?” she finally asks, her voice trembling with unexpected emotion.

“Absolutely. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t want you to.” I tuck a piece of hair behind her ear.

“What if they don’t like me?”

That makes me laugh. “Sweetheart, if I like you, they’ll like you. Trust me.”

She nods. And nods again and again before saying, “Yeah, ok. I’ll come.”