Page 12 of Camera Stays On

“No, but you didn’t have to fuck half your graduating class.” I snorted. “Maybe she didn’t want to see you because she’s not single,” I pointed out, and the very idea hit like a gut punch. I should’ve been listening to my own words.

“I didn’t see any ring.” He snickered. “Not that it would matter. She has no problem with lies and cheating. If fucking over some other man meant getting her back, so be it. Hell, what if she brought some asshole here, and that’s why she was rushing to leave so fast? Maybe she was meeting someone at the hotel.”

I stared at my younger brother. He was spiraling.

“You think she was fucking someone last night?”

I forced myself not to react. He was studying me.

“I don’t understand where this is coming from.” I shook my head, diverting from the question. “You hadn’t mentioned her name in a long time, and then you see the obituary and suddenly you want her back?”

In the five years since their wedding day, Sawyer had never once said he wanted Andi back. He’d called her every name in the book—whore, slut, cheater. He made her the butt of jokes when he could, and all of a sudden, things flipped. Why? It didn’t make any sense.

“I never got over her, if I’m being honest,” he confessed. “A lot of what I did was to punish her. But seeing her here, in the flesh?” He looked up at me, waiting for me to say something nice, but I had nothing.

“Sawyer, I don’t think it’s gonna happen.”

“Fuck off. She’s mine.”

He stormed out of the kitchen, and I settled into my seat, sipping my warm coffee, listening to the dogs chomp kibble, and letting my hangover disappear. Despite having just been ghosted, there was a sense of satisfaction in knowing I had gotten what he wanted. For the better part of our youth, he had gotten the girl I’d pined for, but not this time. I’d relish in the fact that Andi Marin had chosen to spend the night with me.

Even if it was just this one time.

I finished my coffee and, reluctantly, made the call to get back to work after a quick shower. There was so much paperwork and research to do. I still didn’t even have a property purchased.

I went to shower, and when I stepped into the warm water, I closed my eyes and remembered last night. My cock hardened, and I wrapped my hand around it. Inhaling deeply, I lost myself in the thought of Andi riding me and holding that headboard. She’d been so soft, so tight, and so fucking beautiful.

I jerked off in the shower to her, and when I came—after the rush ended—I felt a gut punch, knowing this was all I’d ever have. Andi was already on her way back to Chicago, where she’d continue her new life away from Collingwood, and I would be here, jerking off to her memory.

I finished my shower and returned to my room to get dressed and put my cell on the charger. In all the excitement, I’d forgotten about it. Checking my notifications, I found a handful of business emails, including one from my realtor. He had some possible properties to show me. I emailed him back to schedule out this afternoon, then went downstairs.

Sawyer passed me in the hall and paused to apologize.

“Sorry, man. I didn’t mean to get all crazy on you. Purdy is my soulmate. I shouldn’t have let her go. I guess I’m just having a lot of regrets about how things went, and I need to figure them out.”

Guilt tugged at my gut as I stared at my brother, who looked slightly apologetic.

Did he really mean those things about her?

I patted him on the shoulder.

“It’s cool. I get it. She’s a catch.” I swallowed the words, knowing just how true they were.

“What are you doing today?” he asked as he stepped aside to let me pass.

“Checking out more haunt locations. Hopefully, we can finally land on something soon.” I needed to close on a property this year, or I’d risk not opening next fall. “I might have to reapply for the loan otherwise.”

“Things are looking up for us, aren’t they, brother?” He grinned. “You with the haunt, me with my movie. Maybe if you find something worthwhile we could collab.”

“Yeah? How so?” I crossed my arms, suspicious, but I was still listening. This was the first I was hearing of him wanting to work together.

“Well…if I get green-lit, I’ll have a budget to spend. Maybe we could purchase something together. Just gotta let me film there. Could be a brother bonding experience or some shit.”

I considered his offer and nodded.

“We’ll see.”

With that, he turned and went into his office, and I took off to meet my realtor, Terrell.