“I’m over being jealous. Spill it.”
“No.”
“Tell me. I’ll tell you.”
“Absolutely not! I don’t want to know that.”
“Are you jealous?”
I was never jealous. That was the problem.
“I’m ending this conversation, Brian. Have a good night.”
He’s still laughing when I end the call and toss my phone on the countertop.
“Well, that was uncomfortable,” I inform the cat, who’s still washing himself after his dinner. “Not that you care.”
My phone rings. I answer it without checking the caller ID.
“I am not going to tell you the last time I got laid!” I exclaim. “And I definitely don’t want to hear about your sexcapades.”
“Bummer.”
I freeze. Fucking hell, it’s Landon.
“I thought you were someone else.” I laugh, not sure what else to say.
“Clearly,” he replies, chuckling in my ear, and I’m immediately transported back to his bedroom and his face pressed to my ear as he saved me from falling. Everyone’s right. I am a bad liar. We were all cozied up in his closet, and damn it, I liked it too much.
“What’s up?” Damn it, my voice is squeaky.
“You forgot your iPad here,” he says. I’d taken it with me so I could show him some general design ideas I’d found on Pinterest for the renovation.
“Damn. Sorry. You can just give it to Mia and she’ll give it to me.”
“Cami, can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Have I done something to piss you off or hurt your feelings?”
I frown. “No, not that I recall.”
“Then why are you so determined to avoid me?”
Now Scoot chooses to wind himself between my legs, purring, making me almost trip. “Crap!”
“Cami?”
“Sorry, I just tripped over the cat.” I swallow hard. “I’m not avoiding you, Landon. I’m just living my life.”
“And living your life includes not seeing me?”
Yes, because it’s easier that way!
And better on my libido.
“I see you.”
“I don’t think you do, Cami. I’ll just run this over to you.”
“Oh, you don’t have to—”
But before I can finish, he’s gone.
Chapter 4
~Landon~
Now I can’t stop thinking about the last time Cami got laid. It’s not a thought that I’m comfortable with. Since I’ve been home, the thought of anyone else putting their hands on her makes me a little crazy.
Okay, to be honest, I haven’t been comfortable with other men putting their hands on her in . . . ever.
But damn it, the next time she gets laid is going to be with me if I have anything at all to say about it.
And I think I do.
Damn right I do.
I climb her stairs and ring the doorbell, frowning at the burned-out porch light. That’s an accident waiting to happen.
I’ll replace it for her.
“Hey, Landon,” she says with a smile as she opens the door. “Thanks for bri—”
CRASH.
She closes her eyes, hangs her head, and sighs. “Damn cat. Sorry.”
And with that, she turns and runs for the kitchen, her ass swaying nicely in her jeans, her blond hair bouncing around her shoulders. I step in and shut the door, slip out of my shoes, wet from the rain, and follow her.
“You’re such a menace,” she hisses at the cat, who simply lies down and watches her sweep up broken glass.
“I’m so glad to see that y’all are still getting along so well.”
“Why do I suddenly feel like I didn’t get a cat, but rather he got a human?” She chuckles and shakes her head. “Wait. I’ve always felt like that. I’m his slave, for God sake. Thanks for bringing that by. You can just leave it on the countertop. I don’t want you to step on glass.”
She’s not looking at me. Come to think of it, she’s avoided looking me directly in the eyes since I got home. I lay the iPad on the counter, shove my hands in my pockets, and lean against the doorjamb, watching her sweep, scoop, and dump the glass.
When she’s finished, she turns and her eyes widen as she comes to an abrupt stop.
“You’re still here.”
I nod. “You know, Cami, it used to be that we had a great friendship. We could talk for hours, just about anything. We laughed. We weren’t uncomfortable around each other.”
“I’m not uncomfortable now,” she lies, and bites her lip.
“We never lied to each other,” I continue calmly. “You once knew more about me than anyone else in the world.”
“Yep, I was your ol’ pal Cami,” she says sarcastically. “And I’m still your friend, Landon, but you’ve barely spoken to me over the years.”
“I’ve spoken to you,” I reply.
“Not the way we used to. And I get it.” She holds a hand up. “You made it clear that you didn’t think it was right to have a close friendship with a married woman.”
It was a cop-out. I just couldn’t stand hearing about the new husband.
“I should have kept in contact,” I murmur, suddenly regretting my cowardice.
She frowns and leans her hips against the countertop. “That was a long time ago.” Her voice is soft as she stares at Scoot. “But I missed you.”