“I'm beginning to think cookies is a code word for something else."
"Maybe it is." He tugged on my bag again as he took a confident step back, forcing me down another step. "And just think about it. If cookie was a code word, whatever it symbolizes, it's been in your mouth, sweetheart.”
“You've been checking me out, haven't you? In between your flaming insults? I feel like man candy.”
“Leaning back against Cam's chest, I tipped my head back and I reached up, cupping his cheek. I drew his mouth to mine and kissed him softly. "Thank you."
His lips curved up on one side. "For what?"
"For waiting for me.”
“As long as the sun’s shining, shit can’t be that bad.”
“And this must be Avery?"
"Oh, God, no," Cam said. "This is Candy, Mom."
His mother's eyes widened and a bit of color infused her cheeks. "Uh, I'm..."
"I'm Avery," I said, shooting Cam a look. "You had it right."
She spun around, smacking Cam across the arm. Hard, too. "Cameron! Oh my God. I thought..." She smacked him again and he laughed. "You're terrible.”
“I didn't know what to say, but my heart was racing as he slid his hands down to mine. He placed them on his chest, right above his heart. "I have hope," he said, his gaze never leaving mine. "I have hope because I love you-I've been in love with you, Avery. Probably before I even realized that I was."
"You loved me?"
Cam dropped his forehead to mine and his chest rose sharply under my hands. "I love you."
My heart stuttered. "You love me?"
"Yes, sweetheart.”
“The moment we stepped out into the hall, Cam's apartment door flung open. Ollie appeared, a cellphone in one hand and Raphael wiggling in the other. "Smile!" he shouted as he snapped a picture on his phone. "It's like my two kids are going to prom.”
“My brain was telling me this was a bad idea and I told my brain to shut the fuck up, because it rarely told me anything helpful.”
“We are your friends. It is the law of friendship that you tell us things you don’t want to tell us.”
“Fuck, Avery. You think I don't want you? There's not a single part of you that I don't want, you understand? I want to be on you and inside of you. I want you against the wall, on the couch, in your bed, in my bed, and every fucking place I can possibly think of, and trust me, I have a vast imagination when it comes to these kinds of things. Don't ever doubt that I want you. That is not what this is about.”
“I want to be here with you, Avery. You don't have to worry about impressing me or wowing me. You've already done that.”
“People got out of the way for Cam. He was like a hot Moses, parting a sea of drunk college students.”
“You are really…”
“Amazing? Awesome?” He paused, brows raised. “Astonishing?”
“I was going to go with bizarre.”
“Well, hell, if I had feelings that might actually hurt.”
“I’m confident enough in my masculinity and sexuality that I can say that Ryan Gosling is just dreamy in this movie.”
“I’m a shallow, shallow boy. Hey, it helps that you’re pretty. It brings out the nice guy in me. Makes me what to share my cookies with you.”
“You’re a good guy, Cam.”
“No, I’m not.” He exhaled deeply and his breath was warm against my cheek. “I’m only good with you.”
“Cam was already on his feet, waiting for me. I arched my brow at him. "Following me?" "Like a true serial killer," he replied.”
“Guess what, Avery?"
"What?" I wondered if he could see how fast my heart was beating beneath my shirt.
"Remember how you just said you were having a good time?" Cam lowered his head so that our mouths were scant inches apart. "It's about to get better."
"Is it?"
He shifted his head and his nose grazed mine. "Oh, yeah."
"Are you not going to kiss me again?"
His lips tipped up. "That's exactly what I'm going to do.”
“Whoa," Brit breathed, handing my drink back to me. "That was..."
"Really hot," Jacob finished. "I thought you two were going to rip off each other's clothes and start making babies right here on the dirty, beer covered floor. Like I was going to have to start charging admission for what was about to go down.”
“Everything okay?" Cam asked, placing his hand on my lower back. Concern pinched his brows.
"Yes." I dropped my cell back into my bag.
Everything was okay. Maybe not perfect, but life wasn't meant to be perfect. It was messy and sometimes it was a disaster, but there was beauty in the messiness and there could be peace in the disaster.”
“He raised his brows. "You're drunk." "Am not!" He gave me a bland look. "A drunk's famous last words before they fall flat on their face.”
“I want you, Cam.”
“You have me,” he groaned. “You so fucking have me.”
“So I was thinking we should skip tomorrow, stay right here and watch shitty movies all day."
My first response was to say I couldn't skip a whole day's worth of classes, but as I met Cam's mischievous gaze, I said screw it. "That's a brilliant idea."
"I know, right?" He tapped his head. "I'm full of great shit."
"Yeah, you're definitely full of it..."
"Ha.”
“You’re joking, right?”
“No. I’ve been living here for a while—like a couple of years with my roommate. You know, the fucktard who put poor Raphael outside.”
“Hey!” the guy yelled from inside their apartment. “I have a name. It’s Señor Fucktard!”
“Are you two you know?" Jacob pointed at us. " Together? Together? "
I didn't get a chance to answer. Cam spun me around and kissed me, right there between the two buildings. It was no friendly peck on the lips. When our tongues touched, my bag slipped off my arm and hit the frosted ground.
"Holy crap," Jacob muttered. "I think they're going to make babies.”
“We have to stop meeting like this."
And that was the truest thing ever spoke. I needed to stop staring at his bicep... and chest... and tattoo. Never thought the sun could be so... sexy. Wow. This was awkward.
"You running over me, me almost running over you?" Cam elaborated. "It's like we're a catastrophe waiting to happen.”
“Within a few short hours, he nearly had me agreeing to try deer jerky for the first time. Almost. If it weren't for Cam continuously whispering "Bambi" in my ear every couple of minutes, I would've caved.”
“Did last night really happen?" One side of his lips tipped up, and my chest swelled. I'd missed that smile. "Depends on what you think happend." "I took my shirt off for you?" His eyes deepened. "Yes. Lovely moment.”
“I'm skipping, but Cam doesn't have a class until this afternoon, so he's a good boy."
"And your a bad boy?"
"Oh, I'm a bad, bad boy."
"Yeah, as in bad at spelling, math, english, cleaning up after yourself, talking to people, and I could go on.”
“Avery."
"Cam?"
"What are you up to?"
"Nothing. Everything."
"Those are two opposite things."
"I know. Kiss me?”
“Un des moments les plus pénibles de sa vie était celui où, chaque matin, en s'éveillant, il s'apprenait son malheur.”
“If there'd been an astronaut on the moon right then, I'm sure I could have seen him. Perhaps he could have looked down and seen me too... the only one who could.”
“But I'm not falling in love with her piece by piece anymore. I'm in love with the whole girl. Every single piece of her.”
“There was no force in any world that could keep her contained.”
“And he was the reason I felt it. His gaze, his touch, his smile, his laugh, no one had ever made me feel... worshiped... quite like he did.”
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