That’s not true.
I’ve seen the texts she sends you. You were talking to a real person!”
“Yeah, my cousin, Shannon, agreed to play the
part to help me out. Nothing like getting a little lovin ’
from a relative, is there?”
I was going to be sick. “Why would you do that?
Why not just tell me how you felt?”
“So I could go through the humiliation I’m
experiencing right now? Gee, I don’t know . . . let me think!”
He shook his head in frustration. “You claim you know me, but you couldn’t even
see what was most important to me—you! I’ve done everything I could think
of to make you notice. Just when I thought I was finally getting through, then
Hunter comes riding up on his white horse and snatches you up and carries you
off into the sunset. I waited too long.”
He dropped back down mournfully beside me,
sliding his hand up my arm, over my shoulder, until he slipped it around behind
my neck. “Please, pick me instead, Cami. Let me be the one who holds you in his
arms and stares at you like that. I love you. I have for a long, long time.”
I was frozen by his declaration, glancing at my
clasped hands as I fumbled with what I should say. I looked up just in time to
see his lips before they pressed against mine. He slipped his hands to both sides
of my face, holding me there until I pushed him away.
“Please, Cami,” he pleaded with tears in his
eyes. “I’ve wanted you for so long.”
I looked at him, feeling tears of my own and
wishing there was something I could say to make him feel better. “I can’t,
Clay. You’ve been my very best friend, but I don’t feel that way about you. I’d
still like you in my life, but I think maybe it would be best if we spent some
time apart from each other for a while. There’s a girl out there for you
somewhere. It’s just not me.” I stood, my heart twisting in knots. “Sorry. I’ll
call you if I want to talk.”
I walked away, unable to look back and see the
devastation I knew was written on his face.
“I don’t want another girl, Cami!” he called
after me.
I burst into tears and started running.
Chapter
Thirteen
Hunter-
He kissed her! Kissed her ! That made me want to rearrange
his face. Feelings of possessiveness welled up, causing a great amount of anger
to roll through me, though I didn’t really have time to analyze.
Cool it,
man, the sane, rational voice in
my head instructed. I tried tapping into that inner place I went when I needed
to calm down. I lifted the camera and zoomed in again, snapping a few more
pictures of Clay as he stood and kicked the giant mat when Cami ran away. He
reached into his pocket, pulled something out, and paused, looking at it. I
couldn’t tell what it was, but I took another shot hoping I could catch it.
He was certainly exhibiting signs of repressed
anger. It scared me a little, wondering if the cracks were starting to show in
his carefully maintained demeanor. I didn’t want to jump to any
conclusions—things really could be exactly as they appeared—but I
thought maybe I should keep a better eye on him. I didn’t want him hurting Cami
in any way.
I struggled with the idea of rushing to check
on her as she came barreling by my hiding spot. I started reaching for her but
then changed my mind when I heard her sobs. She was obviously upset, and I
didn’t think she needed me mixing up her feelings even more. She could probably
use a few moments to compose herself.
Watching her, I waited until she was safely
deposited in the bathroom just inside the back glass doors of the main building
before I made my way over to the exterior entrance to the photo lab. The bell
was about to ring, and most of the students were back gathering up their
belongings. I took my camera and slipped into the dark room, hoping no one
would notice. I made sure there were four bins set up with the different
developing chemicals, and I locked the door, activating the red light.
Pulling out my film, I set
I’ve seen the texts she sends you. You were talking to a real person!”
“Yeah, my cousin, Shannon, agreed to play the
part to help me out. Nothing like getting a little lovin ’
from a relative, is there?”
I was going to be sick. “Why would you do that?
Why not just tell me how you felt?”
“So I could go through the humiliation I’m
experiencing right now? Gee, I don’t know . . . let me think!”
He shook his head in frustration. “You claim you know me, but you couldn’t even
see what was most important to me—you! I’ve done everything I could think
of to make you notice. Just when I thought I was finally getting through, then
Hunter comes riding up on his white horse and snatches you up and carries you
off into the sunset. I waited too long.”
He dropped back down mournfully beside me,
sliding his hand up my arm, over my shoulder, until he slipped it around behind
my neck. “Please, pick me instead, Cami. Let me be the one who holds you in his
arms and stares at you like that. I love you. I have for a long, long time.”
I was frozen by his declaration, glancing at my
clasped hands as I fumbled with what I should say. I looked up just in time to
see his lips before they pressed against mine. He slipped his hands to both sides
of my face, holding me there until I pushed him away.
“Please, Cami,” he pleaded with tears in his
eyes. “I’ve wanted you for so long.”
I looked at him, feeling tears of my own and
wishing there was something I could say to make him feel better. “I can’t,
Clay. You’ve been my very best friend, but I don’t feel that way about you. I’d
still like you in my life, but I think maybe it would be best if we spent some
time apart from each other for a while. There’s a girl out there for you
somewhere. It’s just not me.” I stood, my heart twisting in knots. “Sorry. I’ll
call you if I want to talk.”
I walked away, unable to look back and see the
devastation I knew was written on his face.
“I don’t want another girl, Cami!” he called
after me.
I burst into tears and started running.
Chapter
Thirteen
Hunter-
He kissed her! Kissed her ! That made me want to rearrange
his face. Feelings of possessiveness welled up, causing a great amount of anger
to roll through me, though I didn’t really have time to analyze.
Cool it,
man, the sane, rational voice in
my head instructed. I tried tapping into that inner place I went when I needed
to calm down. I lifted the camera and zoomed in again, snapping a few more
pictures of Clay as he stood and kicked the giant mat when Cami ran away. He
reached into his pocket, pulled something out, and paused, looking at it. I
couldn’t tell what it was, but I took another shot hoping I could catch it.
He was certainly exhibiting signs of repressed
anger. It scared me a little, wondering if the cracks were starting to show in
his carefully maintained demeanor. I didn’t want to jump to any
conclusions—things really could be exactly as they appeared—but I
thought maybe I should keep a better eye on him. I didn’t want him hurting Cami
in any way.
I struggled with the idea of rushing to check
on her as she came barreling by my hiding spot. I started reaching for her but
then changed my mind when I heard her sobs. She was obviously upset, and I
didn’t think she needed me mixing up her feelings even more. She could probably
use a few moments to compose herself.
Watching her, I waited until she was safely
deposited in the bathroom just inside the back glass doors of the main building
before I made my way over to the exterior entrance to the photo lab. The bell
was about to ring, and most of the students were back gathering up their
belongings. I took my camera and slipped into the dark room, hoping no one
would notice. I made sure there were four bins set up with the different
developing chemicals, and I locked the door, activating the red light.
Pulling out my film, I set
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