“Hey, Cami. You look nice tonight,” Russ drawled as he glanced over me, a knowing grin which revealed the cute dimples in his cheeks, plastered across his face.
“Oh. Hi, Russ,” I replied, surprised to see him. I leaned my head out the door, looking for Hunter.
“If you’re looking for Romeo, he’s not here. Can I come in?”
I faltered, not knowing what he’d think of seeing all the rose petals scattered everywhere.
“I know about your plans tonight. I helped Hunter set things up, and I was supposed to come light all the candles before you two got here. But then your plans changed.”
“Ah,” I said, stepping back so he could enter. Hunter had definitely thought this out.
Russ went and plopped himself down on the couch. He stretched before running his fingers through his short brown hair and then locking his hands behind his head. It made his biceps pop out, and I could tell the results of working out with Hunter were already starting to show. He was staring at me now, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously. He was up to something.
I closed the door. “So what brings you over?”
His grin widened. “I’m here to date you.”
I choked a little as I searched for words. “Uh . . . excuse me?”
He laughed and patted the space next to him. “Come sit down and relax. I won’t bite. I promise to take it easy on you.”
I shook my head. “Not until you tell me what you’re talking about.” I folded my arms and stared at him.
He chuckled again. “Your superhero called me with some bad news. Apparently, he’s been detained and will be unable to join you this evening. He asked me to order a pizza and see that you got something to eat since you missed dinner at his parents. He wants me to fill you in on what’s going on.”
My heart fell in disappointment. “You don’t have to order a pizza. I made a sandwich,” I replied as I walked over and sat down dejectedly next to him.
“Too late. I already ordered it and some wings before I came over. It should be here any minute.”
I nodded absently. “So did Hun . . . Dylan say when he’d be back?”
He shook his head. “No. He doesn’t know. Cami, he said to tell you he’s really sorry, but he’s been called undercover again. They needed him and Chris right away. He doesn’t know how long the assignment will last, but due to its dangerous nature, he’s been told not to contact any of his friends or family. He said it’s for our protection, so no one can trace him back to us.”
I suddenly felt the urge to cry. I didn’t like the idea of him being placed in that kind of danger. “Do you know where they sent him?”
“He’s here in Tucson somewhere, but he didn’t say where he was going. He did say, if for some reason we ever do happen to run into him, we need to pretend we don’t know him. He said he doubts that will happen, but just in case, he wanted us to know.”
“Did he tell you anything else?”
Russ sighed. “Yeah, he said to let you know that his contact is a girl, and he has to pose as her boyfriend. I’m to reassure you he’ll only be thinking of you the entire time he’s away, though.”
I wrung my hands together nervously. I didn’t like any of this. “Did he know about this beforehand? It seems awful sudden for them to throw him in the middle of all this without any warning.”
“No. I guess another officer was supposed to handle the case, but he had to have emergency surgery or something. They sent Dylan, uh, Hunter in this case, in his place. Apparently, he’s still using his same alias.”
I stood and paced toward the kitchen, feeling completely helpless. I wished there was something I could do, and I hated not knowing when I’d see him again. How was I supposed to sleep, or even function normally, knowing he was in a dangerous situation? I was still having the occasional nightmare about Hunter being shot. This wasn’t going to help.
“Don’t worry, Cami. Chris is with him. You know he’ll have his back. He’s a smart cop, and he’s good at what he does. He’s been undercover before, so he knows what he’s doing.”
“That’s what scares me. He got shot trying to save my life last time. No one had any clue how dangerous Clay was. Now he’s saying, up front, that this situation is worse. It’s kind of putting me into panic mode.”
Russ got up and came over, placing both hands on my arms and stilling me. “You’re gonna have to get use to stuff like this, Cam. It’s the nature of his business. He’s a cop. He could get shot giving a traffic ticket.”
I blew out a frustrated breath. “You aren’t helping things.”
“I’m only trying to be practical. You love someone who has a dangerous job. It’s a job he loves too. If you can’t handle that, you might need to reevaluate your relationship.”
“I don’t need to reevaluate. He’s everything to me. I may not have known who he really was when I fell in love with him, but I still thought he was involved in a dangerous lifestyle. I was willing to accept that to be with him. I didn’t like it, but I did it. There’s no way I’m backing out now.”
“Good girl.” Russ smiled and gave me a quick hug. “Hunter wasn’t happy about the interruption at all. He’s crazy about you, and I know he’ll do his best to hurry and get back to you. But until then, you’re gonna eat pizza and watch a movie with me. Relax and let me take care of you until he gets back.”
I snorted and gave a half smile. “I don’t need a babysitter. I’m a big girl.”
“I know you are, but I gave my bro my word that I’d watch out for you, and I intend to keep it. I owe him you know.”
“You know he doesn’t think you owe him anything. He feels your . . . overdose . . . was all his fault. If he hadn’t been around, you wouldn’t have been accidentally poisoned by a drink meant for him.”
“All I know is that it isn’t his fault Clay was a screwed up, crazy bastard, and if it hadn’t been for Hunter’s quick actions, I wouldn’t be here now with you talking about it.” He let go of my arms and went back to the couch. “I owe him my life.”
