Page 55 of Sophia & Cameron

Did that mean she didn’t want that?

Had she been alone for so long that she’d forgotten what it felt like towantthat in her life?

Perhaps.

Maybe she still wasn’t ready to commit to someone.

Sophia shut her eyes tight, hating how selfish it felt to be…her.

Emma was right. It wasn’t just the people who had anger issues who needed therapy. Something was wrong with her, and deep down she wasn’t sure she wanted to fix it. That thought terrified her for no other reason than the fact that she’d have to look Cameron in the eyes and tell him that she still needed him.

A soft knock sounded at her bedroom door before it opened. Roman’s head popped inside, and he stared at her with concern. “Someone’s here to see you.”

“No,” she muttered.

“But you don’t know who?—”

“I know exactly who it is, and I don’t want to see him.”

Roman withdrew for a moment, then entered the room and shut the door behind him. He leaned against it with folded arms, his frown deepening. “As much as I want to play the overprotective brother right now, I feel it’s my duty to tell you that Cameron seems legitimately sorry.”

She scoffed and turned her back to him, facing the other wall instead. “Where have I heard that before?”

His footsteps shuffled along her plush carpet, then the mattress dipped, and he sighed. “It’s not just that he’s sorry. I’m worried about you. Even if you don’t want to resolve this with him, you need closure. And then there’s Mateo to think about.”

She scowled. “Yeah. I bet Mateo isthrilledthis turned out exactly how he predicted. Let me guess. You’ve had to hold him back so he didn’t march in here and tell me I’m irresponsible and now I’m disowned or something.”

There was silence for a moment. Longer than a moment. She turned over and glanced at him over her shoulder just to see if Roman was still there.

Her brother wasn’t looking at her. He was staring at a spot on the wall, his brows furrowed.

“Roman?”

Slowly, he turned his attention to her. “He isn’t going to leave until you speak to him.”

“He will if you give him the same courtesy he gave his brother yesterday.”

The mere fact that Roman didn’t look confused or surprised by her statement made it perfectly clear that he was aware ofwhat had transpired in town yesterday. Her scowl deepened, and she folded her arms as she stared up at her ceiling. They remained like that, in silence for longer than they probably should, based on what her brother had said.

“I’m not going out there,” she muttered at last.

“You really should.”

She shook her head, the tears she thought had dried up pricking behind her eyes. “I can’t,” Sophia whispered.

“What if I go with you?”

She huffed. “That wouldn’t make it better.”

He reached for her, prying her hand from her folded arms. When she finally looked at him, she noted the open concern in his gaze. “Playing devil’s advocate… maybe you shouldn’t make any rash decisions right now. Both of you are hurting.”

“I can’t believe you’re defending him.” Sophia attempted to pull her hand free, but her brother’s grasp was too tight.

“I’m not defending him. All I’m saying is that life is complicated. It’s messy. And until you both explore every possible avenue, you shouldn’t give up. I’ve seen the way the two of you are together. I can see how much you love each other.”

Her eyes slid to meet his.

Love.

---