Page 47 of Unwrapped
I clink my glass to his. “Thanks for literally keeping me on my feet.”
“Anytime. Hopefully, he got the hint and won’t bother you again.” He finishes his whiskey. “How’s the writing coming along?”
“It’s not.” I examine my fingernails for a moment before meeting his concerned gaze. “I haven’t written since last weekend.”
“How come?”
“My heart hasn’t been in it.”
“Because of Dean?” There’s no judgement in his eyes, only concern.
“Mostly.”
“What happened with you two? If you don’t mind me asking, that is.” When I hesitate, he touches my arm. “If it’s too upsetting, you can tell me to fuck off.”
“No, no. It’s fine. I’m trying to figure out the best way to explain it.” I take a steadying breath. “You probably didn’t know this, but I was interested in Deanlongbefore I started dating Ryan.”
He chuckles. “Oh, I knew. Your chemistry was pretty obvious to anyone who spent time around you guys.”
“I didn’t realize that.” Heat crawls up my neck and cheeks. “Obvious or not, when I finally got the courage to make my move, he turned me down.”
“I always wondered why you two suddenly stopped talking.”
“I humiliated myself, which is why I got so drunk at the party we don’t speak of. Then, if that fiasco wasn’t enough, my wounded pride made me think it wise to date his twin instead.”
“Yeah, not gonna lie,thatwaskinda shocking.”
“I know. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I mean, Ididdevelop feelings for Ryan, but they were nothing compared to what I felt for Dean. Ryan was a shitty substitute. I can’t believe I stayed with him for eight years.”
“Don’t beat yourself up.” He pats my shoulder. “We all do dumb shit sometimes.”
“True story. Anyway, I didn’t expect to see Dean at the cabin, and I definitely wasn’t prepared to fall for him all over again. I let down my guard, and things moved too fast.”
“You’re not college kids anymore. Who says it was too fast?”
“Jude, we went from eleven years of not speaking, to sex in twenty-four hours. Now we’re back to not speaking.” I squeeze my eyes shut and force myself to breathe through the wave of sadness flooding me. “Logistically speaking, we’re a bad idea. I mean, he lives in Boston, for God’s sake. I can’t handle a long-distance thing. Not to mention Ryan and all the drama that comes with him.”
“You make a valid point.”
“It isn’t fair for me to come between Dean and his family—not that he’d choose me over them in the first place, but that’s another story. Either way, it wouldn’t be right. Bottom line, he can’t give me the commitment I need. He’s not the kind of man who’d fight for me.”
Jude rubs his jaw. “You seem so sure about that.”
“Well, it’s true. He didn’t even try to stop me from leaving. Some pathetic part of me hoped he’d realize I’m worth holding on to.”
“I think he knows your worth, Cami.”
Tears prick the backs of my eyes. “Knowing and doing are two different things.”
The reception ballroom is even more gorgeous than where they held the cocktail hour, filled with enough decorated Christmas trees and twinkling lights to put the North Pole to shame.
“This place is like an enchanted forest,” Jude marvels, guiding me to our table. “It’s impossible to not feel the Christmas spirit.”
“I know, right?” I release a blissful sigh and take in my surroundings. “Oh my God, look!” I point to the centerpiece, a breathtaking miniature village, complete with lights and a working train.
A boyish grin transforms his handsome face. “I had a train like that at one of my foster homes.” He glances at me. “Well, it wasn’tmine, but my foster dad let me play with it.”
“That’s sweet,” I murmur, envisioning him as a little kid. “My grandmother had a similar village. She let me help set it up every year.”
