Page 5 of Camilla & Dallas
Dallas glared at her with a dark look. If she thought for one moment that Dallas would do anything to hurt Camilla, she was sorely mistaken. He would never cause her pain. Ever.
“What are you going to do, then?”
“I don’t know,” he said after a beat of silence. “What can I do? I’m still in school for a couple more months. I do have a few prospective jobs lined up, but they’re out of state. There’s nothing available locally. Those sorts of positions are reserved for specialists in my field, and I’m not there yet.”
“Maybe you take what you can get, and in a few years…” Cheyenne shrugged. Was she actually trying to help? He couldn’t believe it. Cheyenne never cared about his relationships. She steered clear of the girls he’d dated before.
Maybe her friendship with Camilla made this time different. Maybe Camilla would be the thing to pull them together.
His frown deepened as he stared at the ring in his hand. What was he supposed to tell Camilla? He couldn’t exactly ask her to wait for him.
Could he?
No.
That wouldn’t be fair.
But he had to tell her something—especially if he decided to leave town.
He swallowed hard. “What do I tell her?” It was an honest question. Cheyenne knew Camilla better than anyone. “Should I tell her my plans?”
“No.”
His gaze cut to hers. “Don’t you think she’d want to?—”
“It would hurt too much. The two of you have gotten so close. I’m pretty sure she’s expecting you to make some sort of grand gesture or commitment.” Cheyenne nodded to the ring. “Do youreally think she’d want you to take her out tonight and instead of proposing, you tell her you’re going to leave for a couple years to take a job?”
“No,” he groaned. Geez. Love wasn’t supposed to be this hard. “So, what, then? A letter?”
“You… could,” Cheyenne hedged. “I’d say go on the date tonight. Make it memorable. Don’t say a thing. Then call around to those job opportunities. Snag one and go. I’ll give her your letter. I’ll break it to her nice. Leave the ball in her court if she wants to stay in contact.”
He scowled. “You want me to promise not to call her? Not to write? I can’t do that.” Even to him, the venom in his voice stung.
His sister held up both hands. “All I’m saying is that leaving is hard for everyone involved. You can’t expect her to be okay with it, either. But if you leave everything else as a choice she gets to make, then… you’ll have a better shot at reconnecting when you come back.”
While he wanted to say what she said made sense, there was a part of his brain where alarm bells were ringing. But Cheyenne loved Camilla, too. She wouldn’t want Camilla hurting more than what was reasonable. She was a woman. She understood the female mind better than he did.
Swallowing hard, Dallas nodded. “You’re right. Thanks.” He got to his feet and tucked the ring box into the back of his dresser. “After I get back, I’ll write the letter. Just… make sure she doesn’t get it until I’m gone.”
She smiled grimly at him, nodding but not speaking. Then she stood and left the room.
3
Three Weeks Later
Camilla
Eyes burning and head pounding, Camilla lay curled up on her bed. She stared blankly at the wall. Dallas was really gone. His phone had been disconnected. He literally just… disappeared.
Camilla’s heart was shattered. She’d lost track of how many times she’d tried to call him. She’d even gone over to his house and his father had answered. Embarrassment still flooded her veins at the look of confusion he’d worn that had quickly shifted into pity. He’d told her Dallas had taken a job based in Montana and had left late the night before.
Her stomach twisted, knotting until she thought she might throw up. Dallas had said nothing about his job offer. He’d said nothing about his plans to move. She’d thought they told each other everything.
The worst part?
She would have gone with him.
Deep in her soul, she knew she would have followed him anywhere. Dallas was her soul mate.
