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So thisis love.
I’d known it before, even as it crept up on me the last few months, but I felt it now, more than ever. After standing up for Cam. After watching Cam stand up forme.Though I hadn’t been sure of what exactly to expect from Mitchell Edwards, Cam had warned me he was distant. It was obvious, the way he pushed Cam without even worrying about his wellbeing.
I didn’t go a single day without my mom asking me how I was, or telling me she loved me. When was the last time he’d heard that? I needed him to know it. I loved him more than I’d ever thought possible, and the second we were out of his car, in his bedroom, I planned on telling him exactly that.
The ride passed in comfortable silence—Cam’s hand resting on my knee, rubbing small circles on my skin. Like he was reassuring me he was there. That he wasn’t going anywhere.
Wait for me,he’d asked.Don’t run. Not from me.
Runtome.
Didn’t he know that was all I’d ever wanted? To have someone to run to? I wasn’t scared anymore. Not of him, not of falling in love. Months ago, I hadn’t known that. Because Ihadn’t known him. I hadn’t taken the time to get to know him before I made a snap judgment—that he was some fuck boy, a frat guy who would never be up for more—and I regretted that.
Because Cam had never been that. At least, not to me. Not with me. He was caring, and compassionate, andsoft.He hid his emotions inside, hardly ever daring to let them out, but when he did—when he showed the truest sides of himself—it was beautiful.
And I wanted him. Wanted more than just sneaking around and hiding this. Wanted to scream to the world that he wasmine.I wanted everything.
He parked in front of the fraternity house, looking over at me. “Do you want to go home?”
Back to the sorority house, when all I wanted was to feel close to him? No. I didn’t want that. I’d thought he might pull away, but he wasn’t doing that at all. All I felt was relief.
I shook my head. “No.”
“Do you want to come upstairs?”
Interlacing my fingers with his, I brought them up to my mouth, kissing his knuckles. Giving him my truth—for now, for always. “Yes.”
Cupping the back of my neck possessively, he brought our lips together, murmuring out, “I want you.”
“Me too,” I said, snagging his lower lip with my teeth and tugging on it slightly. “Take me to bed, Charming?”
Cam plopped down on the couch in his room, running his hands through his hair before loosening his tie. His eyes fluttered shut, his head resting against the top of the couch as I leaned against his desk, draping his jacket over his chair.
“Cameron?” He only hummed in response, not moving, and Icontinued, “Are you okay?” I moved in front of him, rubbing the material of my skirts through my fingers nervously.
“I should be askingyouthat, Princess.”
“Your dad…” I sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“You never have to apologize, Ella. Not to me.”
Gathering up my skirts, I sat on his lap, the rest of my dress flowing behind me as I straddled him.
“You don’t deserve that. You know that, right? You deserve so much better.”
Because he treated me like I was everything, like I was precious and wonderful and I needed him to know that he was my everything, too. That anyone who treated him less than that didn’t deserve him. Didn’t deserve to love him.
But he was right, too. When I got scared, I ran. And I was so tired of running. Of not telling him how I felt.
I opened my mouth to tell him that, but then he cupped my cheeks, and the emotions swirling in his eyes made me choke up.
“He was a great dad, once. Maybe he’ll come to his senses one day. Maybe he’ll see what I see. But I don’t want to talk about him anymore.”
“No?” I asked, unable to keep my eyes off of him. His gaze was filled with so much sincerity that he had me enraptured.
“Tell me something real,” I whispered, my words echoing the same ones I’d spoken on that very first night. The night I’d been drawn to him, without knowing why. There had been an attraction, sure, but I never would have imagined it would lead us to here. To this—us.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said with a reverent breath.
