Page 39 of Wild and Bright

My lips part. “You mean watch me make a video?”

“Yeah. I’ve seen so many of them, it’d be cool to see how you do it.”

I stare at him, unable to speak.

No one has ever asked me that before. No one has ever shown the slightest interest in my work—even the people who love me the most—and it feels like the fleeting warmth of the sun on a cold, windy day at the beach.

I’m going to become a sad, pathetic person if I can’t get this under control.

I force a smile. “I’m pretty much finished. I was mostly staying in here to avoid you.”

His smile fades. “I’m sorry. I was out of line earlier.”

“Yeah, you’re a control freak.”

He sighs heavily. “I know. Believe me, I know. People say it all the time. Everyone I work with, but Hunter and Janie especially, because they’re affected by it the most. They’re the people closest to me.” He meets my gaze. “But now that’s you, and it’s going to take some getting used to.”

“I can be patient, but you really need to work on it. I just left a dictatorship behind. I’m not going to live under another one.”

“I don’t want that, either. I want you to be comfortable here. I promise I’ll try my hardest. Besides Hunter and Janie, I haven’t shared a space with anyone since the first few months I lived in Brooklyn, and I was an asshole to him. Fuck…” He shuts his eyes. “I’m an asshole to everyone, and I don’t mean to be.”

A small smile lifts my lips. “I can meet you halfway. I’ll try to stay out of your way as much as I can. It’ll be easy since this house is so—”

“I don’t want that.” His voice is hard, and it makes my stomach flip.

“But that’s what you said.”

“It is what I said, but that was only because I thought you would distract me from my work. But I’ve found you distract me no matter what. Even when I’m not around you, you distract me.”

Heat pools in my belly at the intensity of his dark gaze. “I’m sorry,” I say, but I’m not sorry in the least.

“Can we… I don’t know. Hang out right now. Watch a movie or something?”

I smile. “Of course. Full warning, I’ll probably fall asleep. I’m a mom now. Movies and TV shows are nap time for me.”

A fond smile touches his lips. “They were nap time for you even when we were younger, and I don’t mind. I don’t know what it is…” His smile fades, and his brow furrows. “I’ve always loved being around you, even when we aren’t talking.”

It’s too much, and I can’t stand one more second of it, so I lower my gaze to my lap. “That’s strange since you’ve avoided me for years.”

“You know why I did.”

“Yes.” I sigh heavily before meeting his eyes. “Cam, we need to talk about that night. It’s this huge elephant in the room, and—”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

I smile tightly. “Okay. Go put something on, and I’ll come join you when I’m done cleaning all of this up. And please pick something brainless like Real Housewives. I don’t like having to think when I watch TV.”

He looks shocked, as if he expected me to press him.

Maybe he wanted me to.

ELEVEN

Lauren

Even control freaks can change.

Twenty-three years of living with my mother led me to believe otherwise, making this last month with Camden seem almost blissful in comparison. He ought to thank Helen Henderson for lowering my expectations.

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