Page 101 of I Think He Knows?

“Cam, I think you know how I’ve felt about you for a while now.”

“I do,” he says putting his arm around me. “And I was all in from that moment on even though I tried to fight it. I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid. I’ve laid low since my engagement was broken off. It was emotional, and even though I knew we were doing the right thing, it was made more difficult given our families’ dynamics. Dating has been hit or miss for me since then.” He stops and looks down. “And then I met you. And it was always so easy to talk to you. The weekends were so long, and I couldn’t wait for Monday so I could see you.”

Tears are forming in my eyes again. I knew there would be a lot of tears tonight, but I didn’t expect to be having this conversation.

“Most importantly, you never pushed. You gave me the time I needed to realize I could go down this road again.”

“So you knew how I felt all along,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

“I knew,” he says. “And I felt it too…I just wasn’t ready.”

I dab the corners of my eyes with my fingertips.

“I’m sorry. It’s been an emotional night, especially with Mason and Eliza getting engaged.”

He gasps and puts his hand to his forehead.

“Serena, I’m sorry I’m keeping you from them. This is exactly why you wanted to come alone tonight.”

I wrap my hands around his bicep.

“It’s okay. They’ll understand, plus Mason invited you.”

He moves his face closer to mine. “Serena, I want to be with you. Please trust in me, in us.”

Before I can answer, his lips are on mine. I wrap my arms around his neck as he pulls me closer to him. This kiss is different than our previous ones. It feels more intentional and vulnerable. We’ve been vocal about our feelings and the walls are coming down.

When our kiss slows, he touches his forehead to mine. “I need to let you get back to the party.”

I cup his face with my hands. “Will you stay with me?”

“I want to, but I know how important this night is to you and your friends.”

I smile. “Well, Mason called you, so technically you’re his guest.”

He smiles. “Okay. I’ll stay—for Mason.”

I laugh before kissing him one more time, and then we return to the party together.

* * *

Naturally, Cam is a hit at the party. Everyone wants to know who he is, and Eliza’s grandmother especially takes a liking to him. Mason makes a few jokes about the coach replacing him as Grandma’s favorite.

“I guess everything is okay?” Eliza asks.

I smile and nod. “Cam told me he’s liked me all this time.”

Eliza claps her hands excitedly. “I knew it. I could see it when we went to that concert.”

“I still can’t believe Mason called him. Did you know?”

“Not until right before he showed up,” she says. “In the middle of all the excitement of the party and everything else, he whispered he’d invited the coach to come. I didn’t have a chance to ask any questions.”

I shake my head in disbelief. “Mason is full of surprises tonight.”

“He swears he was nice to him,” she adds. “I’ll get all the details later.”

“I asked Cam the same thing, and he said he was mostly nice,” I tell her.

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