Page 68 of The Wrong One

“Have you told him that?” Caroline asked.

“I haven’t really gotten a chance to talk to him,” I said. “I tried and he walked out. I’ve called and left a few messages, but he wants nothing to do with me. I do want to be with Cam, but I don’t know if I can do this. Ramsey is my family.”

“I vote you keep seeing Cam and let Ramsey figure it out,” Emmy said. “I know how stubborn he can be. I think he’s butthurt you guys didn’t tell him, but deep down, he has to see you guys are good together. If Cam makes you happy, that’s all that matters.”

“I hope I can make him see that, but I’m not sure Cam can deal with it,” I said. “He hates that he might have lost Ramsey. I know he will ultimately leave me if it means I can be welcomed back into my brother’s arms. He’ll take the hit. He’ll lose me and his best friend in order for me to be happy.”

“Do you think you might want to marry this guy?” Lena asked.

I cringed. “I don’t think I even want to think about marriage right now. I know we’re moving fast. I jumped from one to the next. I know what I have with Cam is real, but I’m not trying to run down to the altar. I could see us getting there, but I didn’t want to rush things. I rushed things with Patrick and that was bad. It didn’t end well.”

“Cam is different,” Emmy said. “You’re different. You’ve learned. You’ve known Cam forever. I think you’ve found your man. I hope you guys can figure a way to make it work without losing your brother.”

“It’s not just Ramsey,” I said. “I miss Lily. I don’t want him to ban me from seeing her. I missed out on a lot when I was in California. Now that I’m back, I want to spend as much time with her as I can.”

“Your brother will come around,” Caroline insisted. “He has to.”

I wanted to believe that, but I wasn’t so sure. I went back to my apartment that night to find Marmalade waiting for me on the fire escape. I gave him a little food and sat in the chair to talk with the cat for a while. He was my feline diary. I told him everything.

“Marmalade, please tell me everything is going to be okay. Tell me my brother will talk to me again.”

The cat looked at me with its large green eyes, and meowed softly. I sighed and leaned back in my chair. It was a clear night, and the sky was filled with sparkling constellations. But my mind was clouded with worries and doubts.

I thought about Cam, and how much I loved him. He was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. But at what cost? Would I have to sacrifice my relationship with Ramsey, my own flesh and blood, just to be with the man I loved? It wasn’t fair, but life rarely was.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to clear my thoughts. And that was when I heard a faint knock on my door. I opened my eyes and saw Cam standing there, looking hesitant.

“Hey,” he said softly. “Can I come in?”

I nodded and he entered my apartment, closing the door behind him. We stood there for a moment, looking at each other, before Cam took a step forward and pulled me into a tight embrace.

“I miss you,” he whispered into my ear. “I hate that we have to sneak around like this.”

“I know,” I said, hugging him back. “But I’m willing to do whatever it takes to be with you.”

Cam pulled away slightly and looked into my eyes. “I want to be with you too, but I don’t want to cause any more problems with your family.”

“I know. We’ll figure it out. We have to. I can’t lose you. I can’t lose them.”

Cam’s expression softened and he leaned in to kiss me. His lips were soft and warm, and I felt myself melting into the embrace. We kissed for what seemed like hours, lost in each other’s touch.

Eventually, we pulled away, both of us breathing heavily. Cam rested his forehead against mine. “Will I see you tomorrow?”

I thought about it. “Yes. I’m not going to run. Not anymore.”

ChapterThirty

Cam

Iwent to work not knowing what to expect. I had no idea what frame of mind Ramsey was going to be in. We had a meeting scheduled together to go over the details for a potential grant we wanted to apply for. That wouldn’t be awkward at all.

Sitting across from Ramsey, in his sleek office, I could feel the energy crackling in the air. The room was filled with frustration and irritation, but it didn’t seem to stop us as we delved into the details of the potential grant that could make or break our dreams for our revolutionary new technology.

The morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm glow over his polished desk. I leaned forward, my palms pressed against the cool surface, ready to dive into the possibilities that lay before us. “Ramsey, this grant could be the key to taking our technology to the next level. We need to make sure we present a compelling case. I know this is your arena, but you have to know how much pressure is on you.”

“Trust me, I know,” he said.

We pounded out the details without ever mentioning Izzy. The situation was the elephant in the room. Once things were relatively settled, I looked him in the eyes, essentially demanding an answer. There was no way I was going to keep working like nothing happened. Izzy was in the lab. She didn’t deserve to feel like she was in a hostile working environment. Ramsey was the one who was so desperate to have her on the job. Now, he was pushing her away.

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