Page 68 of Wrecked
“Yeah?” She looks to me for confirmation, her shoulders instantly sagging with relief when I nod. I know it was important to her to have us get along.
And really, her brother isn't so bad after all, a little quirky even. I like him.
CHAPTER 29
JASMINE
Our food arrives, and I can't help the goofy grin on my face as I start eating while listening to two of the most important men in my life getting along. I couldn't have imagined this night going any better.
At first, I was concerned with the way Graham acted all protective-brother-like toward Cam, but after I left for the bathroom, it seemed to be a totally different vibe that I returned to.
After a few more bites, Graham places his fork back on the table and looks at me hesitantly. “So, um, I'm actually going to be moving here to the city.”
“What?” I ask, half shouting.
“Yeah. I'll still be leaving at the end of this week, but I'll be returning shortly afterward to look for a job and an apartment. You know, all that stuff. I may be back and forth for a bit.”
“Gray, that's awesome! When did you decide this? And why? And is Mariana moving with you?”
Cam chuckles beside me, watching the conversation with an amused smirk. He seems to be feeling much more laid back now. It's almost as if he's had a couple of drinks to mellow out, but he hasn't drunk any alcohol with his dinner.
Graham shifts a little in his seat. “We, um, we actually broke up a couple of weeks ago.”
“What?” I ask for the second time in the last two minutes, shock coating my voice. “Why didn't you tell me right away?”
“Sorry.” Graham scratches his head. “I figured I'd just tell you in person. There was no spark there, no excitement, you know?”
I don't tell him I could see that for a while now. Mariana was nice enough, but as I said before, it seemed more like they were an old married couple rather than people who'd only been dating for about eight months.
“I'm sorry,” I say. “But I am happy you're moving here.”
“Me, too. And don't worry, I won't be cramping your style by hanging around all the time.” He shoots me a wink and looks at Campbell before returning his sights to me. “But maybe we could do dinner once a month or something, like old times.”
“I'd like that.”
Graham and I chat back and forth about things going on back in Portland, how big Travis is getting, how our aunt and uncle are doing, and what he's planning on doing for work when he moves here. All the while, Cam quietly eats and lazily rubs a hand over my thigh.
“So, you said you've lived here for about five years, and you work for your cousin. What about your parents? Do they live here in the city as well?” Graham asks Campbell after there's a short lull in our conversation.
The hand on my leg freezes, and I cast a concerned gaze over to him. I've been holding back from asking anything about his parents for a while now, but Graham has no idea it's a touchy subject. My hand lands on top of his, and I go to say something to Gray, maybe change the subject, but then Cam turns his hand over and squeezes mine reassuringly, stopping me.
“It's okay,” he whispers to me. I stare back at him, wondering what he's going to say or do.
“They're here in the city,” he replies. “But we don't talk at all.”
“Oh,” Graham responds. And thankfully, that's what he leaves it at.
Am I still curious? Of course. But this is more than I knew for sure five minutes ago, so I'm okay with just that bit of knowledge for now.
Graham changes the subject again, and the rest of our dinner flies by smoothly. By the end of the night, my heart and belly are full, but I'm also light and happy. It almost feels like I'm floating.
After getting Graham sorted and settled at my apartment, Cam drives us back to his place. As much as I'm thrilled that Gray is here, I still want to spend some alone time with Cam, especially after him coming with me tonight.
Closing the door to his apartment behind me, I lean against it and let out a sigh. “Thank you.”
“For what?” Cam moves toward me, caging me in by placing a hand on either side of my head.
I smile, sliding my hands up his chest while staring at his handsome face. “For coming with me to meet my brother, for being awesome. For everything, really.”
