Page 147 of Bring You Back

I knew it was coming, and now I don’t stop fighting to make it right.

But I have to start at the beginning. With the first thing that went wrong.

I take my time walking back to the house, more tired now than I was when I woke up. Sounds of the morning reach my ears—dogs barking, voices echoing, car doors slamming—but it’s like they’re coming from far off. I feel eyes on me, but I don’t look around to see the faces the neighbors are sporting after the show Reyna and I just gave them. Yeah, I’m another guy around here who has fucked up like his parents have.

Let them talk. Let them lop me in.

My head falls against the door once I’m inside. I look to the kitchen at the sound of running water and see Camille filling a glass at the tap. We must be out of bottles. Her eyes study me as she takes a drink, her full lips puckered around the rim, and I’m suddenly feeling parched.

I push off the door and approach her, switching my aim to the cupboards once I’m close, deciding to satisfy my other thirst first. I grab a glass, fill it at the tap, and chug.

“That well, huh?”

I swallow my last gulp, the water tight in my throat. Camille’s hand lands on my arm and squeezes, and I take her comfort for just a moment before I’m setting my glass in the sink, then doing the same with hers. Enough talking about me, enough thinking aboutmyproblems.

“Are you okay?” I check in with her.

“Well, I wasn’t finished with that,” she says with a pointed finger at the glass I took from her hand. “I’m notgreat, but I didn’t just experience what you did.” Her hand lands back on my arm and she rubs. “You know this will blow over. Reyna will come around.”

I shake my head. “Not this time.”

She holds my stare, finds my meaning. This time is the exception. This time, we went too far.I hate you. I hate both of you.I don’t tell Camille about Reyna’s words, about Reyna loping her in with me. It makes sense. Camille is part of this, but I don’t want her to know that Reyna could hate her if there’s a chance for them to get through this.

“Well,” Camille starts, removing her hand to cross her arms with a resigned sigh. “Good for her.”

I chuckle despite myself. Camille has always wanted Reyna to stick up for herself, to stop letting peopletreat her like shitas Tommy had put it. Of course she’d be a little proud, even when the people Reyna’s standing up to is us.

“I slept,” she says next, a shocked smile forming on her lips. I’m staring at them again. “I don’t know if that’ll stick, but. . .”

“It might if I’m with you every night,” I say, closing the distance between us.

She closes it more, so close I can feel the warmth from her skin. “In what way?”

I find myself leaning into her, my lips seeking hers, and I have to force myself back.Not here.“Come on,” I say, heading for the door, practically tripping over Grumbles as she runs past my feet.

Camille laughs, then sighs. “And where are we going?”

“We’re going for a drive.” I pull the door open and face her, start a speech with words she’ll recognize. “I want more. I’m trying to do something about it. So, don’t be stubborn, and just get in my Jeep,” I say with a slight smile that she returns, but not before rolling her eyes.

“I need my boots.”

36

Lifeline

Julian

“You didn’t need to bring me here,” Camille tells me once we’re parked, both of us staring out at the pier through the windows of my Jeep. A few people linger off to the sides, pacing the planks, but none are where I need us to be.

“Just let me be romantic, all right?” I say with a half teasing smile.

“I’m not complaining,” she says, rolling her head against the seat to face me with a smile back.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Ninety percent.”

I laugh and cut the engine.

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