10 Years Later by J. Sterling Page B

filled with joy, I stood there and replayed the kiss in my mind until it was burned there, overriding every other kiss that had come before it.

Silently Swooning
    Cammie
    Reaching for my cell phone, I sent Kristy a quick text to tell her I was in the room and wasn’t coming back downstairs. Dalton had left, and to be honest, I’d done enough socializing. I had just gotten comfortable, changed into a pair of boxer shorts and a tank top for bed, when my phone beeped with a response from Kristy.
     
    Kristy : Are you still with Dalton?
    Cammie : Not anymore. He just left.
    Kristy : Then get back down here!
    Cammie : Nah. I’ve had enough fun for one night.
    Kristy : Party pooper. I’ll be up soon.
     
    I told her to take her time as I swept my long hair into a ponytail and started washing the makeup off my face. My cell phone pinged again, alerting me to another text message, and I rolled my eyes, assuming it was Kristy again, hell bent on harassing me until I came back down.
     
    Dalton : This is my number. Make sure you use it. I plan on using yours a lot. That kiss . . . I’ll be dreaming about that kiss until we can do it again. God, Cammie, I’ve really missed you.
     
    Holding my cell in my hand, I stood there staring at his words, grinning like an idiot. I didn’t even know what to say to that, although I wanted to tell him I missed him too, but I felt half-crazy, so I didn’t respond at all. Pressing a couple of buttons, I now had Dalton’s number saved in my phone and, yes, I planned on using it, just not right this second.
    I was two episodes into some reality show I’d never seen before when Kristy barreled into the room. “That was so much fun, Cammie. And I have to pee so effin’ bad, but when I’m done I want to hear everything.” She ran into the bathroom, and I heard the sound of the toilet seat clanging against the porcelain. “And I mean everything about what happened with you and Dalton. I’m dying!” she shouted extra loud so I could hear her over the fan whirring.
    Clicking mute on the television, I bunched the white comforter up around my chest and waited for her to come back out. All of tonight’s revelations needed to be shared with my best friend, and I loved that she wanted to hear them all because I was dying to tell her.
    She ran out, threw her shoes in the corner, and jumped onto my bed with me. “Tell me everything! What happened? Where did you guys go?”
    I grinned, feeling giddy as I filled her in on everything she’d missed.
    “So he’s a cop, huh?” she asked when I finished, biting on her bottom lip.
    “Undercover,” I said to clarify.
    “God, that’s hot. Why is that so hot?”
    I shrugged, unable to come up with an answer. “Right? I thought the exact same thing when he told me.”
    Kristy leaned her head against my arm as we stared at the muted television. “Are you okay with that?”
    “Okay with what?” I asked as I pressed my head against hers.
    “Him being a cop. Doesn’t bother you, does it?”
    Ignoring the small stab of pain in my chest, I said, “I don’t think so. I’m fine with it.”
    “That’s good. I can’t believe he became a cop because of you,” she said softly.
    I almost couldn’t believe it myself. I knew Dalton was telling me the truth, but it still seemed completely surreal the way he had come to my dad’s funeral and remembered what I’d said even now, all these years later.
    “I still can’t believe he was there,” I admitted before inhaling and exhaling a long, deep breath.
    “I don’t remember much about that day, to be honest,” Kristy added, and for some reason that shocked me.
    “You don’t?”
    “Not really. I just remember feeling really sad and super bad for your mom because I’d never seen anyone cry like that before in my life. It was scary, you know?” Her head nudged against mine. “Of course you know. So yeah, I don’t remember much about that day except being there for you. I do remember you