AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You just stood in our yard, staring at her. Your mom was trying to get you to come in and get washed up for dinner, but she was all that you could focus on. I remember your mom laughing and saying that we should go greet the new neighbors since we were going to be in-laws with them someday.”
“She did?” I whisper, and he nods, smiling at the memory.
“She loved Lilliana. She always wanted you two to end up together.”
“We all do. We just need Foster to get it together and tell her already,” Ford says.
“Cameron thinks that Ransom is hot,” I inform him, and I smirk when I see his hands tighten into fists.
Looks like I’m not the only one who needs to man up and go after his girl,I think and I know that Ford is aware of my train of thought.
His jaw clenches and he looks away from me. Dad sighs, and I lean back on the couch, trying to sort through my thoughts.
I think back to last night and how it had felt to be with her, to take her virginity and make her mine. It was a literal dream come true.
I should have told her last night. I should have told her before she left for college. I should have done a lot of things differently, but I can’t go back and change any of that. All I can do is try to make up for lost time now.
Lilliana comes back into the room, a nurse and doctor right behind her.
“You still look at her the same way,” my dad whispers, and I swallow hard.
How could I not? She’s the most beautiful woman that I’ve ever seen in my life. She’s so talented and smart, so kind to everyone.
Ford and I stand and greet the doctor and nurse. Lilliana stands back by the foot of the bed, watching as they check his chart and some of the machines. I hold my hand out to her, and she comes to stand between Ford and me. She takes our hands in hers and squeezes as the doctor starts to ask Dad some questions.
As I watch, I know that I need to tell her. None of us are guaranteed time here. I need to stop wasting mine with her.
TEN
Lilliana
“And then what happened?”Cameron asks me, sipping her glass of wine.
She’s curled up on the opposite end of the couch from me, and it hits me then just how much I missed this and her. I had a few friends in college, but design is a cutthroat industry. We’re all trying to stand out, to be seen. That didn’t really make for a friendly environment.
It’s nice to be relaxed with Cameron. I know that she only wants me to be happy, that she’s always rooting for me, just like I am for her.
“Then Ford called and told him about his dad.”
“I was sorry to hear about him being in the hospital. I’m glad that he’s on the mend.”
“Me too. I don’t know what they would have done if he wasn’t.”
“I was thinking about asking Ford if he needed any help at the diner. I could use the money, and he would be able to spend more time with his dad then.”
I notice that she looks a little tired. There are dark circles under her eyes that concealer isn’t covering, and when I glance at her hands, I can see that she’s been chewing on her fingernails. She used to do that before our exams when she was worried that she wouldn’t do well.
“I think that’s a great idea!” I encourage her.
I’m guessing that money must be tighter than she let on if she’s trying to work as a waitress. She tried that in high school, we both did. We didn’t last very long. Both of us would get inspired by something and end up in the back room sketching instead of working.
“Hopefully he thinks so too. I’m pretty sure that he knows about us being fired from Fireside Café our senior year,” she says, and I giggle.
“Maybe not,” I lie.
I want to tell her that I think that Ford would say yes to anything she asked, but I’ve never been great about reading people and I’d hate to be wrong. I don’t want to tell her that Ford is in love with her and then have it turn out that he was just being nice to her. Besides, if Ford hasn’t told Cameron that he wants her yet, then maybe he doesn’t. Maybe he really is just being friendly with her.
Maybe I could ask Foster. He might know how Ford feels about Cameron.
