Page 51 of Finally Found You

“Exactly. You’re brokenhearted—”

“Because Kenzy kicked me out,” I interrupt her, desperate to shift the focus from the raw pain gnawing at my heart.

“Sure, but you care a lot about this guy. That’s why you didn’t listen to reason and just kissed him.”

“Are you trying to call me—”

“No name-calling,” she interrupts me with her soothing voice. “I’m just trying to make a point. You liked him and… there has to be a way to fix this.”

“Kenzy doesn’t want to see me ever again,” I mumble, having trouble with the bitter reality.

“Hey, I have to do a consult. I’ll come by your house as soon as I’m done at the hospital.”

“Thank you.”

“I haven’t done anything yet.”

“You listened.”

“Love you, Cami. You should probably call Mom. She might be able to help you a lot more than I can.”

Though I appreciate the thought, I don’t think I’ll be doing that. Jade will try to convince me to stay in Colorado and remind me that I’m a Drago. It’s easy for her to say that, but I’m not a Drago, and I have to find a new life and forget this place.

* * *

Thankfully, before dinner, JJ arrives with food, and we spend most of the evening binge-watching The Vampire Diaries, drooling for Klaus and Stefan. Damon doesn’t do it for me. There’s something about his character that I don’t love. JJ says it’s because everyone loves him, and I dislike following the masses.

It’s around midnight when my phone rings. Lysander’s name flashes on the screen, and butterflies flutter in my stomach as the emotions swirl within me. I hesitate. My thumb hovers over the decline button. In the end, I just don’t answer the phone and let it go to voicemail, but he follows up with a text, pleading for me to answer. Reluctantly, I pick up when my phone buzzes again.

“Is Kenzy okay?” I ask, my voice laced with concern.

“Hi,” he whispers from the other end, his greeting heavy with longing and sadness. Still, the sound of his voice sends a shiver down my spine.

“How is she?” I press, my heart thudding against my ribcage.

“She’s doing well but she’s tired.” He exhales deeply. The weariness is evident in his tone. “We flew to San Diego and just arrived an hour ago. She had fun at the zoo, though she reminded me it was just for the koalas. She’s too old to be visiting zoos.”

A bittersweet chuckle escapes my lips, weighed down by what happened last night. “Of course she is.”

“Sorry about last night,”he mumbles, thick with vulnerability as if the words themselves are a heavy burden. “I…”

It kills me that he regrets the best kiss I’ve had in my entire life, but it’s understandable. We created a problem, and I lost Kenzy too.

“We shouldn’t have done it,” I whisper, my heart aching with a bittersweet mix of longing and loss. I miss him so much that it’s almost a physical pain.

A wistful sigh escapes my lips. If only I could turn back time and be happy with his friendship. But as always, I wanted more, and more only gave me another heartache.

“See, that’s the thing. I regret that we were caught, not that we kissed,” he says, soothing my raw emotions. “The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced that if we had done this differently, she would’ve understood.”

“Doubtful,” I whisper. “Plus, this is a little weird.”

“What?” he asks, a tremor of worry lacing his tone. I close my eyes, envisioning us on the rooftop, the velvety cloak of night enveloping us.

But wasn’t it the magic of that very moment, the gentle whispers of the wind that pushed us together, that led us to where we are now?

“You slept with my aunt,” I remind him.

“But I didn’t,” he protests, and I’m pretty confused about his answer.

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