The Real

my mouth. I opened and took it, chewing as he repeated the motion. “I have a plate of my own, Coach.”

“Yeah,” he said, moving his free hand underneath my borrowed flannel before trailing lazy fingers along my stomach. “But I’m not finished wooing.”

“Back to reality,” I said, mourning the end of our long weekend as Cameron closed the door to the cabin. We’d spent every second in bed that morning until we had no choice but to clean up and head out. My heart was sinking at the loss of it.

He gripped me in his strong embrace. “Okay, so this isn’t our every day,” he said, commanding my eyes, “but there will be plenty of this in our future for as long as you want it.”

I kissed him soundly on the mouth. “Consider that my RSVP. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’ll miss the woods.”

“We’ll be back. This isn’t the last time, okay?”

“Okay.” You are ridiculous, Abbie.

He placed a gentle kiss on my forehead and led me down the steps, his duffle bag in hand as I took one last look at the cabin. We’d played house for a weekend and it was more than nice. It was heaven.

“What are you thinking?” he asked as he opened the passenger side door and I climbed into the Audi.

“Just that I’m glad we waited. And now I’m glad we’ve stopped waiting.”

I clicked my seatbelt.

His hands rested on either side of the doorframe. “It was hell not being able to touch you, but I wouldn’t change a thing.”

When I was comfortable, he closed the door and walked in front of the hood as I dreaded the empty house waiting for me.

We sat in the idling SUV for a moment longer before Cameron placed his hand on my headrest and twisted his body for a clear view to exit the driveway. While the scent of his cologne and his proximity knocked me senseless, I pressed my lips to his Adam’s apple and kept them there. He stopped the truck at the edge of the driveway, put it in park, and stared at me long and hard before he spoke.

“I know something happened. Something that you don’t want to tell me about yet. It’s painfully obvious, but I want you to know this is not over between us, not by a longshot.”

“I know.”

He leaned over. “Are you sure? Because I get the feeling you aren’t.”

“I’m sorry I make you feel that way.” I sank into my seat, hating the fact that I needed so much reassurance. But he’d been consistent every step of the way. I had no reason to doubt him. I averted my eyes, my heart pounding.

“Look at me,” he whispered. “I’m with you.”

I couldn’t help but remember Bree declaring her and Anthony were on another level in Scotland. It rang true for Cameron and me as I looked into his earnest eyes.

He took my hand and pressed it to his chest before he leaned in and took my lips. His kiss was slow, thorough, and I “hmmed” happily and smiled as he pulled away.

“You’re an excellent coach.”

“Happy Thanksgiving,” Cameron said as I sat at my mother’s kitchen table, looking at him on my screen.

“Happy Thanksgiving,” I said as I stood to make my way upstairs to my old bedroom for some privacy. I’d asked Cameron to come with me to Naperville, but he wanted to be with his dad despite how heavy it felt in the house without his mother there.

I wasn’t one to neglect family and friends due to a new boyfriend. It was one of my new life rules, no matter how perfect said boyfriend was. When you accidentally date a sociopath, you learn your lesson about things like that. Luke was constantly making me break plans with Bree and my family to manipulate my time, manipulate me.

No matter how happy I was being a part of a we with Cameron, I made time for Bree and my parents, even if the relationship was by far the healthiest of my adult life.

But I had to admit, the man smiling at me on the screen made it extremely hard to be without him. I’d grown used to waking up roasting with his arm thrown over me.

Spending Saturdays watching him battle Max on the court before we used up the rest of the day roaming the city or Wicker Park. When weather permitted, we ran every morning, and when it didn’t, we made up for it in my bedroom. I was up to three miles per day and it was beginning to show. I was in the best shape of my life.

Cameron was most definitely a good-time guy. There was rarely a dull moment. Even quiet nights at home, which we mostly spent with Mrs. Zingaro, were blissful.

I closed my door and plopped myself on my old bed.