Page 60 of Sophia & Cameron

With a groan, Camilla yanked Sophia’s arm and tugged her toward the dance floor without another word. Sophia had no choice. Her first movements were stilted and heavy. She didn’t feel like dancing. She just wanted to crawl under the covers and pretend that the last several months hadn’t happened. She’d been just fine before Cameron had entered her life. But as much as she hated to admit it, she couldn’t deny that even though he’d made things difficult at times, she still loved him.

She ached for him. For that smile. For his warm hugs. For every kiss and knowing look that passed between them.

The dance was torture. Sophia barely made it through without wanting to dart for the door and call herself an Uber. But then she felt it.

She felthim.

Despite the room being crowded, she could sense that Cameron was there. She didn’t know how he figured out she had come tonight—then again, she wouldn’t be surprised if he’d been watching her. He seemed to constantly be doing that.

Her gaze flitted through the room, darting from corner to corner, group to group, until they landed on him.

His eyes locked with hers from where he leaned against the wall with his arms folded. His face was a mask of utter unreadability, but those eyes said so much more. How was it possible that in his eyes, she could see the desire, the pain, and the hope he had swirling all at once? No other eyes had been nearly as expressive as his.

She took a step in his direction, then halted, shook her head, and spun away from him. She moved off to join the group Emma and Camilla were in. They were talking animatedly about a tour Emma’s manager wanted her to take next year.

“You have to go.”

Emma laughed. “And what would I do with my kid? I can guarantee that Caleb won’t let me go alone. There is literally no way.”

Camilla shrugged. “I’m sure we could figure out something. You married into one of the biggest families there is here. And my family wouldn’t be totally against babysitting.”

Their eyes found Sophia, and Camilla frowned.

“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Sophia nearly told them that she felt like she had. She was so tempted to point out the reason for her unease but thought better of it. She knew they wouldn’t do anything to make matters worse. They were her cheerleaders. If Sophia had told them she wanted to give it another try with Cameron, they’d probably tell her to go for it while at the same time telling her to be careful.

That’s not what she needed right now.

She needed someone to help her keep a clear head. The second Cameron spoke to her, she knew she was a goner. She wasn’t strong enough for this.

Sophia shook her head and swallowed hard.

“Do you need to go home? Are you sick?” Emma questioned.

Again, Sophia shook her head. “No, but I think I need to get some air. I’ll be right back.”

She realized her mistake the second she reached the railing of the balcony off the dance floor.

“Sophia,” Cameron’s low, husky voice reached her, sending all kinds of chills and goosebumps rippling on her body.

Squeezing her eyes shut as tight as she could, she forced herself not to react to him. She couldn’t let her guard down. She wouldn’t.

“Sophia,” he pleaded. “Can we talk?”

She pressed her lips together tight, her teeth biting into them as she considered all her options. She could dart away from him, head back inside and demand that Emma or Camilla take her home. She could sit there and ignore him. She could face this head-on and do her best to remain strong.

She’d missed him so much. It wasn’t fair that he was here, asking her to speak to him.

His fingers grazed her upper arm, and she jerked backward.

The pain in his eyes was knee-buckling.

“What do you want, Cameron?” She’d tried sounding sharp and angry, but the question came out as more of a whimper.

“I want another chance?—”

Sophia shook her head. “I can’t do that.Wecan’t do that.”

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