Page 44 of Just Like This
Chapter Eighteen
Garrett
Iwoke up alone, whichwasn’t unusual, but for the past few mornings, Cami’s warm, naked body was sprawled next out next to me. We made this bed and the guest house our sanctuary. But rather than her trademark jasmine, I smelled something sweet. Cami was in the kitchen. I winced as I sat up and looked down at my stomach. There was still an ugly purple bruise from Palmer’s blow, but both the discoloration and the pain would be gone by the time I deployed. I pulled on my boxer briefs and padded out into the living room where my T-shirt was piled on the floor. I tossed it on and then followed my nose. One look at the calendar as I passed by it on the way to the kitchen reminded me that I was about to be expelled from Eden. Deployment day loomed uncomfortably close.
Cami looked gorgeous, her wild curls glowing like a halo from the sun streaming through the windows. She wore a black tank top and a pair of tight-fitting shorts that made me think lots of dirty thoughts. I resisted the urge to drag her down to the tiled floor when she turned, clutching a white mixing bowl, and beamed at me.
“Good morning,” I greeted her, shuffling into the kitchen. The countertops were cluttered with bags of flour and sugar and cartons of eggs and milk. And also a container of sprinkles. “What are you doing?”
“Making you pancakes. You missed out the last time,” she said. The last time she’d offered to make pancakes had ended in disaster. “Have a seat. Do you want coffee?” Cami pointed toward the countertop where a few stools rested underneath.
“Coffee would be great, thank you.” I pulled out a stool just as she set a mug in front of me. I eyed it skeptically; it had a pretty floral pattern with birds but proclaimed, “Good morning, asshole.”
She grinned as she poured coffee from a French press into my cup. I watched her move capably around the kitchen. This was her space, and it made her happy. She hummed as she poured pancake batter onto a hot griddle. In minutes, I had a plate stacked high with fluffy homemade pancakes that were speckled with colorful sprinkles.
“Confetti pancakes,” she informed me with a huge grin. “My specialty.”
I felt guilty eating while she cleaned up, so I begged her to sit and eat with me. I listened as she talked aimlessly about learning how to bake from her grandmother. “Whenever my mom would take me out exploring, we always ended up at a bakery. I was fascinated by the display cases full of gorgeous cakes or perfect pastries. Sometimes, they’d show me how to make something if I asked.”
“Did you go to culinary school?”
“No. I’m entirely self-taught. But the Graysons had a friend in Seattle who was a pastry chef for a hotel. She hired me a year after I graduated from high school, and I worked my way up from there.”
Cami made it sound easy, but you didn’t end up owning a condo in a slick high-rise in the middle of downtown Seattle through luck. She was being modest, which made me love her even more.
“Do you have plans today?” I asked her. I wasn’t foolish enough to think that she’d drop everything for me just because I was leaving in a few days. She still had a life to live.
“Well, actually …” Her voice trailed off as she looked anxiously at the front door of the guest house. Seconds later, the door opened, and a familiar voice called out.
“Cami?” It was Palmer. What the fuck was he doing here? I looked at Cami who had a guilty look in her eye.
“In the kitchen,” she called out, keeping her eyes locked on me. “I’m sorry, but this needs to be solved right now.”
“Do I smell confetti pancakes?” Palmer asked walking into the kitchen. He hadn’t seen me yet, but when he did, his easy demeanor disappeared. “What the hell, Cami!”
I stood, ready to act, but Cami held up a hand. Suddenly, I wished she had on more clothes than just a tiny tank top and skintight shorts.
“Palmer, this is getting ridiculous,” she told him. “I thought you understood how I felt, but I guess I was wrong. You need to apologize to Garrett.”
“Nope. Cami, this has nothing to do with you,” he told her, but she wasn’t buying it.
Cami rolled her eyes and sighed. “Spare me. This has everything to do with me, and you'll apologize right the fuck now, or our friendship is over.”
Palmer looked at her as if she wasn’t serious, but it was easy to tell that she was. So I took the lead and apologized again. “Palmer, I knew how you felt about Cami, but I pushed your feelings aside. I thought I was doing the right thing by talking to you before making a move, but I guess I should have waited longer. I’m sorry that you were hurt.”
Cami shot me a look that said “Really?” before turning her attention back to Palmer. She tapped her bare foot impatiently until he shifted uncomfortably and sighed heavily.
“Fine, Cami. I’m sorry, Garrett.”
I could tell Cami wasn’t appeased. “Okay. Bye, Palmer,” she said, pushing him toward the door.
“What the fuck? What do you want from me?” The moment Palmer raised his voice, I was up and between him and Cami. I backed him against the wall with my forearm pressed lightly against his chest.
“Apologize to her right now, asshole, or we’re done for good,” I growled.
Cami’s hand was gently tugging on my arm, and when I faced her, I could see that instead of anger, she was disappointed. I released him, but he only had a moment to get himself together before Hurricane Cami stepped in.
“What do I want from you, Palmer? I want you to act like a fucking man and apologize to your best friend for not only physically assaulting him but for also acting like a jealous asshole. And then I want you to apologize to me not only for yelling at me just now but for treating me like your property. You had no right to do what you did because you and I have never been a thing. How many times do I have to tell you that the only thing I want with you is friendship?”
