Page 66 of Something Old

They walked across the grass quietly, Cami holding onto his arm for balance as her shoes sank into the grass. Finally, after a few minutes of this, she laughed. “Ethan, you’ve been very kind but, honestly, I think I’ve intruded long enough. We were never going to be more than friends, were we?”

“No.” He paused, but didn’t look at her.

“I know our families had hoped for something more. But I see nothing happening here, do you?”

He made a sound of frustration. “I had wanted to love you. It would have been easier. But the truth is, my heart was given away a long time ago.”

She glanced up at the porch at a figure that stood framed by the light from windows. “Kira says Delaney is no good for you.”

“You should know better than to listen to Kira.”

She shrugged. “Maybe. I know that we could be good together. Our families are already close.”

“I don’t love you.”

She winced at the bold comment. “What does love have to do with it? Most marriages start off with a bang but fizzle when the couples realize they’re not even friends.” She took a step closer, the top of her head brushing his chin. She ran her hand down his chest. “We’re good together, Ethan. We could have a good life.”

Her touch, while not unpleasant, didn’t set his body on fire, not like Delaney. “Maybe I want more than just good. Don’t you?”

She dropped her hand but didn’t step away. “Plenty of people don’t even have good.”

“You deserve more. We both do.”

Suddenly, Cami wound her arms around his neck, pressed herself against him, and planted a solid kiss on his lips, rubbing against him. He kept his hands loose at his side, no response.

Gently, he disentangled himself from her grip and firmly took a step back. “Cami, no. This isn’t what I want. And, no, I don’t care if it’s what our families want. This is the twenty-first century, not the nineteenth. Find someone to be happy with. Have that passion and excitement. It’s worth it.”

“Even the pain? I remember what you went through, even if I didn’t really know the whole situation. Was it worth it?”

He considered her words for a moment. Was it worth a lifetime of pain for a brief flash of passion? The answer came to him immediately. “Yes, it’s completely worth it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have someone to see.”

He strode away, the desire to see Delaney at that moment driving him. Suddenly, a figure disengaged from the shadows on the porch and opened the door to the restaurant. She turned for a moment and the look on her face stopped him in his tracks. Her shoulders slumped and her head was bowed as if defeated. Sadness radiated off her and her eyes were accusing. She slipped inside the doorway and disappeared before he could free his feet and chase after her.

When he got into the restaurant, she was gone.

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