Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 104252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Maribel
I swipe at my tears as I text Cam that I’m home safely. It’s getting harder and harder to spend so much time with him. I’m completely in love with him and yet I’ll be leaving to marry someone else soon.
I didn’t mean for that to happen, but we’ve been best friends for the last three and a half years. It’s kind of hard not to fall for someone who completely has your back when you don’t have anyone else.
Taylor is still a good friend, but I’ve never shared my deepest, darkest secrets with her. She moved into the dorms full time sophomore year when she got a roommate who was much kinder than her first one.
I hope she gets that lucky again this time. Her roommate from the fall semester dropped out. She’s been stressed all break about her replacement.
I’m too attached to my privacy and have continued to live at my cousin’s place. Ximena’s apartment might as well be mine. She’s never home and even allowed me to change some things around.
My cousin has become a friend when she is here. I will forever be grateful to her. She lends a listening ear when she’s around, but that’s not often.
“Hey,” Ximena says as I walk into the apartment.
I jump, startled out of my thoughts. She laughs and shakes her head. I sigh and kick my shoes off.
“Hey, I didn’t know you were going to be home. I didn’t get your text,” I say.
“I forgot to text. My flight was canceled at the last minute. I couldn’t find another to work, so I came home to hang with my little cousin.
“You’re graduating soon. I’m going to miss having you here. I’m thinking about getting rid of the place,” she says.
“I’m going to miss it here. I wish I could stay.”
“You’re welcome to as long as you want. Just let me know and I’ll hold onto the place.”
“I wouldn’t want to put you out any more than I already have. Thanks for the offer though.”
“You haven’t put me out one bit. You actually did me a favor. The offer stands. I got pizza and wine. You in?” she says with a smile.
“Yeah, I’m going to hop in the shower first, if you don’t mind.”
“Take your time. I promise not to polish off the bottle.”
I laugh and wave her off as I head for my room to strip and gather my things to take my shower. I’m moving slowly as I think over my conversation with Cam. We tell each other that we love each other all the time, but I don’t think he means it like I do or knows how much I mean it.
I’ve never disrespected his relationship with Kay. Although I’ve always thought he could do better. She just sounds like everything is about her.
He loves her, but I don’t think he’s in love with her. If not for the pressure from his mother and hers, I don’t think he would still be with her. However, I read something in his face tonight when I asked about her.
It could be my stupid heart wanting something I can’t have, but Cam just sounded over it. I do my best to stay out of their relationship. It’s not like I can offer him what he needs.
Not that the chemistry between us is gone. We have plenty of that. Cam and I could light a city with the electricity that runs between us.
That’s what’s been making things so hard lately. I’ll be leaving to return home and Dez is there waiting. These feelings I have for Cam are only making my future seem more bleak.
“Why can’t you just stay away from him?” I say as I stand under the spray in the shower.
I have a ton of reasons to stay away, Dez being only one. I know Cam better than he knows himself and yet I know he’s still keeping secrets from me.
I’ve never pushed because I have no right to all his thoughts or his life. When it comes to Cam, I’m happy to have a friend I can talk to on those days when I feel alone in all of this.
I step from the shower and wrap myself in a towel. Before I can get my clothes on, my phone rings. I know right away it’s Dez. I don’t fight him on these mandatory nightly calls because he did back off some after freshman year.
“Hello,” I answer the phone.
“Good evening, Maribel. How is my fiancée doing? How was your day?”
I roll my eyes. I don’t get what the act is for. I already know who he is.
“It was fine. I’m getting ready for bed.”
“Did you receive my email? What do you think about the venues I sent over?”
“I didn’t get a chance to look them over. Today was busy. I had to get all my books and things for class.”