Page 83 of Trust Me Always

No, this is a backward crawl, a pebbled path to friendship island. The only problem is we’ve already lost our shoes and the rocks on the way back are sharp.

Do I want to walk across them to meet him on the other side?

Alister offers a gentle smile, and I realize I’m staring right into his green eyes.

“Will you tell me what you’re thinking?” he whispers.

I swallow. “I’m not so sure if I should.”

Alister reaches out, pushing my hair from my face, his soft fingers gently grazing along my temples, tucking the loose, straight strands behind my ear.

His hand holds there a moment, and I find myself leaning into his touch, my eyes closing.

“I miss you, Cameron.”

“I know,” I breathe, forcing my eyes open, but when I do, it’s not Alister my gaze locks on.

It’s the brown-eyed man behind him.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Brady

She’s with him.

She’s with him and that should be perfectly fine.

Itshouldbe, so why exactly does it feel like I swallowed a balloon that’s blowing up inside me, taking up all the room, until all the air from my lungs is forced out like a solid hit to the chest?

That’s just fucking…weird.

I swallow, offering my best grin, and watch as Cameron’s posture pulls in, her shoulders hunching a bit.

Feeling guilty, baby girl? Why would that be?

I slide into the booth across from them, and Alister’s head snaps my way, only now realizing I’ve joined their little party. “Howl. Cammie Baby. What are we up to?”

I cringe on the inside, the notebooks right here, laptop open and blocking my fake girlfriend’s body from my view.

Okay, I guess I’m just out here sounding like a jealous boyfriend.

Which I’m not.

My eyes fall to Cameron’s phone, sitting right there on the table beside her. Not two inches away from her, face up and all.

She must see me looking, because pretty purple-colored fingernails tap the screen, and in my periphery, her head snaps up. “Holy shit, it’s already one.”

Yes. You forgot our lunch plans because you’re busy with him.

I shrug, keeping my grin in place when really, I want to show teeth like an animal and piss on what’s mine. I mean, for now, but mine nonetheless. I flick my hand toward the plates with nothing but a few crumbs on them. “It’s all good. Just glad you had time to eat.”

“Shit, Brady. I’m so sorry.” She starts shoving her things in her backpack hastily, and slowly, very fucking slowly, Alister does the same.

“Don’t be.” I knock my knuckles on the table, looking over as my boy Xavier steps up to the counter to order, his bat bag on his back. “I’m with X. We’re just coming to get a shake before we hit the cages over at FunWorks. I didn’t even know you were in here. Happy accident.”Fucking cringe again, my man.

I climb out of the booth, and her baby blue eyes follow me the whole way, narrowing slightly. “I’ll call you when I get back, see where you’re at,” I decide to add, because I think that’s what a real boyfriend would say—not that she seems too worried about pretending she has one at the moment.

“I’ll come with you,” she rushes to say, looking at Alister expectantly.

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