Page 76 of Only in Our Dream
Not for the first time since then, Melanie wondered what would have happened if they hadn’t settled into being friends after that. What if Melanie had explored the feelings bubbling up inside her instead of squashing them? Would she and Cameron have been able to be together sooner? Could she have saved them years of pining and Rob years in an unhappy marriage? The thoughts consumed her mind as she squeezed her eyes shut.
There was no sense in thinking about the what ifs. She couldn’t change the past now even if she wanted to. All she could do now was move forward with Cameron and be thankful they were together now.
Cameron stirred awake in her arms, stretching her arms above her head. “Good morning,” she sleepily looked at Melanie. “I love waking up beside you.”
“I love waking up beside you, too.” Leaning in, the two kissed. Melanie cradled Cameron’s chin in her hand as she soaked in the feel of Cameron’s lips on hers. “Are you hungry? I can order us breakfast.”
“Or we can go to Carlson’s. I know you love that place.”
“I do,” Melanie giggled, loving how well Cameron knew her. “But we only have our clothes from last night, and I don’t think they’re appropriate for an early morning Carlson breakfast.”
“Yeah, it might screammorning after sexa little too loud.”
“Why don’t you come over to my house? I’ll make us breakfast.”
“Will it be more than cereal?”
“Ha ha,” Melanie rolled her eyes. “I’ll have you know that Icancook even if most of the time I don’twantto cook.”
Rolling out of bed, Cameron stretched her arms above her head. Melanie couldn’t help but notice the toned muscles in her back as she did. She knew Cameron worked out regularly, but didn’t know what that diligence had done to her body until now.
“You have to stop that.”
“Stop what?”
“Looking so damn hot.” Melanie swung her legs off the side of the bed as she smiled at Cameron. “You’re going to make me want to bring you back to bed.”
“Well, it’ll have to wait until after I potty, anyway.” Winking, Cameron scampered off into the bathroom.
Surveying the room, Melanie began picking up the clothes they had discarded the night before. She tossed them onto the bed in two piles, one for each of them. Melanie picked up her dress and slipped it back on as Cameron came out of the bathroom. They helped each other get ready until they were back in the same clothes they were in twelve hours ago.
“It’s a shame we didn’t get to wear these longer.” Cameron laughed as she watched Melanie fix her hair in the mirror. “I guess that means we’ll just have to have another date.”
“I don’t know how to tell you this, but you’re stuck going on dates with me for the rest of your life.”
“Thank god,” Cameron playfully patted Melanie’s behind. “I’ve been wanting that since we met and had drinks at the bar.”
Melanie quickly turned around to face her. “You still remember that?”
“Yeah,” she nonchalantly shrugged, “of course. I thought Vera was setting us up on a date. It was a big moment in my life.”
“I was thinking about that earlier. I was wondering if things would have ended differently if I had admitted my feelings then.”
Cameron’s brow furrowed. “Your feelings?”
Melanie waited for a beat. Surely Cameron knew that Melanie had felt something that night. No, they hadn’t talked about it. But she had to know, right?
She knew.
Right?
“Cam…”
“You’ve liked me since then?”
“I tried to fight it.” Melanie shrugged. “But a part of me always wondered what would have happened if I had let my true feelings for you in instead of pushing them down for the next twenty something years.”
Cameron closed the space between them, pulling her into a hug. “Oh, babe, we can’t live our lives like that.”