I went to sit beside him, placing my hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry about what Clay did to you.”
He stared hard at me. “Would you quit apologizing for that freak, Cami? You’re not responsible for his behavior.”
I sighed. “I feel like I am. He was my friend, and he was obsessed with me. If I hadn’t been in the picture none of this would’ve happened.”
“If you hadn’t been in the picture, he’d have been fixated on some other girl. Look, I know you two were friends most of your life, but I can’t say I’m sorry he died. He’s the kind of guy who could’ve come to school and killed everybody. He was a ticking time bomb. I know you’ve got to see that now.”
“I do.” I slouched down onto the couch beside him. “I wish I’d seen that side of him sooner, though. Maybe I could’ve done something to help him before he got as bad as he did.”
“You’re too sweet. I know Hunter loves that about you, but it kinda scares me. You trust people too easily.” He gave me a pointed look.
“I’ve never had a reason to not trust anyone until this whole thing with Clay blew up in my face. Honestly, I still think I’m in shock over it all. Sure, it’s made me more nervous around people, but I’d like to think most of the world is inherently good.”
Russ laughed loudly. “Girl, I can’t believe you, and I even grew up in the same town and went to the same school. Your world sounds completely different than mine.”
There was a knock at the door, interrupting us.
“Pizza’s here,” Russ said, hopping up. He opened the door and paid the delivery guy. “Come get some more to eat.” He carried the box into the kitchen. “Should I light the candles still?”
I snorted, knowing he was trying to lighten the mood. “Sure, why not? Might as well have a romantic night with somebody.”
He laughed. “So you know—I draw the line at the candles. I may have promised Hunter I’d make sure you were taken care of, but there will be
no cuddling or making out.”
I opened my mouth to reply, and he raised his hands to halt me. “Stop right there. You should know that no amount of begging is going to get me to change my mind.”
I grinned, folding my arms as I gave him a pointed look.
“I see I’ve made you speechless,” he continued as he grabbed some plates from the cupboard. He set them on the counter and glanced at me again. “Don’t worry. It happens to most females that meet me. They can’t seem to handle all of . . . this.” He made a wide sweeping gesture over his body and then paused to flex his arms in different poses.
I burst into laughter and punched him in the shoulder. “You’re such a dork!” It was impossible to stay unhappy when Russ was around.
“That’s why you love me,” he said with smile. He slapped two slices of pizza on a plate and handed it to me with a bow. “May I present your dinner, milady?”
I shook my head as I took the plate. “Thank you.”
He grinned. “Happy to come to your rescue, fair maiden. Now eat up. When we’re finished, you and I will clean up all these rose petals and watch a movie together. You can pick it.”
“Sounds great.” I gave a sigh as I turned toward the table, still wishing Hunter would reappear, but I was glad he’d sent Russ in his place. It sounded like he was going to be a big part of my life for the next little while.
Chapter Six
Cami-
I bit my lip for a second, my heart pounding as I scanned down the list on the auditorium door. I paused when I got to my name and let out a tiny squeal. Quickly pulling my phone from my pocket, I tapped out my message to Hunter.
Got the SOLO!!!!! I hit send before the wind was suddenly sucked out of my sails. I had Hunter’s phone. Not him. There was no way for me to even get a message to him. This was the second time I’d done this today. I felt stupid. He was going to get his phone back and there was going to be a bunch of outdated messages from me on it. I couldn’t help it. He was always the first one I shared things with. It almost felt like he’d died or something—disappearing from my life the way he had. I was having a difficult time adjusting.
Giving a dejected sigh, I turned and started walking toward the parking lot where I’d left the Camaro. I stared at the sidewalk, lost in my own pity party.
“Why so glum, chum?” Russ’s voice interrupted my gloomy thoughts. He draped an arm around my shoulders and gave me a squeeze.
I glanced up and gave him a small smile. “Nothing really. I’m just being a baby.”
“Missing our boy?” he asked, his voice full of concern.
I nodded and sighed. “I keep trying to text him things before I remember he won’t get it. It’s weird to have him completely disappear from my life. He was there one second, and then he wasn’t. It makes me feel like he’s dead. I don’t like it.”
“You aren’t being a baby. You miss him. It’s natural. If it makes you feel any better, I started to send him a text today too.”
“Really? That does make me feel better. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one.”
“Yeah, well, I’m sure it’s harder for you. It’s not like I want his tongue down my throat or him groping me the way you do.”
I snorted and shoved him away from me. He laughed and fell back into step beside me.
“Will it help if you tell me whatever you needed to tell him? Unless it’s that gushy love stuff you two are always spouting off to each other. I don’t need to hear any more of that.” He scrunched his face and made a shiver suggesting he was totally grossed out.
“It was some news I had, and we aren’t that bad!”
He raised his eyebrow in shock. “Excuse me, but I beg to differ. I practically need a mind wipe after spending any time with you two. It’s almost like watching porn or something.”
I slapped his arm. “Whatever! We are so not like that!”
