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“Sadly, I’m not playing anything up. And Cameron is right. I’m not where I should be, and I should probably be wearing that fucking brace, but I hate it, Morgan. It doesn’t go with anything I wear, and it’s bulky, and people just ask about it. I don’t want to be at the mayor’s office for my internship clanking around the desk with my bionic brace.”
I breathe out, blowing up at the stray hairs that have slipped loose in my face as my friend moves to stand in front of me. Suspicion still hazes her eyes, but she’s put it on the back burner.
“You’re doing the best you can, Brook. Maybe your way doesn’t check the boxes on some prescription form for healing, but look at you—you’re in a gym trying to gain strength. And yeah, you are walking around the mayor’s office . . . like a fucking boss!” Morgan wiggles her head with pride, and it eases the shot my self-esteem took with my lifting fail.
“Thanks, and you’re right. But I am putting the hard things off. Physically, at least.”
“Just physically?” she adds.
I hold my friend’s gaze for a several seconds, a little offended, but I remind myself through a long, deep breath that she’s coming from a good place. Morgan lacks tact, but her candor comes in handy.
“I’ve got to get my work in. No half-assing this time,” I say, avoiding her secondary question completely. For once, I don’t feel like making her feel better. And she’s lingering, I think maybe waiting for me to apologize or tell her she’s right. When I don’t and instead give my all to completing one rep on the leg press, she walks away. Not before giving me a little parting shot, though. At Cameron’s expense.
“Then maybe you shouldn’t be spending so much time with distractions that won’t get youanywhere.”
It’s the way she says that last word. Like it’s a stain. Like Cameron is worthless.
We’re all friends in our tight group, but other than Theo, I’m probably the next closest to Cameron. Maybe what I feel has nothing to do with physical attraction. Maybe I’m finally coming around to the fact he and I are friends and should be better ones.
I force my way through five more reps, my leg trembling and muscles spent. Cameron has moved on to the free weights area, right next to the barre where Morgan is stretching—showing off for James.After a minute’s rest, I decide to commit fully to my self-realization, carefully treading my way over to Cameron.
His head lifts and he meets my gaze as I step up, his face full of focus as his lips move to silently count his reps.
“You were right. And I’d like to learn some of those other things you mentioned. Maybe getting out of the gym will motivate me more.”
His lips curve on the side closest to me as he sets his dumbbells down. His gray T-shirt is back on, which makes his body slightly less distracting, but all it takes is one lift of the bottom front up to wipe away the sweat on his face to tear my eyes from his face, lower.
“That’s the spirit!” He stands and holds an open palm out for me to slap. I feel silly, but I do, laughing nervously and worrying what the hell I’ve gotten myself into.
“I’ve got practice, so let’s meet out front at six tomorrow night. I’ve got an idea.” His hands rest on his hips, and he stands in front of me like some superhero. I swear he’s casting a shadow.
“Got it. See you then,” I say, fishing my earbuds from my side pocket and tucking them back in my ears as I walk away to drown out the gossip whispers. Too bad it won’t silence the ones in my own damn head.
Chapter4
Cameron
I’ve been avoiding my mom’s phone calls for days. I know she won’t show up here, so I can get away with it up to a point—until I start to feel guilty. My mom avoids Welles like it’s a black hole ready to swallow up the universe. I don’t think she even drives within the town limits, instead spending most of her time in the city where she teaches a course on religion and war at the university.
My phone buzzes with her latest attempt while I lay on my twin mattress in the room I share with Theo. This is what I get for dragging my ass in the morning. If I were on my way to class, I wouldn’t hear the phone. My friend leans over after slipping his arms into a clean shirt and glances at my screen.
“You should answer that, bro.” His lips twist, and even though I don’t talk about my family with anyone, Theo’s gathered enough to know my situation is kinda fucked up.
I sigh exaggeratingly and flatten my palm over my phone, pressing answer then slapping it against my right cheek.
“Hi,” I groan.
My eyes shift to Theo, narrowed to let him know this conversation I’m about to have is all his fault. He chuckles as he slips his Welles tie around his collar then snags his shoes from the floor, slipping them on a step at a time before leaving me alone in this room with my enigma of a mother.
“I’ve been trying to get hold of you. Is everything all right?” I can hear the city traffic through the phone.
“I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be? Are you walking somewhere?” It’s seven in the morning. I hate when she calls me between more important things. It makes me feel like an appointment to her, a line on her planner that’s scheduled somewhere between lunch date and office hours.
“I’m having breakfast with the provost. I’m getting another class, and we’re talking about tenure,” she says, lowering the phone to whistle for a cab. I smirk because it’s an impressive skill. My mom is one of those people who can jam two fingers in her mouth and shrill loud enough to turn heads a block away. When I was a little kid, that’s how she called me in from playing basketball with the boys down at the park. It’s a sharp contrast to everything else about her—a put-together, overly-educated young professor bursting at the seams with ambition and zero real connections. A tad selfish. A lot like my grandparents. Nothing like my dad.
“Tenure.Wooo whoo.” My sarcasm is obvious as I wiggle my finger for my own amusement.
“Well, it’s important to me. I’ve worked hard for this, Cameron . . .” She says a few more things in that same lecture-like tone that I don’t hear because I pull my phone away from my ear and lay it back on my mattress. When it quiets, I pick it back up to continue our riveting conversation.
