Paisley
“Paisley, it was a pleasure meeting you,” Grace, Cameron’s mom, says as we make our way out of the restaurant.
“You too,” I tell her. “Thanks for all of the stories on this one.” I point to where Cameron stands beside me.
“Oh, honey, I have so many more. We should exchange numbers.” Grace laughs.
“All right, you two.” Cameron steps up and wraps his mom in a hug. “Thanks for coming tonight.”
“Nowhere else I’d rather be.”
“You want to follow us home?” he asks her. She raises her eyebrows in a silent question. I’m guessing it was the “us” that is raising her suspicions. “Paisley lives in the same complex as I do.”
“Wow. That’s… well, fate is the only thing I can think of to describe it.”
“See.” Cameron leans his shoulder into mine. “Come on, ladies, let’s go home.” With one arm around my shoulders and one around his mother’s, he leads us to the parking lot.
“She’s nice,” I say, once we’re in his truck and on the way home.
“Told you so.” He reaches over and laces his fingers with mine. His hand is warm and calloused.
The rest of the drive is quiet. The radio plays softly in the background, and it appears that Cameron and I are both okay with just being together. There’s no need for chatter to fill the silence. It’s comfortable and just another thing to add to the list of things I like about him. He puts me at ease, even when he’s being his bossy self.
We pull into the parking lot, and he shuts off his truck but makes no move to get out. “Stay with me tonight.”
“You need this time with your mom before she drives home tomorrow.”
“She just lives an hour away. I can see her anytime.”
“Really, with the Blaze schedule?” I challenge.
“Fine. I know I can’t, and I want to spend time with her, but I want to spend time with you too.”
“You’ve been with me for over twenty-four hours. You need this time with her.”
“Can you come back later and sleep in my bed with me?” He sounds like a little boy asking, and it makes me smile.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Cameron. Spend time with your mom. Take her to breakfast before you have to be at the field tomorrow, and we can catch up tomorrow night.”
“I don’t like this plan.”
“I think some time away will do us both some good. It will give us time to think about this.” I point between the two of us.
“I don’t need to think about you any more than I already do.”
“I mean, what this means. What we are. You’ve made some big claims, and you know maybe once you get some time away and a little perspective, you may change your mind.”
“I’m not changing my mind.” He turns to face me. “Every minute that I spend with you, I fall harder. You heard my mom tonight, right?”
“I did, but this is all so new, and you’ve had a lot of change in your life. You got called up to the big leagues. That’s huge, Cameron, and you can’t lose focus. Not now.”
“I won’t. The only thing that could make me lose focus on that field is losing you.”
“You don’t really have me to lose.” We both know that’s a lie.
“Don’t I?” He leans in close and presses his lips to mine. “We can’t keep doing this, Paisley. Can you just admit that we’re dating? We can’t be just friends. It’s not possible for me. I’m willing to slow down and let you catch up, but I just need you to admit that we’re dating. That neither of us is seeing anyone else. We’re a couple. You’re my girlfriend, my steady girl, whatever you want to call it. However you want to say it, I just need that.”
“You really want to label this?”