Page 83 of See You Again

The way his eyes went to their table, James knew Justin had seen him feeding Cami. A primitive, possessive satisfaction settled in his chest. That’s right, fucker. She’s mine.

The sentiment startled him. This wasn’t real after all.

Nevertheless, James winked at Justin and then picked up the clean spoon. “Now the chocolate.”

“Poor, Justin. He hates to be embarrassed.”

“Cami,” His low voice brought her attention back to him. “Chocolate.” But instead of obediently opening her mouth like he wanted, Cami frowned and took the spoon from his hand, setting it down.

“He was watching us, wasn’t he?”

James didn’t want to talk about Justin. He wanted to watch Cami open those gorgeous lips and moan again.

“James.”

He scowled. The moment was gone even though his body was still painfully hard. “Who cares?”

Cami looked troubled. “Do you really think he…”

“Is infatuated with you? Yeah.”

“But… But… When did that happen?”

James huffed a bitter laugh. “I’m starting to think he always was. Who wouldn’t be?” he muttered, but Cami caught his words.

“What did you just say?”

“Are you ready to go?” James ignored her question and signaled to the server they needed their check. He could feel Cami’s eyes on him. Knew that she’d heard what he’d said. James kicked himself mentally for letting the words slip out.

“Why do you dislike him so much?”

“Why are you still friends with him?” James countered through his teeth.

Cami’s brows met between her eyes as her lips turned down. “He’s been a loyal friend?—”

James didn’t mean for his disbelieving snort to be so loud. Her eyes widened. His jaw clenched as he signed the check.

“Why are you being like this? Is this because he told me what you said at the gala all those years ago? I don’t blame you… not anymore.” Cami gave an unhappy shrug that pulled at his heart. “Maybe you were kidding or were embarrassed... I don't know. Maybe it was a joke, and he shouldn't have repeated it. Maybe I shouldn't have taken it so seriously at the time, but when he told me, it hurt. I don’t deny that. I thought, if nothing else, we were friends.”

James’s heart constricted. The question he should have asked twelve years ago finally coming out. “What exactly did Justin say I said?”

A premonition sent a sensation that felt simultaneously like ice and lava across his nerves. It had struck James as odd that she and Justin had remained friends all these years when she first mentioned it. Particularly given Justin had effectively called her a gold digger. But once he saw how similar his girlfriend Layla was to Cami…

Her eyes slid away. “James, it's not worth revisiting. We’ve been having fun together. Let’s not ruin it by rehashing something stupid from when we were young.”

“Cami,” He waited until she met his eyes. “It’s worth it to me.”

Her gaze bounced between his eyes, trying to gauge his sincerity. “He told me what you said to your father at that gala.” She inhaled a deep breath and squared her shoulders as if she was readying herself for battle. “He said you told your father that, if he thought Luke’s behavior was embarrassing, just wait until you paraded your charity case girlfriend around his social circle. That it didn’t matter what you did because I chased after you like a puppy dog. You also told him that, after all the work you’d put in slumming it with me senior year, you deserved something for it… That you brought me to the gala and made sure my picture was taken so that you could rub it in your father's face and then…” Her cheeks reddened. “In your words, give me a pity fuck because at least I was pretty enough for that.”

Though she recited it in a flat tone, James heard the pain in her voice through the roaring in his ears. “Cami?—”

He couldn’t breathe, and his pulse raced. Was he having a heart attack? James’s throat tightened with rage as his heart tried to beat from the cracked cavity that used to be his chest. His vision blurred in front of him, and he concentrated on the sting of the silverware cutting into his hand to stay present.

Her eyes glittered, and she forced a smile. “It doesn't matter anymore. James, you were young, and we were drinking. I know I definitely had too much that night.”

“I was young, but I never fucking said that. I would never fucking say that because it wasn’t true!” he snarled.

“You don't have to?—”