“I just want to hug him and never let go,” she says with a sigh.
I look over at her. “I know they’ve missed you. They don’t talk about you much since they knew how I felt… how I feel. But I’ve caught them talking about Felix a few times. Checking out his birthday pictures. Commenting on when you graduated from college. We were so proud of you.”
Her eyes fill with liquid. “I did the same thing with all of you. I hated seeing everything as an outsider, but I loved getting glimpses of you guys. You did what you dreamed of, and I’m so happy for you guys.” She laughs softly. “Of course, now every time I hear a song, I wonder if you’re singing about me.”
I chuckle at that, glancing at the tattoo of the camera peeking out of the top of her shirt. “If they were written by me, and they’re about love, they’re about you.”
She shakes her head, an adorable light blush creeping up her neck and cheeks. “I can’t believe I had no idea. Everyone knew…”
I have to laugh at that because she isn’t lying. Literally, everyone knew but her.
“You had no clue at all?”
“No. I always thought you were good looking, so had I known…” She shrugs. “Ever since I found out, I can’t stop thinking about it. Analyzing everything, questioning my feelings.” She frowns. “David knew. He hated anyone even mentioning you. But I just thought he was being crazy.”
“He is crazy.”
“Yeah,” she says solemnly. Then she takes a deep breath and releases a harsh sigh. “Sorry, I said no bringing him up, and then I did.”
“He’s your ex, and he’s Felix’s dad. I know that in order for us to have a real chance at being in a relationship, I have to be open to hearing about him.”
“Thank you.” She leans over and kisses my cheek. “That means a lot to me.”
We spend the rest of the day exploring the island. We don’t bring up David or the guys anymore and instead focus on getting to know each other again. At one point during our hike, she starts a game of twenty questions, which leads to would you rather. I don’t know if it’s being away from the city or everyone, but she opens up, allowing me into her adult thoughts, feelings, goals, and dreams. She’s light and playful, laughing and making jokes. I already knew I wanted her, but by the time we’re climbing back into the helicopter, I can say with certainty that I’m still in love with her. She might be a few years older and a mom, but she’s still the same person I fell in love with on the steps of her family’s home all those years ago.
“Too bad we didn’t leave a little later,” she says once we’re situated in our seats and buckled in. “I bet the sunset from up here is beautiful.”
“Actually,” I say, feeling on top of the world. “I booked a tour for on the way back. We’re going to see all of LA from above, along with the sunset.”
She shakes her head and smiles, those damn dimples popping out. “Oh, Camden, your wooing game is seriously on point.”
We put on our headsets, and the rotors start spinning. A few minutes later, we’re on top of California, listening to the pilot tell us about what we’re flying over. Layla stares outside the window, mesmerized, while I stare at her.
When she glances over at me with a gorgeous smile splayed across her face, my heart stutters in my chest, and without thinking, I thread my fingers through the back of her hair and pull her to me for a kiss.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
LAYLA
Today has been one of the best days of my life. Between the helicopter rides, exploring the island, and spending time with Camden, getting to know him all over again, I’m in heaven. The past several years have consisted of me being a student and becoming a mom and a wife. Don’t get me wrong, I love my son, but it means my days have been spent watching children’s shows and having conversations with someone who thinks it’s funny to fart in the tub and make bubbles.
And I hadn’t realized until today just how off David and I were. He worked and provided for us, but we never actually spent time together, and because I was so busy going to school and taking care of Felix, I never stopped to question it. We didn’t go away or have date nights. He worked, and I took care of our home and Felix. But spending the day with Camden made me see that I want more. I learned more about him today than I think I ever learned about David in our years together.
And if I was worried about picking up where we left off five years later, it was a waste of a worry because Camden made it so easy. Our conversations flowed. We laughed and joked, and for the first time, I felt like more than a caregiver. I felt a lot like me. And sadly, it made me realize that somewhere along the way, I forgot who I was.