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“Everything’s fine, Camila. Actually, I was calling you because I wanted to see if you’d ever want to go out on a date with me? Like, an actual date, not one of those boring functions we always attend together?”
Jess has stopped searching for her bag and is pretending not to look at me.
On the other side of the phone, Camila starts laughing hysterically. “Oh, my goodness, Dax. Either you’re high or drunk or playing a prank. Which is it? I don’t think my boyfriend would appreciate hearing about this phone call.”
I force a humorless chuckle for Camila’s benefit. “I’m just joking with you. Actually, I was just calling to make sure everything was good at the house while I was gone.”
“Everything was fine. The guys came in every day and did their thing. Your cousin Leslie monitored most of it. It all went smoothly.”
I look over at Jess, and now she’s silently watching the exchange. Her face is an unreadable mask.
“Okay. Thanks again for taking care of the place, Camila.”
“No probs. Talk to you later.”
I end the call and put my phone down on the end table. I cross my arms over my chest as I patiently wait for her to come to the realization that she had it all wrong.
“Where’s my bag, Dax?”
Not exactly the response I’d hoped for. I open my mouth and then close it because I don’t know what to say.
She goes into the bedroom, and I hear doors open and close. Within two minutes, she’s back out into the living room again. Her eyes are darting everywhere.
“Where is it?” she repeats.
“Didn’t you hear that phone call? Don’t you believe me now?”
She sighs and then crosses her arms over her stomach. It looks like she’s trying to protect herself, close herself off.
“I heard it, and I’m sorry that I made those accusations, but I’m glad all that happened. It made me remember all the reasons why you and I would never work,” she says with her eyes downcast.
“Give me one reason why it wouldn’t work,” I demand.
“I’ve already told you my reasons. You live in a different world than I do. I will always feel strange and out of place. You live in a world of models and penthouses and unlimited amounts of money. That’s not a world I belong to.”
“That’s a bunch of bullshit, and you know it,” I tell her. “None of that matters, and I’m tired of hearing those same excuses.”
She shakes her head sadly. “It might not matter to you, but it matters to me.”
I take several steps toward her and don’t stop until she is directly in front of me. I lift my hand to her hair and cup her head. “All I’m asking is that you give us a chance. There’s no reason this has to end. Give it a few weeks, and let’s just see where this goes.”
“And then what? You decide I’m not enough for you, and we break it off anyway?”
“Why are you so sure that’s going to happen?” I ask, rubbing her cheek with my thumb.
She steps back. “Because you’re you, and I’m me. Where’s my bag, Dax?”
I feel my heart breaking. I want to tell her how much she means to me, but I can see she has no interest in hearing it. I won’t continue to fight for a woman who wants nothing to do with me. As much as I want to believe she has feelings for me, she’s made it clear she doesn’t.
Still, I find it hard to just let her go.
“You’re so afraid of being in a relationship with me that you’re willing to walk away. Did the last three weeks mean anything to you?”
She shrugs as though she doesn’t care, but the fact she won’t look at me tells me she’s not as unaffected as she wants me to believe. “Sure. You’re a good friend, Dax. I will always owe you for what you’ve done, but we’ll never be more than friends.”
Frustrated and hurt, I snap at her. “Owe me? Friend? You know what, forget it. Apparently, I read all the signals wrong. Your bag is in the closet. You can let yourself out. I need to make some phone calls.”
I spin on my heels and head to my bedroom. Without looking back, I shut the door firmly behind me. Like a poor sap, I stand on the other side of the door and listen for the sounds of her leaving.
