“It’s not your fault, Merritt.”
“But in a way, it is.”
“You can’t be held responsible for some bad person’s actions.”
“Still, I want you safe and happy. I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.” He moved his hand through my hair, his gaze soft. “I care about you.”
“I know. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
“If the hacker turns out to be someone who is my e
nemy… Does that change something between us?”
Something tugged at my heartstrings when I saw vulnerability in his eyes. He was worried that he was going to lose me.
“Before you answer me, I want you to know that I won’t be selfish. I’ll understand if you don’t want to be involved with me if that’s the case. If you feel the relationship with me would be too much to handle, then you’re free to—”
I interrupted him by kissing him, my hands cupping his face. All the accumulated tension and worries since the moment I saw that article poured out of me through my kiss, snuggling to him. I kissed him desperately, urgently, roughly, almost bruising my lips in the process.
I could hardly breathe, but that was okay, because this was all I needed right now. This mind-numbing passion, this need that was coursing through every inch of me and making me blind and deaf to anything else.
“I’m not going anywhere, Merritt. This doesn’t change anything. Even if you have a dozen of enemies, I don’t care. I’ll be with you through it all.”
“Thank you, Camilla. Once more, you show me how amazing you are. Once more, you’re reminding me why I fell in love with you.”
My heart stopped, and I gaped at him. “You fell in love with me?”
A big smile adorned his features. “Yes. Irrevocably.”
My smile was as big as his before I showered his whole faces with kisses.
His phone rang, breaking though our bubble, and we leaned away from each other, both of us breathing heavily. He didn’t answer his phone immediately, staring at me like he couldn’t get enough of me.
“Fuck,” he groaned. “It’s Carter.”
Ouch. “We knew this was coming.”
He answered. “Man listen… I’m sorry.”
Merritt put him on speaker so we could both hear him. “You better be sorry, you’re sleeping with my little sister you fuckface! And it’s all over social media! She, in bed, is all over social media!”
“Yeah, she was hacked. Listen, we meant to tell you, but this happened first. This isn’t how we meant for you to find out I promise you.”
“Duh. If it was, you did a hell of a job.”
I spoke up, “Carter, it’s okay. We’re okay. Please understand we never meant for this to happen.”
“Cami, tell me the truth, do you love this dumbass?”
“I do.”
“Fine. You have to deal with Mom and Dad though. I am not calling them.”
“Carter, thank you!”
“Whatever, and Merritt?”
“Yeah man?”