Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 84200 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84200 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
“No,” I say truthfully. “But I will be. One day.”
He nods again. “I’m not okay either.”
It’s difficult not to throw myself at him, but I’m very confused as to why he’s here. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he replies, and for the first time, the curve of a smile appears. “I’ve already taken steps to rectify the situation.”
His tone hedges on playful and a tiny kernel of hope blooms within me. “Oh yeah? What did you do?”
“Stood up in front of the entire team after the Phantoms game and told them that I had been seeing you.”
My eyes flare and my mouth hangs open. “You did?”
One side of his mouth lifts higher than the other, popping a dimple. “Yeah… in hindsight, it’s quite embarrassing, but the feedback was beyond positive.”
“And what exactly was the feedback?”
Camden steps closer. “One hundred percent well wishes with one unknown voice from the back threatening to kick my ass if I hurt you.”
I drop my gaze so he can’t see my responding smile because I’m not sure I’m ready to buy into his charm yet. However, I’m forced to look up when I feel his fingers on my chin. “I’d already hurt you, though, so the warning was a little late.”
I shake my head. “You did what was best for you.”
“I did what was best for a coward, not what was best for me. But like I said… I rectified that. The entire team knows how I feel about you, and there are only two more things I need to do.”
He’s trying to rectify a poor choice? My throat is dry, voice raspy. “Two things?”
“The first… the most important… is to apologize and ask you to give me another shot. You said you’d be waiting if I changed my mind, so I’m hoping in the last few days you haven’t found yourself another feller.”
I can’t help but giggle. “Feller?”
“I’m trying to be charming,” he says, moving all the way into me and taking me by the hips. “But seriously… I’m ready to jump all in with you, Danica. It was stupid of me to have those fears.”
“No.” I shake my head furiously. “I understand where you were coming from.”
Camden bends his head to get closer to me. “Of course you do. Because you’re amazing and I want to be like you when I grow up.”
“The fact that you’re standing here in front of me right now means you’re kind of amazing too.”
His hands move from my hips to my face, and he dips a little closer. Beautiful eyes lock onto mine. “You and I have a tether between us. The crash bonds us in a way no two people would want to be bonded, and yet I cannot imagine my life without you. I’m falling in love with you, Danica, and I don’t want to hide it anymore. I sort of want to scream it, actually.”
“I’m falling in love with you too,” I reply as I close my eyes briefly. When I open them, I admit, “I might even already be there. I can’t remember what it was like to come to that realization. It was such a slow build with Mitch over many years.” I wait for him to tense up but he only smiles in understanding. “With you, I’m sucked into a tempest of emotions and it feels volatile and wonderful all at once.”
“I’ve never been in love before. I only know I’ve never felt this way about anyone. I never imagined I could ever feel this way. You’re the first thing I think about when I wake up, the last thing I think about before I close my eyes, and there are a million times more in between. When I’m near you, I feel like I’m about to come out of my skin and at the same time, when you touch me, I’m so at peace, I don’t think anything can bother me. I don’t know if that’s what love is, but it should be.”
Tears truly sting now and I blink them back. “I think you know exactly what love is.”
I expect a kiss but to my dismay, Camden lifts his head to look at something behind me, only to give me his regard again. “All the hockey parents are watching us.”
“Oh God,” I say, starting to fall into him… to bury my embarrassment in his chest.
His hands cupping my cheeks don’t let me move, though, and instead, he tips my face to kiss me. His lips are soft, his tongue gentle as he makes me see stars.
When he pulls back, he asks, “Am I forgiven?”
“For what?” I ask numbly, my lips still tingling.
His roguish smile tells me he finds me amusing and his lips on my forehead say he loves that about me.
Camden pulls away as some of the kids come out of the locker room, meeting up with their parents and walking out. Taking my hand, Camden says, “One more thing to do.”