Page 23 of Finally Found You

I send a silent prayer.

Please don’t fuck this up.

Chapter Twelve

Camilla

“So you’re staying in San Francisco, then?” JJ asks me from the other end of the line. It’s almost midnight. Kenzy already went to bed, and I’m enjoying a glass of rosé from the bottle that was hidden in the fridge.

“Only for a few weeks while we figure out Kenz’s future. Lysander wants to get to know her. I can’t just take her away from what could be a great future for her,” I explain, my voice tinged with both hope and uncertainty.

“True, you can’t just leave her. Aunt Claire said she’s old enough to be able to choose. I heard she and Lysander’s lawyers are trying to figure out how to fix the mess you left in Colorado.” She chuckles, her laughter a playful jab.

“You’re not funny,” I retort, but I can’t help smiling at her teasing tone.

“We’ll have to agree to disagree,” she says. “So you’re on babysitting duty?”

“Not exactly. Tomorrow they’ll be looking for summer camps. I’m going to search for a temporary job,” I share, determined to find a way to make it work.

“Why not stay in San Francisco permanently?” she wonders.

“Aside from being one of the most expensive cities in the country?” I pause for dramatic effect. “I don’t know, you tell me.”

“There’s that. Did I tell you I was offered a residency there?”

“Yep, but you decided to stay in Colorado, at least until you can get something at Seattle Memorial,” I repeat the same thing she tells me each time we mention San Francisco or New York. “Wouldn’t you miss your family if you go that far away?”

She chuckles, the sound rich with humor. “I’m pretty sure Mom and Dad will visit at least twice a week. My brothers wouldn’t care if I live or die.”

“That’s a big lie,” I counter, well aware of her tight-knit family.

“Okay, it’s not true, but I doubt they’ll miss me,” she concedes and goes silent for a beat. Just a second later, she says, “You know what you should do?”

“Whatever you’re thinking, the answer is no.”

“Try dating. You could look for the guy you almost fucked last night,” she suggests, with a teasing lilt in her tone.

“Umm… that’s a hard no.”

“What happened? Did he do something that you didn’t tell me?”

“He’s Kenzy’s dad,” I mumble, feeling a strange mix of emotions swirling within me.

“What?!” she shrieks, her shock palpable. “No way.”

“I’m not pursuing him at all.”

She laughs. “Only you, Cam. Alvize still has a thing for you. You could try him.” JJ mentions her younger brother, who’s only a year older than me.

“He’s like my brother.”

“No. He’s my brother and your friend,” she clarifies. “But you’re right. It’ll be pretty weird if you date him.”

My phone vibrates. When I check why, I see a text from Lysander: Meet me on the rooftop. We need to talk.

I know I shouldn’t be this excited, but I can’t help myself.

“Hey, I have to go.” I try to keep my voice as neutral as possible.

---