Page 69 of Best Laid Plans
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ELLE
When Elle woke up on Friday morning, she felt the expanse of bed next to her, hoping that Cam had snuck in at some point during the night. Instead, all she was met with was the coolness of the empty sheets.
It was the first night in a week that she’d slept alone, and she didn’t like the feeling.
Instead of dwelling on it, she rose quickly, wearing only her Rock Harbor Lobsters football t-shirt. Wyatt was already gone for the day, so she and Cam had the apartment to themselves for the morning. A place where maybe they’d been doing the equivalent of playing house for the last week.
With the proposal completed for Cam to share with her parents tomorrow, she was ready to have a long overdue conversation with Cam about where things between them were going. Regardless of whether Reynolds Consulting offered her the job, which was looking more unlikely as the days wore on, this thing between them wasn’t abating. If anything, it’d only picked up momentum, taking on a life of its own.
If Cam didn’t feel the same way, then he was going to have to tell her that. It would hurt, considering all the broken piecesof herself that she’d given to him already, watching as he’d stitched them back together without even knowing. But the alternative, where she continued to pretend that she didn’t care about him–didn’t want to have honest conversations with him–was done.
The tv was on in the living room, Cam seated on the sofa and eating what looked like… a bowl of Lucky Charms?
“I didn’t peg you as a marshmallow in your cereal kind of guy,” Elle said as she walked over to the sofa and plopped down next to him, their thighs brushing.
“Men can have comfort foods, too.”
Instinctively, Elle ran her hand down Cam’s temple, then across his cheek where she continued to touch his warm skin. “And what are you seeking comfort from?” she asked, fingers continuing to ghost the line of his jaw.
He extended his long arm to the coffee table and set his empty bowl down, barely needing to move. He relaxed his shoulders back against the sofa and closed his eyes, letting Elle continue her ministrations. “This,” Cam finally said, after Elle had wondered if he wasn’t going to answer the question.
Her fingers stilled. “This what?”
“I’m seeking comfort from this.”
“So, you’re seeking comfort from comfort? No one will ever accuse you of not being interesting, Cam.” She scratched along his jaw, feeling the muscles flex underneath her fingertips.
“My curse to bear,” he said quietly, eyes still closed.
“Cam, look at me.”
His eyes opened then, face turning in her direction. He didn’t speak, but he blinked slowly a few times, like he was waiting.
She forced herself to push the words out. “We need to talk about us. What we’re doing.”
Cam nodded, his jaw going tight. “I know we do. Your brother asked me about his missing condoms last night.”
Elle let out something between a laugh and a scoff. “Of course he did. God, he probably counts his Q-tips, too.”
Cam didn’t seem to share her sense of humor on the subject. He sat up a little straighter, green eyes more alert now. “I lied to him, Elle. I lied to his face last night. I’ve been evasive since he’s gotten home, but I’ve never lied to him. Not during any point in our friendship.”
“I didn’t ask you to do that,” Elle responded, feeling like this was somehow her fault even though realistically, their private business was no one else’s business. Including–and especially–her over-involved brother.
She watched as Cam ran an aggressive hand through his short hair, making his cowlick stick up. This wasn’t the time to think about how cute it was, but that’s exactly what happened.
He groaned. “I know. I just… feel like shit. Your brother is my best friend. He’s been my best friend for almost twenty years. I don’t like feeling like I’m keeping secrets from him.”
“Then we’ll tell him.” The strength of her conviction surprised herself. She wanted Wyatt to know about them. She didn’t want Cam to be a secret. Or to have to keep secrets. Especially given what it was clearly doing to Cam’s sanity.
“He’s just so…” Cam gestured broadly, though Elle got it completely. Wyatt was stubborn and quick to hurt, especially if he felt on the outside of something. And his sister and his best friend dating definitely qualified as an ‘on the outside’ type of situation.
“Look, Cam.” Elle grabbed his hand, his fingers immediately intertwining with her own. “It doesn’t need to be immediate if you don’t want it to be, but we can tell him. He will get over it. He’ll run hot, like he always does, and then he’ll calm down. You’re his best friend. I’m his sister. He loves us both, and it’s not the end of the world. Hewillget over it,” she stressed, hoping it was true. Because Wyatt was… weird. He liked things in his organized little boxes. He liked control. And Cam and Elle as a ‘Cam and Elle’ was antithetical to both of those things.
Except, she couldn’t stop the little thrill of excitement that jolted through her body at the thought. Cuddling with Cam on the sofa. Not worrying about sneaking around. She’d never wanted so badly to justexistwith someone.
“So you want to tell him that…” Cam’s words trailed off, looking at Elle to supply their relationship status.
