Page 56 of Camilla & Dallas
Dallas took a deep, measured breath. “This is between the two of us, Camilla. We’re old enough to have a conversation about what happened and work through it—alone. Please, give me that.”
Camilla glanced at Cheyenne, who gave a subtle shake of her head. What he wouldn’t give to throw her over his shoulder, toss her in a cab, and tell their mother the terrible things she’d been up to lately like they were children.
Thankfully, Camilla was willing to listen to reason. She pushed the truck door shut and turned to Cheyenne. “You can take the stuff inside and wait or you can head home. I don’t know how long this is going to take.”
His sister looked wounded by this decision. Did she truly believe that Camilla would choose her over the man she loved?
Dallas had to take this decision as a good sign. There was still a chance they could work through this. Yes, he’d made a mistake. Several. But he was trying to be a better man. For Camilla.
He watched Cheyenne as she gathered the bags in her hands and headed for the house. She glared at him as she passed, and he stepped out of the way before she could ram her shoulder into him as she went by.
Then it was just him and Camilla. She hugged herself as she continued to watch him. They were out in the open. There was no reason for her to be worried about her safety or anything. The only cause for concern should be on his side. What if one of her three brothers noticed they were having an argument? All it would take was a tear on Camilla’s cheek and they’d take him to the ground like a defenseman in the NFL.
Swallowing hard, Dallas stepped toward her. He held his hands out in front of him like he might with a wild animal. “Are you going to let me explain?”
She pressed her lips together but looked away. “I don’t know if that’s going to do you any good, Dallas.”
That was the worst thing she could have said to him at that moment. He didn’t know if she was actively trying to hurt him, but those words sliced him deep. He needed to believe in hope. He needed to know that she would still love him even after he told her that he’d have to leave for his job. This wasn’t in his control. If it was, he wouldn’t go anywhere.
At that point she lifted her eyes to meet his, and they were so full of disappointment and shimmering with unshed tears thathe knew he’d lost. Before the conversation had even started, he’d lost her.
“Two weeks,” he rasped.
She blinked.
“I have two weeks before I have to leave again. Sooner, if they decide to bump it up even more.”
Camilla looked away. “And how long have you known that you would be leaving?”
He scrubbed at his jaw. Technically, he knew this was a possibility from the get-go. But he hadn’t known when he would be relocated. Sometimes assignments were extended. Sometimes they were cut short.
Pulling his lower lip between his teeth, he bit down hard enough he could taste the coppery flavor of his blood. Dallas closed his eyes as his tongue ran along the small cut. It wasn’t enough of a distraction for the blow he knew he had to give. “This was always a possibility.”
Her quiet intake of breath said it all.
Camilla felt betrayed.
“It’s supposed to be a short trip. I won’t have to be gone long?—”
“That’s not the point, is it?” Camilla snapped at him.
He flinched.
“I didn’t want to let you in, Dallas. I fought it so hard.” Her voice cracked and a whimper escaped her lips.
Dallas clenched his hands tight to prevent himself from going to her, from pulling her into his arms and telling her that he was sorry. He was willing to grovel if that was what it took. But the longer he watched her crumble, the less confident he felt about where he stood with her.
“I told you. After how things ended last time…” Camilla shook her head, and another tear slipped free. “We had to be honest with each other. No matter what. I needed everything upfront and center. And you…” She sucked in a shuddering breath and exhaled. “Yousworeyou would.”
“I know, but?—”
“But nothing, Dallas.” This time she whispered. “You lied to me.”
“Well, that’s not fair. I didn’t lie to you.”
“Withholding information is just as bad as lying and you know it. Our relationship was doing so well. Everything was falling into place. Or so I thought.”
An uncomfortable chill unfurled in his chest. He could already see where she was going with this. Camilla didn’t want to talk this out to fix it. She’d made up her mind.
