Page 58 of Stray for You

“Miss Ortiz, I…” I stumble, and have to pause in order to gather myself. I’ve never felt so unsure. “Miss Ortiz, I’ve been seeing Cameron. That’s actually… He’s why I’m here. I was intown for a conference a couple weeks ago, and we met up, and… Well, anyway, I came back to see him again. And … and I think I love him.”

Silence greets my fumbling speech. I didn’t have a plan going into this conversation, and my heart is fluttering like a hummingbird as what I just said sinks in. Love him. I love him. Of course I do.

“Julian, are you still there?”

“Y-yes, yes, I’m here.”

“Are you alright? You sound panicky.”

I laugh dryly. “I don’t know.”

“Okay,” Miss Ortiz says slowly, “well, I appreciate you calling and telling me this, but I do have to ask what this has to do with me. Does Cameron know how you feel?”

“Maybe? I’m not sure. I thought so, but last night we… We started talking, and I asked him if we could keep seeing each other. He seemed reluctant. He said … something about me hurting you.”

This time, the silence comes from Miss Ortiz’s end of the line.

“I see,” she says eventually.

“This doesn’t sound like it’s news to you.”

“No, I’m afraid it’s not.”

Her sigh turns the connection into static for a moment. Her exasperation offers the first shred of hope I have felt since last night.

“Cameron … struggled with his father leaving,” she says. “We both did, but I think it hit him harder than me. I knew Ken was an asshole, but I tried to hide it from Cameron. I thought we could work it out. At worst, I never thought he’d up and leave his own son that way. Cameron was completely blind-sided. We were always close, but ever since then… I think he’s just scared.”

“I know,” I say softly. “But what if his fear holds him back? What if it keeps him from having a life?”

“Oh, honey,” Miss Ortiz says. “You really do love him, don’t you?”

Emotion closes up my throat. “I think I do, but I don’t know how to get him to trust me. He blames me for whatever happened between you and my mom, and I can’t seem to convince him otherwise.”

For a while, Miss Ortiz is quiet. I hang my head, fearing even she doesn’t see a way through this. Then at last she speaks again:

“I have an idea.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Cameron

THE TEXT COMES IN near the end of my café shift.

Are you free tonight? I need help with something.

I sigh at my phone. Mom’s timing could not be much worse. Things have turned horrifically awkward between Julian and I ever since that conversation last night. He says he’s fine, but I heard him tossing and turning all night. I’ve been anxious all day, sure there’s an uncomfortable conversation waiting for me at home, and Mom’s request is only going to make it worse. I’m sure the last thing Julian wants to hear is that I have another obligation tonight. It might even sound to him like I’m stalling.

There isn’t much I can do about it. I’m not going to tell my mother no. I haven’t told her that Julian is here, so as far as she knows, this is any other week for me. I have no credible excuse.

I text back to tell her I can swing by after work. Before I lose my nerve, I quickly send Julian a similar text explaining that my mom needs help with something and I’ll be home a little later than I thought. Several minutes pass, and he doesn’t respond.

My stomach twists itself into knots. This whole trip is getting worse and worse. At first, this felt like a dream. I couldn’t believe how easy it was being with him, playing house for a week. Things slid off course so quickly I didn’t have time to fix it before it crumbled.

I go to rub at the headache burgeoning in my temples when a warm, furry presence butts against my arm. I look down tofind Tux strutting brazenly across the counter of the coffee bar. He rumbles as he butts into my arm again, his little black head rubbing against me.

I give into his entreaties and pet him. I pet all the way from his head down his back to the white tip on his black tail. The rumbles deepen, an occasional higher pitched chirp breaking through. He even flops onto his side and offers me his soft, white belly.

“You’ve got a spirit animal,” River comments as he emerges from the backroom. His yoga class finished a few minutes ago and he disappeared back there to change before leaving.

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