Page 141 of Trust Me Always

Brady nods, chewing quickly so he can answer. “Used my parents’ right quick. I don’t have those goldilocks to get through, so I’m more of a two-minute man.”

“Are you now?”

His head snaps my way, and I swear, his neck flushes a little. “That is not what I meant.”

“Mm-hmm, sure.”

“Cameron.”

I laugh, covering my mouth so I don’t spit food all over the place. I swallow, taking a quick drink from the glass of soda sitting there. “Trust me, Brady. I don’t think there’s a woman on campus who would believe that if they heard it.”

“Yeah, well, people shouldn’t believe all the things they hear,” he mumbles, shoveling food into his mouth.

A small scowl forms, and I think about his words for a moment. “Is it hard?”

“What?”

“Getting that much attention? Having people on you all the time and fighting people off?”

Brady takes another bite before answering. “It is.” I wonder if he might not say anymore, but then he continues. “I thought I knew how to handle people, since it was sort of the same in high school, you know, but all that leveled up at Avix to an intensity I hadn’t prepared myself for. Suddenly it wasn’t shy, or not-so-shy, schoolgirls but grown-ass almost-feral women. They know what they want, and they aren’t afraid to go out and try to get it. It’s kind of surprising how many people prefer the hook up and hustle out.”

“Do you… I mean, is that not…”What are you trying to say, cringey girl?

Brady smirks my way. “Is that not…?”

I glare and he chuckles.Fine, I’ll say it.“Is that not what you want?”

Brady’s knife slows as he cuts into the half-gone slab of meat. Slowly, his eyes find mine and hold. “No.”

No.

Notno, not anymoreorno, I never wanted that. Just a solid and sure no.

“Oh.”

Brady watches me closely, something steeling in his gaze.

“What?”

“I want to tell you one of my secrets.”

My gaze gentles. “Okay. But if you think you have to because of all my word vomit today or the conversation at breakfast, you don’t.”

“It’s not that—well, it is but…” He pauses, taking a deep breath. “Ben isn’t my biological dad.”

My brows jump, mouth falling open just slightly, but I can’t quite get any words out before he continues, more to himself than me.

He huffs, shaking his head. “I don’t even like saying that. The words ‘isn’t’ and ‘dad’ shouldn’t be in the same sentence when it comes to us.”

My statement from earlier starts to turn me the color of the flames before us. “I didn’t mean anything by what I said this morning, just that you guys are so similar. In the best ways, I—” I swallow my tongue.

He smiles but it’s a little brittle. “That was a compliment, Cammie Girl. I’m proud to be like him. I want to be like him because I am his son. In every way that matters to me, I am.”

“But if I had known, I never would have made such a splash pointing out you’re…”

“Physically different?” he offers. “It’s okay. It’s obvious to everyone, so much so I’m sure people have wondered over the years but didn’t ask.”

“That never even crossed my mind, Brady, I swear. This is big and I feel like an asshole right now.”

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