Page 7 of Trust Me Always

“Two.”

All three guys cheat, breaking out in a full sprint before the count is finished, and we can only laugh.

This.

This happy-family feeling is the one I want to hold on to.

But there’s a pattern that seems to be following me here at Avix U.

Everything I try to hold on to…I have to let go.

Let’s hope this year it’s not something I can’t live without.

CHAPTER THREE

Cameron

“Yes,Mason, I made sure to swap out the scratchy blanket he fell asleep with to the soft one from his bag.” I prop my phone between my shoulder and ear, shoving my textbooks in my bag and setting it on the counter. “You act like this is my first rodeo. Little D and me are like best buddies at this point.”

“I know, but?—”

“But for some reason, he likes the scratchy one and fights his sleep without it. Again. We’re best buddies. I know all the things.” I laugh, waving at Junie, my boss—or, I guess, professor—at the child development center on campus. “He’s good. I’m God given, and you and Payton are so lucky to have me here with him for two hours a day. I know. You don’t have to say it.”

He chuckles and my smile blooms wide. “All right, all right. I’ll leave you alone.”

“Until Monday, you mean,” I tease. My phone beeps and I reach up to pull it back and check the screen. I sigh, fighting a grin. “Well, gotta let you go, whipped boy. The one who holds your leash is calling now.”

“Don’t tell her I called again?—”

I hang up on him and answer his girlfriend’s call. “Well, hello, Payton. Your son is sleeping like an angel and had a fantastic day, and I just reported to Daddy Mase.”

Hauling my backpack onto my back, I snag my watered-down iced coffee and head out the door.

“Have I mentioned how amazing you are lately?” she sighs.

“Literally every day, but as I told you guys a thousand times, it’s no big deal. I have a million hours to put in for here, and doing a little each day is so much more manageable than two or three full shifts. Honestly, it’s the best change I could have made to my schedule. I ended last year with double the hours I had my first year.”

“Thanks, Cam. I don’t know if I could have committed to moving here full-time without someone I trust being there with him.”

“Uh, yes, you would have. And the reason is a six-foot-ish, dark-haired quarterback who would have probably talked his mom into moving here to be your sitter just so he could have you and little man with him.”

“Yeah.” She lets out a second happy sigh. “That sounds about right.”

Laughing, I head for my girl, who’s waiting for me outside the lecture hall building. “K. Gotta go. There’s a super-stimulating lecture about the effects of backward thinking waiting for me.”

“That sounds…”

“Like a shit way to end the day?”

Payton chuckles. “I’ll talk to you later. I still have to help break down the set before I can pick up Deaton.”

“Love you, bye.” I hang up, jogging over to Ari and bowing when she holds out a fresh iced coffee. “Thank you, bestie.”

She takes the old one from my hand, tossing it in the trash before tugging the door open. “How was baby Deaton today?”

“Cute as ever. I can’t believe he’ll be two soon.”

That familiar wave of longing weaves through me, but I force it away.

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