“Hunter, I love you,” he said in a high-pitched voice. “You’re my world, Cami,” he mimicked in an overly deep tone before he wrapped his arms around himself and started making moaning and kissing sounds.
I couldn’t stop the laughter. “We don’t ever do that!”
“Note to self: Videotape Cami and Hunter the next time they’re together for proof and blackmailing purposes.”
I shook my head. “You’re such an idiot. You can leave now.”
He draped his arm around me. “Sorry, I can’t. I’ve given my word to be your personal idiot until Hunter rematerializes into the land of the living. I’m all yours, Cami—your own personal beck-and-call boy. Now tell me this news. Is it good or bad?”
“Good! I got the big solo I auditioned for! I’ll be performing it in our next concert.” I could feel the excitement pulsating through me again. I couldn’t wait to call my mom and tell her. She’d be thrilled.
Russ snorted. “Please. How is this news? No one can compete with your pipes, girlfriend. Surely you know that by now.”
“This is way different than high school, Russ! This is one of the best musical theater universities around! The competition is much greater. There are some really talented performers here. I was competing against twenty other girls for this song.”
“Which completely proves my point, don’t you agree? You’re among the best, and you’re still the best.”
“You’re too sweet,” I replied, appreciating his support.
“Not sweet, simply telling it like it is,” he answered as we approached the Camaro.
“Do you have any more classes today? I thought maybe we could hang out together tonight—get another pizza or something.”
“Sounds great to me. I was actually going to ask if you might be willing to put that giant brain of yours to use and help me out with our math assignment. Some of us mere mortals aren’t as intellectually gifted as you are.”
I laughed again and rolled my eyes. “I guess I could be persuaded to stoop low enough to mingle with the common minds,” I jokingly replied. “After all, you are my self-proclaimed, personal beck-and-call idiot. It’s the least I could do.”
He swept off his ball cap and made a dramatic bow as if he were greeting royalty. “The common minds thank you, great lady.”
I snorted and glanced around the parking lot. “Stand up straight before someone sees you.” I couldn’t stop laughing. He was such a goof.
He straightened immediately. “As you wish.” He winked at me. “See you around six? I’ll bring the pizza, you bring the brain.”
“Deal,” I replied still chuckling. “See you then.”
I watched for a moment as he turned and jogged across the lot. He was a great guy. I couldn’t imagine it would be too long before some girl snatched him up. Whoever she was, I hoped she would like to laugh.
I unlocked the Camaro and climbed inside, grateful to have a friend like him in my life. Closing my eyes, I breathed in deeply, the faint sent of Hunter’s cologne still in the vehicle. I loved the way he smelled, and the scent somehow made me feel closer to him again.
Smiling to myself, I wondered what he’d think if I went and stole his cologne from his apartment and sprayed it on my pillow. It would be a totally girly thing to do, but it would give me something to hug that smelled like him. I missed being next to him.
Sighing, I started the car and headed home—my heart and mind full of aching thoughts as I drove. I parked when I arrived and grabbed all my things before trudging to my room and letting myself inside.
I glanced around the space, seeing little pieces of my life with Hunter scattered everywhere. I’d been so excited to move here so we could spend more time together—he had too. Now we were stuck right back where we’d been over the last couple months—apart. I was happy for the distraction Russ was providing me, and I mentally thanked Hunter for being so considerate about my wellbeing. He hadn’t left me alone, but I wondered if he was. I wished I knew how he was faring.
I took out my phone and dialed his number even though his phone was sitting on my desk. It went straight to
message.
“Hey, you’ve reached Dylan. Leave me a message.” The phone beeped, signaling it was time to speak.
“Don’t laugh when you get this. I miss you, and I wanted to hear your voice. It’s been hard not being able to talk to you. I hope you’re okay. I love you.” I hung up and flipped through my photos, putting a new one as my screen saver. “I hope you’ll be back soon,” I said to his smiling face.
Chapter Seven
Hunter-
I tossed my phone and keys onto the nightstand and collapsed onto the bed. My phone buzzed, signaling a text message, but I ignored it. After a week of texting with Roberta, I didn’t care if I ever saw another message from her again. To say she was really getting into the part of playing my girlfriend was a bit of an understatement. We’d decided early on to do whatever was needed to maintain appearances. I didn’t realize that would consist of her texting me about everything—from shoes to her gal pal gossip. I’d learned way more about her in a week than I ever wanted to know in the first place. The girl seriously stuck to me like glue.
I closed my eyes, wishing for the millionth time I could call Cami. I ached to hear her voice again. There was nothing to remind me of her—no pictures, messages, nothing—only the memories in my head. That’s what had saved me so far, lying in bed every night and closing my eyes while I let all the things we’d done together replay in my head.
“How’s my lovesick baby brother?” Chris’s voice asked, and I opened my eyes to find him leaning in the doorway.
I sighed. “Exactly that. Are we done yet?”
He chuckled. “I wish. Your parents and Sheridan send their love. They said to tell you they miss you, and they hope we wrap this thing up soon. I’m guessing you have nothing new to report?”
“Nada,” I replied. “Not one damn thing—still hanging out and getting to know the guys. I’m sick of going to that blasted club.”
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