Page 15 of Unwrapped
A humorless laugh leaves her lips. “Hurt doesn’t begin to cover it. His affair cost me my dream job, a position I’d worked toward foryears. Not to mention, I lost my homeandhad to move three hours away to start over. Now I’m stuck in a hospital basement with a bunch of grouchy old men, at a job that sucks my soul. So, yeah, hurt is way too mild a word for what he did to me.”
I’ll never forget my fury when Talia let it slip that Camille found Ryan in bed with his campaign manager—the night before she was supposed to take her psychiatric pharmacy board certification exam. She was so distraught, she bombed the test, which made her ineligible for the promotion she’d interviewed for.
“I’m sorry on his behalf.”
“Don’t be. I’m resilient as fuck, and I’m doing just fine without him.”
“I’m sure you are, but I’m still sorry you—”
“If you’re so intent on apologizing to me, maybe focus on your own actions.”
“Huh?” I tilt my head to the side in confusion. “What did I do?”
“What did you do?” Disbelief colors her voice as anger flares in her vivid green gaze. “Oh, I dunno, let’s start with how you wrote me off.”
“I never wrote—”
“Bullshit,” she snaps, jabbing her finger into my chest. “We were so close, Dean. Practically inseparable. You were one of my best friends.” Tears fill her eyes. “But you cut me out of your life like I meant nothing to you.”
“That’s not what happ—”
“Look, I realize I used poor judgment that night in the parking lot, and I’m sorry. I thought I wasn’t alone in what I was feeling, butclearly, I was wrong.” She blinks rapidly and stiffens her spine. “I’m a big girl. I can handle being friend-zoned, but that’s not what happened.” A tear rolls down her cheek. Then another. She furiously wipes them away. “You stopped being my friend,period. You walked away like our friendship meant nothing. My last year of school sucked. You know why?” She doesn’t wait for my answer. “I missed our talks. I missed movie night. Taco Tuesday. Our study sessions. I missed those times when we did absolutely nothing, but still had fun together. I missedyou, Dean.”
My chest caves in, learning how much my actions hurt her. “Camille, I—”
“But you didn’t care.” She steps around me and stalks from the room, taking the steps two at a time.
I stare after her, rooted in place, even after hearing the door to her room slam shut. I kept my distance in the name of self-preservation. I couldn’t handle seeing her with Ryan. It ripped me apart, knowing he was the one making her laugh. He got to hold her. Kiss her. Make love to her. He got her time and attention, all because I was too afraid to reach for what I wanted. A coward, like always.
“You OK, man?” Sawyer asks from the living room doorway. He crosses the room when I open and close my mouth a few times, unable to formulate a sentence. “I wasn’t eavesdropping, but I overheard most of that,” he murmurs, resting his hand on my shoulder. “If you want to talk about it, I’m here.”
“Thanks.” I force a swallow. “I never imagined my distance would hurt her. I didn’t think she wanted my friendship after she got together with him.”
“Not everyone is all or nothing, dude. I mean, yeah, maybe she needed a few days to lick her wounds and get over her embarrassment, but she definitely still wanted you in her life.” His blue eyes burn into mine. “If you remember, I tried to tell you that.”
“I know.”
“But you didn’t believe me.” He shakes his head. “For some stupid fucking reason, you’ve always had a shitty opinion of yourself. Just because your mom and everyone else around you put that asshole on a pedestal, it doesn’t mean he deserved it. And it certainly doesn’t mean you should sacrifice your happiness.”
“I don’t know what to do.”
“Well, first you need to figure out what you want,” he squeezes my shoulder, “and I think you already know what that is.”
I want Camille. In whatever capacity she’ll allow. Maybe we can’t be together because of her history with Ryan, but I can still be part of her life. I can still be her friend.
“It doesn’t have to be all or nothing, dude,” Sawyer says, as if he can hear my thoughts.
“How do I get her to forgive me?”
“Communicate. Own up to your feelings and show her you care. Prove how different you are from Ryan. Use actions, instead of empty words.”
The problem is, I have no idea what action I’m supposed to take. How do you erase a decade of pain?
Mood Music: “Receive” by Alanis Morissette
My love affair with strong coffee started in pharmacy school. It was the only way I could handle a full day of classes, late-night cramming for exams,andmy part-time barista gig. While most of my college friends held jobs at local pharmacies, I needed something different. The coffee shop where I worked was a welcoming place with an eclectic clientele that ranged from doctors and lawyers to electricians, mechanics, and artists. I loved watching the creative types who spent their days on one of our stools, sipping java while they worked. I felt at home among them.
I should’ve taken it as a sign.
