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I’d lined up an internship this summer with a local theater company back home, and I’d shadow their costume designer and help her create the costumes for their winter production, which meant that most likely, we’d be spending the summer apart.
I bit my lip, thinking about spending that much time apart. Would it create distance between us? I didn’t want that. I was already so used to having him around all the time, and it was weird to think that we’d go back to minimal contact.
It wasn’t even about the physical aspects—the sex, even though that was stillgood—it was that Cam understood me. I didn’t have to explain what I was thinking, and most of the time, he already knew. If I wanted to spend a quiet night inside, he didn’t pressure me about going out. When my social battery ran out with everyone else, he would just gather me into his arms and hold me in silence.
Above all, I liked how he noticed the little things.
“Ella.” Cam’s hands clasped on my shoulders, and I almost jumped. “Why are you so tense?”
“Just thinking,” I murmured, relaxing into his hold as he started massaging my tight muscles. “That feelssogood.” A moan slipped out, and he chuckled behind me. I’d probably been overworking myself, sitting here for too long without a break, and I was just thinking about all the ways Cam and I couldtake a breakwhen my door flew the rest of the way open.
Audrey barged inside, and I was very grateful that my boyfriend still had his pants on.
She let out a cross between a shriek and a groan, before it occurred to her that yes, there were other people than her in the room, mostly considering it wasn’t actuallyherroom.
“Oh. Hey, Cam,” Audrey said, and he gave her a slight nod.
“Audrey. What’s wrong?” I frowned at my twin as she started frantically pacing back and forth across my floor. I didn’t need my twin intuition to tell me something was wrong as I watched her run her hands through her hair, tugging at the strands like she did when she was stressed. “What happened?”
“The other lead dropped out of the musical. He’s on academic probation, so they won’t let him perform. And if they don’t find someone to replace him, I’m stuck with Duke,” she finally said, blowing a stream of air up her face that moved her bangs.
Oh. Her ex. “Really?” I hadn’t realized that. Maybe I was too caught up in my bubble with Cam. I let myself feel guilty for a moment before refocusing on my sister. “Is there no understudy?”
“There is, but since we’ve barely started running lines, he already volunteered to fill the role.” Her eyes rolled so hard, I thought they might get stuck there. “Like I want to kiss him on stage.” Her nose wrinkled, and she shook her head. “Anyway. I don’t know what to do.”
“Is there nothing that Dr. Woods can do?” She was the department chair for the theater department, and also the one in charge of both Audrey’s class and the spring program itself.
“No. And Duke won’t leave me alone. He keeps trying to get me to agree to get back together. I don’t know what to do, and Parker?—”
“Parker?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. She’d told me they’d gotten close again, and more than once I’d seen them eating dinner in the cafeteria, but I was pretty sure that was all that it was.Friends.Maybe I’d read it all wrong.“Are you guys…?”
“No.” Her cheeks went pink. “Never mind. That doesn’t matter.”
“Well…” I frowned. The costume was already started, sewn to the original specs, so now having to change it would be a more work, but I could do it. Rubbing at my temples, I sighed. “I wish I could help more, but I don’t have any suggestions.” Guys were short enough in the drama department as it was without someone dropping out of the play.
She sighed, and I opened my arms, enveloping my twin in a hug. “Thank you. That’s all I needed.”
Cam had just silently listened to Audrey and me go back and forth. After she’d left, he’d come back over to my bed, climbing in next to me.
“Sorry,” I murmured as he rubbed a hand over my back.
“For what?”
“Interrupting our time together. I know it’s hard enough as it is.”
“You never have to apologize to me, Ella. Not for spending time with your sister.” He chuckled. “You two are really close, aren’t you?”
I nodded. “She’s my best friend.”Besides you.
I’d never admitted that before, but I knew it was true. Somehow, somewhere along the way… Cameron Edwards had become the person I wanted to go to when I was sad. When I needed to vent. When I needed to say nothing at all, because my social battery was drained and all I wanted was to be held.
And somehow, I didn’t mind. Not one bit.
The week passed quickly, and then it was Friday, and I was free for the weekend. I’d barely seen Cam since we’d been hanging out in my room—just a few minutes here and there, and Iwondered if I could sneak in time with him tonight. Pulling out my phone, I opened our text conversation.
Ella
Want to get dinner later?
