Page 25 of The Wrong One

“It’s okay to admit you were homesick. I would be.” I shrugged. “I didn’t really have a home here before I left, so I guess I didn’t have much to miss.”

“That’s true,” he said. “But now you’re back and you can make Boston your home.”

I looked up at him and smiled. “Yeah, I think I could do that.”

We finished our meals and sat quietly just enjoying the peacefulness. The sun was warm on my skin, and I felt content.

“Do you want to take a walk around campus?” he asked. “I’m not in any hurry to get back.”

“Sure,” I shrugged with a grin. “You’re the boss.”

He chuckled. “Have you explored the Campus at all?”

I shook my head. “No. I feel like I’m in enemy territory.”

“Ah, because you were a CalTech student.” He grinned.

“Yes.” I nodded. “I have heard a lot about MIT. It feels a little weird to be here.”

“Let me show you around,” he said. “It’s a beautiful place.”

“I’m excited. “Show me the way.”

As we walked around campus, I couldn’t help but admire the beauty of MIT. The buildings were grandiose, the greenery was well-maintained, and everything seemed to be in its perfect place. It was like walking through a luxurious estate that was meant to impress anyone who stepped foot on it.

“Wow,” I breathed. “This is amazing.”

“I know, right?” He grinned at me. “I’ve been here for a while, and I still get amazed every time I walk through here.”

“I can see why,” I said. “Do you have a favorite spot on campus?”

He thought for a second before answering. “I like the rooftop of the Physics building. You get a great view of the city from up there.”

“Really? Can we go up there?” I asked, intrigued.

“Sure,” he said with a smile. “I can show you the way.”

We made our way to the Physics building and took the elevator up to the top floor. From there, we climbed a narrow staircase that led us to a door. He pushed it open, and we stepped out onto the rooftop.

The view was breathtaking. “I bet this is gorgeous at night.”

“I’ve been up here at sunset,” he said. “It’s very pretty.”

We stood in silence for several minutes. For the first time, I compared Cam to Patrick. Cam listened. He didn’t talk over me. He was in the moment. He walked alongside me and just seemed to be very present in the moment. It was strange and good. I enjoyed getting to spend time with him outside of the lab.

Cam had shown me more attention in twenty minutes than Patrick had shown me in a year. When Patrick and I were together, he was never really with me. He was always on his phone or talking about his work.

When we walked together, he was always walking ahead of me, like he couldn’t wait to get away from me. Like he didn’t want to be seen with me. I always chalked it up to his long legs. I always felt like I was sprinting when we walked anywhere together.

Cam was taller than Patrick, but he stayed with me. He met my pace. I didn’t have to run to keep up with him. Cam was very attentive and didn’t seem like he wanted to be anywhere else other than with me.

As I stood there lost in my thoughts, Cam walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder. “You okay?” he asked with a concerned expression.

“I looked up at him and smiled. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking about things.”

“It’s a good place to think about things,” he said.

It probably wasn’t a great place to think about what I was thinking about. I couldn’t possibly be thinking about being interested in a man. I was still reeling from the Patrick situation. I didn’t think I could possibly love anyone ever again. I certainly couldn’t fall in love with Cameron. He was my brother’s best friend. Ramsey had always been very clear I wasn’t allowed to date his friends. When I was in high school and my boobs finally decided to make an appearance, he made it very clear his friends were off limits. I know he told his friends the same thing. There was an unwritten rule that I wasn’t even supposed to look at his friends.

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