Page 37 of Flawless

“Is everything okay?”

I’d never been in a relationship that made me feel insecure.

Even with Kelly, I hadn’t known until she cheated on me that I had reason to worry. So, this was all new to me, and I needed time alone to process.

“Yeah, just tired, I guess. I’m gonna be heading home soon.” I chuckled. “Must be getting old.” It wasn’t funny when I remembered how much younger she was. Her night was just getting started while I was heading home.

“You didn’t act old this weekend.” Her voice was low and sultry when she whispered, “In fact, I had a hard time keeping up with you.”

Yeah, but for how long? I’d heard too many horror stories about low-testosterone and crashing libidos as men age. The idea of being another sad statistic who couldn’t satisfy my sexy, insatiable woman, felt like a painful reality check.

Was I crazy to think this could work?

“Hey,” she said, when I didn’t respond. “What’s up with you tonight? And don’t tell me nothing. I can tell something’s wrong.”

It was crazy how easily she was able to read my moods, like she’d known me for years.

“The boys were just doing their duty as my friends,” I said, deciding to come clean. “Giving me a little reality check about our relationship.”

“What did they say?” she asked, sounding wary.

“They said you were too young to settle down, and if you did, you’d regret it.” I didn’t give her a chance to refute that comment before I hit her with another one. “They said you’d meet some hot new country singer who’d sweep you off your pretty little feet and forget you ever met me.”

“And you believed that crap?” She was all fired up now and I couldn’t help but smile. “A bunch of guys who’ve never even met me, decide they get to be the ones to write our story, and you let them?”

“You can’t blame them for⁠—”

“I don’t blame them! I blame you!”

“Baby, I⁠—”

“Don’t ‘baby’ me.”

I could imagine if we were face-to-face, she’d be spewing venom by now.

“Either you’re willing to go to bat for me and our relationship or you’re not. So, what’s it gonna be?”

I knew there was only one right answer to that question. “You know I am⁠—”

“No, I don’t know that. Because if you were, you wouldn’t be letting your friends get inside your head, right now. What the hell, Cam? If people who didn’t even know you were trying to tell me all the reasons you weren’t good for me, or why our relationship couldn’t work, I’d tell them to mind their own goddamn business and walk away.”

I could totally see her doing that, which made me feel like shit for not doing the same. She was right. My friends didn’t know her, and they’d never seen us together. They didn’t know how she felt about me, and they sure as shit couldn’t know how I felt about her… because I’d never told them. And that was on me.

“I hear what you’re saying, but⁠—”

“No buts. You think about what I said and when you’re ready to start thinking for yourself, you call me. And maybe I’ll answer.”

And just like that, she hung up on me.

I stared at the phone, in shock, before my pulse spiked as I re-dialed her number. Shit. Straight to voicemail. Not that I could blame her. She was right. She wouldn’t have wavered if her friends had been trying to plant seeds of doubt, yet I had. She had every right to be pissed. And since I couldn’t tell her that, I marched back inside and reclaimed my seat.

“Everything okay?” Rob asked, watching me chug half my beer.

“No.” I looked around the table. “I just got into it with Rylee because I didn’t have the good sense to set you assholes straight. Time for me to do that now.” Their looks of surprise barely registered before I said, “Here’s the deal. I don’t give a shit what y’all think. I am gonna marry that girl, if she’ll have me.”

“Cam, listen,” Billy said. “We didn’t mean⁠—”

“I’m not finished,” I said, glaring at him. “And y’all think Rylee must be some immature pampered princess, because of her career. Trust me, she’s not. She’s been through shit that would have brought every one of you to your knees, myself included. That woman is a fighter. She knows what she wants.” I stood, throwing some bills down on the table. “And for whatever reason, she’s decided she wants me. So, that means it’s time for me to up my game, and be the man she deserves.”