Page 98 of Off Balance

Cam walks through the main doors to the theater, looking down at his phone. When he looks up, he gasps.

"Mom? Dwayne?! Oh my God!" Cameron's eyes immediately fill with tears as he launches himself into his parents' arms. "What are you doing here?!" he cries, hugging them tight. We're loving LA, but living this far away from family is definitely something that will be hard to get used to.

"Dom invited us," Cora says, smiling softly at me.

She and I have come to an understanding ever since that night at the hospital. She understands that I love her son fiercely, and that I'd do anything for him. When I asked for her blessing, she gave it freely—after promising that I won't agree to anymore stupid fights, or let anyone make Cameron feel like he isn't the most amazing human being on earth.

"And by invited, he means sent us plane tickets and didn't give us a choice." Dwayne snarks.

My brother and I have made up. There have been a few awkward moments where he's been forced to witness Cam and me flirting, or accidentally walked in on us in a compromising position.Hello, knock much?He still thinks I'm too old for Cam and reminds me of it often. But he likes that we support each other, and that we're both so obviously content. He's let go of the idea that Cam might be a passing phase and has come to terms with our relationship as a permanent reality.

"That was my idea," Antoni interjects. "I knew you'd try to stay home and work, even though we both know your manager is capable of handling everything for a few days."

"Oh, yeah?" Dwayne says sarcastically. "Where's your husband, by the way?"

"Milan, why?

"No reason," Dwayne says, laughing, and pulls him in for a hug.

"I can't believe you're here! Did you like the show?"

"Cami, it was wonderful! It was so different, and I mean that in a really, really good way."

"You're getting a lot of time in those toe shoes, yeah?" Dwayne says, and I'm proud that he noticed. Part of the exhibition includes a five dancer chorus of all men in pointe shoes. It's a really impressive show and perhaps my favorite outside of Cam's solo.

"I really love LA," Cameron admits.

He catches up with his parents for a few more minutes before noticing that I haven't joined them. In fact, I've backed a few steps further down the aisle, hoping to lure Cameron away. Smirking, he finally approaches.

"I hope you're not trying to run off and hide behind the curtains still," he says. "It might be a little obvious."

"Meh," I say, shrugging my shoulders. Watching him laugh, seeing the twinkle in his eyes when he's happy like this—I might like it even more than watching him dance.

"Actually, I have something else for you."

Swallowing nervously, I turn and walk towards the stage, keeping Cam's hand in mine. There's a curtained area off to the side of the stage, and a small set of stairs that leads to the main stage. I pause behind the curtains and pull him to me, palming his ass in those salacious leggings of his that will never fail to turn me on. It doesn't matter that he wears them every day, his ass and package are goddamn perfection in these things.

Ugh. I have to let him go. Why did I invite people for this, again? If I'd been smarter, I could have done this naked. Asking him to marry me while he's bouncing on my cock, or balls deep inside me?Now that's a proposal.

But here we are.

"Quit distracting me," I say, slapping his butt to get him to move ahead of me. I need to readjust before I frighten his mom.

Cam walks out on stage and waves to his parents awkwardly, having no idea why we're up here.

I give Antoni a signal, and he starts the music.

Wrapping my arm around Cam from behind, I start to sway with him. Sometimes, when he'd practice this choreography at the gym studio, he'd make me do some of it with him. It was silly, and I always botched it. I'm botching it now, even though I've been practicing for weeks. Cam, however, remembers it all seamlessly. And when he turns into my arms, I hold on to him, lifting him and then gazing up at him like I did the day Dwayne and I showed him the studio. Back then, I was shocked at my feelings, confused, but also obsessed. I'm just as obsessive these days, but I have zero doubts when it comes to Cameron Stevens.

He stares down at me, then slowly slides down my body. Unlike that day, I take advantage of having him so close and kiss him. Ikiss him for long enough that throats clear and I remember, once again, that we aren't alone.

"The first time I saw you, you were on stage. And I knew… something. I didn't know what it was at the time, but I was lost in you. You became the center of my dreams, my fantasies, all my thoughts. I was fucking obsessed with you, in a way that should have creeped you out more than it did."

Cam giggles. "If you weren't so damn hot, it might have been."

Antoni snorts and sing-songs, "Daddy issues!" in a voice that pretends he's trying to be quiet when he's really not.

"I don't have any issues withthisDaddy," Cam snarks back. Dwayne coughs. Cora covers a laugh.

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