Page 28 of Puppy Love

“I didn’t?”

Cam shakes her head, and relief washes over me like a rainstorm, doubt dripping off my body and flowing into the gutter. I don’t like believing people, especially people I barely know. But I can’t force the doubt to return to my body. Cam always says what she’s thinking. She had no trouble voicing her disapproval when I spilled that drink on her dress, nor when I mentioned her car situation yesterday. So really, I have every reason to believe her now.

“Oh good. Because I really thought... Well, I had been kind of working in silence for a while, trying to tidy up around here and I started to think that maybe I did.”

Cam blinks slowly, that shallow dimple deepening with each word that comes from my mouth. She doesn’t say anything, but I know she has something to say. Cameron Miller doesn’t just smile for anyone. It’s hard work, to earn that dimpled dream. I don’t know what I did to deserve it.

“What?” I ask. Cam’s head tilts slightly, her smile fading but not quite entirely.

“What do you mean ‘what’?”

My gaze narrows, like if I squint hard enough, I’ll be able to see through her eyes and into her brain.

“There’s something you’re not saying.”

Cam shakes her head, a smiling scoff slipping through her lips. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. If I have something to say, I say it.”

“That’s how I know.”

Cam’s eyes scan mine, in an almost intimidating way. But I don’t give in. I stare right back, forcing the muscles in my face to harden.

“We can stay here all night, Sparky. I’m not busy.”

And with that comment, Cam breaks. She huffs out a laugh, her gaze dropping mine as she bites the insides of her blushing cheeks.

“You didn’t make me uncomfortable. That’s all.”

After a quiet beat, she glances up at me. I stay stagnant, still not breaking my stare.

“And?”

Another uncomfortable laugh slips through her lips, her tongue pressing against the inside of her lower lip.

“And nothing. That’s it.”

I don’t believe her, not one bit. But I’m also not going to force a confession out of her. If she doesn’t want to tell me what’s on her mind, that’s her decision, and I have to respect it.

“Okay,” I nod, turning back to the shelves. I adjust the bottles in front of me, even though they’re already lined up. “I liked that about you, but if you don’t want to tell me, that’s just fine.”

Out of the corner of my eye, Cam’s brows furrow, her arms crossing over her chest. I fight back a smile as I keep pretending to straighten out gallons of chemicals.

“Liked what?”

I shrug, still staring forward.

“What, Violet?” she repeats, this time more desperate. My lips twitch up, and I’m forced to look at her.

“That you always say what’s on your mind,” I say casually. “But I guess there’s times you can’t. I mean, if I said everything I thought, there’d definitely be a problem.”

I chuckle, shaking my head at the thought, but Cam’s brows raise. She steps closer to me.

“Like what?” she asks, her lips parted just slightly. My quiet laughter stops abruptly when my eyes land onto hers. A tightening forms in my chest as I fall into those dark brown eyes. I suck in a breath.

“Nothing. I just meant—”

“No,“ Cam says firmly. “You can’t try to persuade me to tell you what’s on my mind when you won’t tell me what’s on yours.”

“I didn’t say there was something on my mind.”

---