Page 32 of Sophia & Cameron

Her heart stalled for a moment, then she flipped her hair as she brushed past him to head for the saddles. “Maybe.”

The horses plodded along the trail, and Sophia could feel Cameron’s stare each and every time he glanced in her direction. She bit down on her lower lip and looked at him. “You want something real?”

Cameron didn’t say anything, but the look in his eye said he was on the edge of his seat.

“My hair used to be down to my waist. I grew it out as long as I could because I wanted to be a princess.”

His brows lifted. She’d kept it short since she’d found out about Brent’s treachery, so it wasn’t a surprise that he couldn’t envision it.

Sophia tilted her head forward so the short strands could hide some of her face. This was the first time she’d admitted this out loud. “After a particularly bad experience, I couldn’t take it anymore. I didn’t feel like a princess any longer, and I needed a change. So, I chopped it as short as I could and added some fire.” She pinched some of the strands of red that she could see out of the corner of her eye. “My brothers freaked out.” She let out a laugh. “I’d never done anything rebellious and then just walked in the door one day looking nothing like myself. I changed up my clothing style, too.”

When she looked at him again, she found his mouth hanging open, but when he noticed her stare, he closed it.

“I know,” she murmured. “It’s silly, and I guess I shouldn’t have?—”

In a flash, he urged his horse into a trot that put him in her path, forcing her to pull up short. Her horse whinnied, and she frowned at him. “What’s wrong?”

Cameron stared at her with nothing but understanding in his gaze. He shook his head. “It’s not silly. Our experiences change us—usually on the inside. But sometimes that’s not enough. Yours happened to transform you on the outside, too. Don’t ever second guess the way your heart needed to cope.”

It was almost like he knew exactly what she’d been through, and she wasn’t sure she liked that feeling. But he couldn’t—not unless he knew Brent personally. Her ex hadn’t exactly kept his prowess a secret. Apparently, he’d shared his indiscretions with his friends as if being a cheater made him special.

“Sophia.” Her name on his tongue sounded sweeter than it really should have, and she focused on him. She almost expected him to ask about her experience, but he didn’t. “Whatever you’re thinking, stop. Changing your hair isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of survival—of strength. You came out of whatever it was on top. Wear it like armor.”

She stared at him with surprise. Now she really thought he might have an inkling of what she’d been through. Would he admit to it? Probably not. Then again, their conversation was so vague that she was likely overthinking all of this.

Sophia nodded her thanks, and Cameron moved out of the way so they could continue their ride.

14

Cameron

Cameron glanced at Sophia as he brushed down Tilly. Clearly, she didn’t want him to know about her ex. If it hadn’t been for her sister, he would never have guessed. He had started kicking himself the second she’d told him the story of why she’d chosen her particular hairstyle. Calling her Red might have dredged up memories she would rather not relive.

She glanced up at him, and in that moment, the world fell away. At least he hadn’t put his foot in his mouth when she’d made her confession. She didn’t seem upset about his reaction.

“Thanks,” he said.

One side of her mouth lifted in a half-smile. “What for?”

“For telling me something real,” he said simply.

Her smile widened. “Tit for tat, right?”

Cameron matched her smile with one of his own. He moved toward her, boxing her into the corner of the stall. He pressedboth of his palms against the wall over her shoulders and relished knowing how he was affecting her.

Sophia’s chest rose and fell with more effort than before. She tilted her head up so her eyes found his and they practically sparkled as her cheeks filled with color. “Cameron,” she whispered, her voice holding a note of warning.

“Hmm?” he murmured, leaning closer.

“Is there something you want?”

“There are a lot of things that I want, but I’d be ecstatic if you’d help me out with something.”

“Oh? What is that?”

“How about a kiss?”

Her lips parted, and she blinked at him for a few moments before her eyes dipped to his mouth. She was going to do it. Sophia was finally going to give in and kiss him again. He shifted closer to her, and just before his lips were about to meet hers, she ducked out from beneath his arms and darted out of the stall.

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