Page 9 of Camilla & Dallas
He could no sooner stay away from Camilla if he’d suddenly become deathly allergic to her. His was an addiction. Dallas already knew he’d want to see her, to get to know her again. It wasn’t just the love he still harbored for her; it was the connection they’d made all those years ago.
A friendship.
Inwardly, he shivered—and not in a good way.
How could he settle for something like that? He’d been ready to swear his heart to her for the rest of their lives. Heck, his whole reason for leaving was to give them a chance of a better future—together. Was it even possible for him to get into a comfortable relationship with her again?
Not likely.
But he had to try, right?
“Come on.” Cheyenne sighed. “Get in the car. I told her I’d stop by and say hi, and I don’t want to be late.”
The second Cheyennepulled up to the Palmers’ house, Dallas knew he was going to be sick. He didn’t know how he managed to hold himself together as she put the car into park. And he definitely didn’t know how he was going to expect himself to exit the vehicle without shaking when he caught sight of her.
Camilla.
She stood on the porch. Her stare sharp, unyielding. He could already hear the argument that might start if he even attempted to approach her.
He really shouldn’t.
Heknewhe shouldn’t.
But it had been seven years.
Seven years of dreaming about her.
Seven years of seeing her face when he closed his eyes.
Seven long years of wondering if she thought about him as much as he thought about her.
She was still as breathtaking as he remembered. His heart was in danger of sprinting to its death at this rate. He absently rubbed at that spot on his chest again, but it wouldn’t soothe the ache.
“Get out, Dallas.”
He looked in Cheyenne’s direction.
“And don’t even think about talking to her.”
“You’re not the boss of me.” He really should have been embarrassed by how that came out, but he couldn’t bring himself to regret the words and ended up doubling down. “And you’re not her keeper either.”
Cheyenne groaned. “Seriously? I thought you cared about her enough to give her space.”
“I did—do,” he stammered. “I care about her, Cheyenne. I never…” He couldn’t finish that statement. He’d never gotten over her. His heart still belonged to Camilla, no matter how much he’d like to deny it.
His eyes drifted toward Camilla, only to find she was no longer standing on the porch.
“Just…” Cheyenne sighed. “Just go find Mateo and get situated. I promised her I would play interception.”
His eyes snapped to her. “You what?”
She rolled her eyes. “She’s my best friend, Dallas, and?—”
“And you’remytwin.” He’d long since realized that Cheyenne wasn’t on his side when it came to Camilla. She loved him. She always would. But she’d picked Camilla’s side and had drawn a line in the sand.
Cheyenne jutted a chin toward his window. “There’s Mateo. Time to go.”
Dallas watched her climb out of the car without a second look in his direction. So much for being able to count on his twin. Wasn’t she supposed to be his biggest cheerleader? He loved her. He’d been there for her every time she’d had her heart broken. When he’d left, he’d made sure to call her on every birthday and holiday. He’d made an effort to keep those lines of communication open.
