My body sprung up. “I’m not moving in.”
Cameron shrugged, but there was a smirk underneath the feigned indifference.
“Absolutely not,” I croaked, pushing up. “I don’t need—”
“We’re going to hit pause on the independent routine, okay?” His voice lowered, all amusement gone. “You’re staying here until you can walk. And I’m taking care of you, hear me? You’re going to let me. And I hope to God you don’t make me fight you over this, Adalyn, because I promise you, I will. I’ll burn that goddamn shack down if I must.”
Adalyn. It felt so odd to hear him say my name. So… ordinary after knowing what being called Ada darling or love felt like.
God. I was a mess.
“Okay,” I said, and I must have been acting like a handful because Cameron looked shocked for a moment. I felt horrible. I settled down on the couch with a sigh. “Thank you for taking care of all these things.” Thanks for taking care of me. “But please, don’t burn down the cabin. I’d hate to have to bail you out after they charge you with arson.”
He gave me one of those lopsided smirks.
I averted my eyes. The effect of him actively taking care of me was so loud and clear in my head that I feared Cameron saw it written all over my face. Saw how good it made me feel. Saw how sweet I thought him buying clothes for me was. Even if they were ugly.
The truth was that I didn’t have much experience being in this position.
When I’d dated David, we’d spent most of our time busy with our own individual lives. He had never gone out of his way to do things for me, and I hadn’t, either. Thinking back to it, we’d started seeing each other because it had been suggested by our respective fathers. Maybe even expected. It made sense for the son and daughter of business partners to date. So we… had. It hadn’t been perfect or romantic, but I’d settled. I’d convinced myself I was content, that every relationship was different. I wasn’t the loving, affectionate type so, naturally, I shouldn’t expect the same from a man.
And now this one man who had been crystal clear about not liking me was doing all these things for me. He was rescuing me and feeding me breakfast and getting me clothes and telling me he was going to take care of me. I didn’t understand how we’d gotten here. And I didn’t know what to do with all these emotions rioting in my chest, making it feel tight.
“Darling?” Cameron’s voice brought me back to his living room, to the couch I had been carefully settled on by his arms, and all the plush pillows he’d placed around me. “What happened yesterday? What made you so frightened?”
Frightened. I had been scared, hadn’t I?
I let out a shaky breath, and I was suddenly so tired of wondering why he even cared, or asked, that I didn’t bother fighting him anymore. I answered with the truth.
“Someone reminded me why I am here. That I messed up back home. And I don’t know how to fix it other than to do what I’m told. For a moment yesterday, I almost fooled myself into thinking that I’m fine and this is all okay and not a complete and utter mess.” I shrugged, and perhaps it was the way Cameron was looking at me, not a trace of judgment in his eyes, or perhaps it was something else, but I added, “You were looking at me the way you are now. Just like that. I didn’t want it to end.”
His words were soft, barely a whisper. “Like what?”
“Like I’m something precious. Worth looking at.”
His face fell. “Why would you think otherwise?”
“Because no one ever looks at me that way.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Adalyn
My pajamas weren’t here.
Josie had come while Cameron was in practice with the team. He hadn’t been joking, she’d shown up at Cameron’s door with a box in her arms. It contained all my things.
“Move-in day!” she’d said with a cheer.
I didn’t fight her. I didn’t think I had any energy or willpower for that. My conversation with Cameron had left me… raw.
And as much as I thought I still hadn’t done anything to earn Josie’s kindness, I wanted it. So I let her fuss over me and be a little mad for not saying anything about the state I’d been living in. The horrible cottage.
Josie had called me silly and proud, and then she’d stuffed my mouth with cake and demanded I stop being so stubborn. I wondered if Cameron and Josie had ganged up on me or if I really had been so complicated to deal with.