Page 6 of Caught in the Middle

“Here’s your food,” their waiter said, having approached out of nowhere with two giant plates. “Be careful, they’re hot.” He sat everything down. “Is there anything else I can get you?”

They both shook their heads no, offering their thanks before he set off again.

Emma looked down at her massive load of shrimp ravioli, a huge grin spreading across her face as she inhaled its delicious scent. “You’re heaven-sent,” she purred, picking up her fork.

She had heard Cam place the order for her and he’d received her nod of approval, but taking in her vibrant smile and the sheer joy radiating from her–something he’d been noticing she encompassed all night–he couldn’t help but feel a spark of pride. He liked putting that smile on her face, even if it was by merely ordering her dinner.

As he cut into his steak, also appreciative of her selection, he prodded her to keep going. “So you were worried it’d make you look like you were still hung up on him or something?” he asked.

“Yes and no,” she supplied between bites. “I was afraid it’d make me look bad, I guess.” She took another bite before continuing. “I didn’t want him or anyone to think that I was petty and unable to be an adult about it.”

Cam could see her point. “But why is he going?”

This was the part Emma was dreading facing all week. She sat down her utensils and looked across the table at Cam, his blue eyes genuine, and the way he was looking at her sent an unwelcome fluttering down her spine. She reached across the table and grabbed his old-fashioned before tilting it back and drinking down a big gulp. If he was phased, it only showed by the small lift of one side of his mouth.

“Because he’s dating my best friend’s little sister.”

“Shit.” He didn’t mean to say it out loud, but yeah, that sucked. He pushed the glass back toward her. They both laughed before she picked it up for another drink.

“So let me get this straight,” Cam started. “Your ex dumped you, then started dating your best friend’s little sister, and now you have to spend the weekend with them?”

She nodded but clarified. “We leave this weekend but it’s a week-long vacation. And technically he proposed to me before dumping me.”

He gave her a look that said she couldn’t leave him hanging on that piece of information. Emma groaned, her hands covering her face before rubbing down the front of it. Cam laughed as she slumped back against her seat and explained further.

“We’d been together a couple of years and then eight months ago, he got this bright idea to propose.”

“You weren’t expecting it?” Cam asked.

“I don’t know.” She massaged her temples. “Like I know that we were in a serious relationship and it was always a possibility, but we’d never actually discussed it. Don’t couples talk about that sort of thing first?”

Cam shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never wanted to propose to someone before, but I think I’d only do it if I knew the answer was going to be yes. Then again, I used to be friends with a guy who only proposed because he was feeling threatened after his girlfriend dumped him and caught the attention of another man.”

Emma perked up in interest. “What happened there?”

“Long story short is that she ended up with the other guy and is happily married and they’re pregnant with their first.” He saw a twinkle in her eye as he told her.

“Good for her,” Emma said.

“So what happened with you and Asher after he proposed?” He brought them back to her story.

“Ugh,” she said, once again slumping back. “I said I wasn’t ready and needed time, which led to him saying that if we were going to take time then it needed to be apart. So he moved his belongings out and crashed at a friend’s.”

“Were you still talking?”

“At first, but it was hard since we weren’t living together anymore.” Emma picked up her fork realizing she’d better finish eating before her pasta went cold. One thing she couldn’t stand reheated was shrimp. “We’d both be so busy with work, so without automatically seeing one another at night it was different. Slowly the communication faded out.”

“Were you sad?” The question came out before he thought twice about it. Emma was so easy to talk to that he felt like he could say or ask her anything. It was as though he’d known her a long time.

She looked up at him, once again noticing those piercing blue eyes, as if he could see deep down within her most secret corners. “Honestly, no,” she admitted. “It was almost a relief once I realized we hadn’t spoken in weeks. I had been drowning in guilt over not saying yes, that the silence felt freeing.”

Wow, he thought. He’d never gone through something like that.

“Two months later, I saw Lauren, my best friend’s little sister, posting a selfie of them on social media. She’s a big lifestyle influencer, so she’s always posting her life and updates,” she said. “Talk about a shocker.”

“No kidding. I couldn’t imagine. Are you close with her?”

“I mean, yeah. Growing up, she was always around. Like I said, they were like a second family. We were never best friends whenever we were younger, but we still all went shopping together and hung out. As we all got older, the three of us felt like sisters and still do.”

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