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“By the looks of it, Pink can handle herself,” Camden points out.
We watch as Pink starts shouting at Monk. We’re too far away to hear exactly what she’s saying, but I’m betting it’s colourful. After a beat Kate joins in. Monk argues back aggressively, but Eastern steps in, getting between Monk and the girls. My gut churns and my throat closes over as I watch Monk get in Eastern’s face. He’s so close I’m pretty sure Eastern can smell his rank breath. I know my best friend can handle himself, but he doesn’t realise who Monk is and this could end up so much worse for him if he gets into a fight.
“We should break it up,” I say, moving to pull away. Camden draws me back down to his side.
“No, we have no business interfering. Ican’tinterfere.” We both know why that is… the repercussions on his mum are too great.
“Then I will.”
“No, you won’t. You go and break it up we’ll have a fucking mutiny on our hands. Do you see now, Asia? Do you understand what I’m up against? I’m damned if I do, and damned if I don’t.” He looks at me imploringly. I do see, I do get it, and it fucking stinks.
Returning my gaze to the group I can see Eastern jabbing his finger in Monk’s chest. He’s about 2.5 seconds away from hitting him. Part of me wants him to, the other part is fearful given what I know. Fortunately for everyone involved Mr Burnside strides over to the group, no doubt seeing the argument from his office window that looks out onto the gardens. He breaks Monk and Eastern up, gripping hold of Monk’s arm and frogmarching him inside. Eastern watches them leave whilst Kate and Pink reassure him. He says something to them and then strides off into the maze. Eventually they walk inside, not understanding that what he needs right now is a friend to talk him down, not let him wallow in his anger. I know him. He’ll be fired up and fucking vexed. All that rage will be bubbling inside his chest with no outlet. It’s times like these when he needs someone, when he needsme.
“Shit,” I mutter, wanting to go to him. Itching to run to him, to be there for him. I shift forward in my seat almost without thinking.
“You miss him, don’t you?” Camden says after a beat.
“Yeah, I do.”
“Are you jealous of his friendship with Pink and Kate?”
“No, I’m not. He needs them right now. I’m glad he has them. Though they really shouldn’t have left him alone.”
“Is Eastern jealous of us?”
“Us?” I snap my head around to look at Camden.
“Yeah, this thing we’ve got going on.” He points his finger between the two of us.
“Thisthingis called a friendship, Camden. And besides, I wouldn’t know how Eastern feels, we don’t talk anymore remember.”
“Are we just mates though?”
Whether he does it on purpose or not, his thigh brushes against mine. I don’t move my leg away. I need to show him that his closeness doesn’t affect me, even when it does. I pat his knee like an aunt would her nephew. It’s a completely platonic touch. But he grasps my hand, flattening it against his thigh. His palm practically engulfing the whole of my hand.
“You know I’ve never told the full story to anyone in the crew about my sister. I don’t trust easily, Asia. But I trust you.” He runs the pad of his thumb over my knuckles, sliding his fingers beneath the palm of my hand.
“What makes you think that I wouldn’t betray that trust, Camden?” I swallow hard, trying to ignore the gentle way he’s touching me. I never thought Camden would be the type of guy to be gentle, but more and more he’s showing me that he is.
“My gut. It’s never wrong.”
“What about Monk? I’m not sure your gut was right about him.”
“Believe me I know exactly the type of person Monk is.” I wait for him to elaborate, to tell me what I already know; that Monk is the King’s son, but he doesn’t. So, whilst he says he trusts me, he doesn’t trust me with that piece of information. Yet.
Our gaze locks as he lifts my hand, pressing a soft, warm kiss against my knuckles. His lips linger on my skin, his eyes blazing with warmth and apology.
“I wanted so bad to be the one who looked after you the night of the fight. It took every ounce of willpower to remain in the Tower whilst Ford and Sonny left with you. It was even harder not to end Monk there and then.”
He releases his hold on me. The warmth of his skin quickly replaced by the cold January air “Eastern’s alone right now,” he eventually says. We both feel the pull, that attraction between us growing. I’m trying hard to swim against the tide.
“And…?” I say carefully, drawing my hand away and placing it into my coat pocket, holding onto the remnants of Camden’s warmth.
“… And you miss him… And he needs talking down. I recognise the look of someone about to go nuclear. I don’t need that shit in my life right now. Mymumdoesn’t need that shit.”
Camden gets up, looking down at me, his topaz eyes flashing with honesty. “I don’t own you, Asia so I’m not going to order you to do anything, but I do need to ask you a favour.”
“What’s that?”
