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“You didn’t go straight back. Don’t even try to deny it.”
I gripped the phone tighter in my hand. “Were you tracking me?” That was the only way he could have known that I’d gone to see Ella. That I’d stayed at her parents’ house.
“Who is she, Cameron?”
“None of your business.” I almost bit outit doesn’t matter,but I knew that wasn’t true. And that wasn’t fair to her. Ella deserved better than getting caught up in my shitty relationship with my dad.
I knew he cared about me, about my future, but was that an excuse for how he’d ridden my ass for the last three years?
“Did you even study for the LSATs over break?”
I wanted to lie, but a part of me couldn’t. “I’ll be ready for them, Dad.”
“Don’t forget about the internship. We’re counting on you, son.”
“I know,” I mumbled, before we said our goodbyes and hung up.
Hustling into the library to get out of the cold, I instantly perked up as I noticed Ella sitting on one of the little stools by the fireplace. She was facing away from me, her hair swept up into a loose knot on the top of her head, the elegant line of her neck peeking out underneath her turtleneck sweater.
Sneaking up behind her, I nuzzled my nose into her neck.
“Cam!” Ella jumped up, winding her arms around my middle.
“Hi.” I leaned in close, inhaling her scent, letting it wash over me like a wave of calm.
Ella frowned, pulling away. “What’s wrong?”
I shook my head, wrapping my arm around her shoulders as she grabbed her bag off the floor. “Nothing.” I didn’t want to explain my family dynamic to her. Because her parents were kind and caring and loved her, and sometimes I felt like mine could completely forget I existed and nothing would be different.
“You sure?” She reached up, running her fingers over the space between my eyebrows. “You look stressed.
I chuckled. “Just tired.” And I didn’t sleep as well without her in my bed. Not that I’d tell her that. I already knew how she felt about staying over at the fraternity house every night—and after her advisor’s warning, I wasn’t going to fuck it up by staying in her room. “How was your morning?”
I’d feel like shit if anything happened to her because of me. She deserved the best. If I threatened that, I would never forgive myself.
She lit up. “It was good. And I have my vocal class after lunch.”
“I’m proud of you.” I kissed her forehead before we moved apart, both of us grabbing food before we settled into a booth.
Ella slid in first, and I sat down next to her on the same side.
“Cam,” she whispered, her cheeks turning pink. “Why are we sitting on the same side?”
“Because I want to.”
“Everyone’s gonna see. They’ll know we’re?—”
“Together?” I asked, using my finger to angle her chin towards me. “That’s kinda the point, Princess.” Dropping a kiss to her nose, I straightened, going for the sandwich on my plate.
I wanted everyone on campus to know exactly whose she was.
Mine.
Just like I was hers.
Back to school at the fraternity house meant one thing and one thing only—a giant party with hundreds of college kids shoved everywhere, drinking and dancing as the music blared in the living room.
But I wasn’t paying attention to any of them—my eyes were, as always, glued on the beautiful blonde girl in front of me, her hair half up in some sort of clip, a baggy blue knit sweater hiding her frame, and a pair of white skinny jeans I wanted to peel off her body later.
