Page 137 of Not That Into You

“Come on.” He rests a hand on my back as we walk back toward my dad. “We’ll talk later.”

A few hours later, after Cameron has sat quietly next to me and held my hand, after he’s run out to get doughnuts and sandwiches and coaxed my usually reticent father into discussing naturally aspirated engines versus forced induction engines, we finally get word my mother’s surgery went well. She’ll be ready to go home soon.

I hug my father, his relief melting into my own.

The doctor said we could visit my mother in the recovery room, but as much as I want to see her, I know I need a moment alone with Cameron.

I squeeze my dad’s hand. “You go ahead. I’ll wait for you both out here.”

My dad nods and then disappears behind the double doors.

Turning to Cameron, I try to gather my thoughts. So many emotions are swirling within me, I don’t know what I’m feeling, aside from the obvious relief that my mother will be okay.

Cameron’s presence was surprisingly comforting. I felt steadier. But as much as my heart warms at his presence, it doesn’t change that he lied to me, that he chose Vanessa.

I look at him uncertainly. “My mother’s going to come out soon.”

“I know.”

“I have to be with my parents.”

“I know.” He cups my face. “I’m heading back to New York tonight. I’m not going to impose on your parents or you. But I wanted to be here for you today.”

“You’re going back tonight?” I tamp down the disappointment pooling in my chest. I mean, I want him to leave. This is good. I need space to figure things out.

“Yeah. You need to be with your family.”

I nod.

He slips his hands into his pockets and takes a deep breath. “Monica, I’m sorry about the other night.”

Swallowing, I fold my arms across my chest. “You said you were going solo.”

“I know.”

“You lied.”

His shoulders droop. “I know it seems that way, but I didn’t.”

I scoff.

He gives me a pleading look. “When I asked you to go with me, my plan was to go solo if you weren’t available.” He presses his lips together. “But then the next day, I talked to Vanessa, and she was going to the dinner anyway, so we decided to go together.”

I narrow my gaze, considering. If he’s telling the truth, that doesn’t sound as bad as I assumed. I can understand why two people who are both planning to go to an event would decide to go together. And that would have been fine, except when I showed up, their body language had seemed more intimate than friendly.

“It looked as if the two of you were more than friends.”

He frowns. “It wasn’t a date. Nothing happened between us. We just went as friends.”

I don’t actually think there’s anything romantic going on between Cameron and Vanessa, if just because they haven’t had enough time to stoke any romantic fires. But I can’t get past the image of Cameron keeping Vanessa close to his side with his arm around her, his hand on her bare back.

“It may not have been a date to you, but it looked as if you were trying to project you and Vanessa were a couple.”

He tilts his head. “What do you mean?”

“Come on, Cameron. Our weekend in the Hamptons wasn’t that long ago. You wanted everybody to think I was your girlfriend, and so you kept me by your side, you had your arm wrapped around my waist, you said I needed to get comfortable with your touch to be convincing. And at the Coronet dinner, you were doing the same thing. Was Vanessa filling the role of fake girlfriend the other night? Was she my understudy?” I take a shaky breath. “Or am I hers?”

He steps toward me. “Monica...”

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