Page 16 of Wild and Bright

With effort, I form a smile on my lips as I turn to him. I’ve been going out of my mind all day waiting for Cam to show up. I hate him for it, because I was too distracted to fully enjoy watching Cadence open her presents. And I took two jobs last month from makeup companies I would never represent under normal circumstances just to save money for her gifts.

It’s now almost two o’clock. I thought for sure he’d be banging on the door the moment the clock struck one, in typical high-handed, control-freak Camden Hayes style.

Maybe he changed his mind. It would make sense if he did.

It was a crazy proposition.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Armaan nods, but he looks like he doesn’t believe me. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

By the sound of his voice, I can tell it’s important, and I’m thankful for the distraction. “What’s going on?”

“So you know how I’m working on making an online store for my edibles?”

“Logan was talking about it the other day, and I’m super excited for you. Your brownies are ungodly delicious, and they give you such a good, relaxing high.”

A wide grin spreads over his face, and it makes my heart clench. Armaan has never shown this kind of enthusiasm over a career before. Like me, he struggled to focus in college, and his poor grades made him the outcast of his accomplished family. That’s why we bonded immediately. I understand his situation in a way Logan never could.

“I’ve got a lot more recipes now than only brownies. This past summer, Leilani basically put me through a whole culinary school, and not to brag, but I’m a hella good baker. Even she thinks so.”

I smile. “And she wouldn’t sugarcoat it.”

“No, she wouldn’t. Anyway, I’m nowhere near ready to launch. It’s weed, you know, so it’s not as simple as making a website and selling my shit. It will probably be six months or even a year before it’s ready—with all the manufacturing and legal shit I have to work through. But I’ve got one investor locked in, and I’m working on another.”

“Damn!” I reach my hand out and slap his thigh. “Look at you. You have an investor? That’s insane.”

“I know right?” His smile is rueful. “I’m like a real adult now.”

I keep my grin fixed, even as my throat grows tight.

I hate myself. Why can’t I be happy for him? Why do the successes of my peers always make me feel like I’m in a bad dream, trying to run toward something and yet unable to move my feet?

“And I want you to do social media for me.”

My eyes widen.

“I want to get started on all of that early. You know—to build momentum before we launch. I wouldn’t be able to pay you much of anything at first, but—”

He halts when the doorbell chimes, and my stomach flips over.

“Is that him?” he asks.

“I’m not sure.” It takes all my willpower to keep myself from running to the front entry.

“It’s Camden!” my mom shouts from the kitchen, obviously looking at the doorbell camera.

My overwhelming relief must be visible on my face, because Armaan chuckles. “I don’t believe you that you think this whole thing is crazy. I think you want to be his mistress.”

I wave a hand in his direction. “I’m only fucking with him.”

He narrows his eyes, his lips quirking at the edges. “Sure you are.”

When I slap his thigh much harder this time, he chuckles. I turn my head in the direction of the hallway, straining my ears to hear my mom’s conversation with Cam. I can’t make out the words, but I catch that her voice is slightly higher than usual. If I weren’t so riled up, I would laugh. Her entire demeanor changes when she’s around handsome men. I can almost see her brows arching and her lips pouting as she makes small talk with Cam, as if he would have any interest in the fifty-nine-year-old mother of his childhood friends. It must be a reflex after so many years of being accustomed to the adoration of men.

I ought to feel sorry for her, but instead, this familiar anger settles over me. This strange, euphoric anger that makes my skin uncomfortably hot even as my stomach flips.

She would die if she knew why he’s here.

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