Page 30 of For the Cameras

“It was worth it. They’re gorgeous.” He walked over toward the windows that looked out over Spruce Street and all of the trees below. “I like all of the exposed brick in your apartment, too.”

“The brick is very cool,” I said, glancing around at the walls.

There was a pause in our conversation, and Adam just looked out the window for a bit as I stood in the kitchen, feeling more and more self-conscious by the moment. He was wearing a sage green long-sleeve shirt and dark denim, and I couldn’t stop staring at the neckline of his shirt, right where his skin started to show.

I practically ached for him. Jamie had been right—Adam really was off-limits, and I knew that.

But I also couldn’t remember the last time I’d been so attracted to someone.

“So, how has your day been?” Adam asked, turning to face me.

The stark beauty of his eyes made me feel like he had me pinned up against the wall.

Guilty, guilty guilty.

Fuck, I had to tell him the truth. I really cared about him, and the idea of making him uncomfortable in any way crushed me from the inside. The memory of his video from this morning flashed through my mind.

Those eyes, staring out at me from behind a screen.

How fuckinghardit made me come.

I realized I’d never answered him, and by now, I’d forgotten what he asked. I swallowed. “Oh, um, what?”

“Just asked how your day has been,” he said, shifting on his feet. “I’ve been loving this breezy summer air. I went for a swim before I left home.”

“The weather’s been so nice,” I agreed.

What the fuck was this? It was like the tables had turned completely and I was the one struggling to make conversation. Adam was standing there, polite as ever, making small talk with me about the weather.

“Chase, was there a reason you wanted me to come over?” he asked gently. “It really seemed like there was something you needed to talk about.”

“Let’s grab some of those beers,” I said, opening up the first pack. “Oh, nice, they’ve got a wheat beer. Come with me.”

I led him to the balcony door in the living room, pushing it open.

“This is awesome,” he said. “Can you ever see the stars out here? Locate any of the constellations?”

“Not many,” I said. “Too much light filters up from the street. I bet you get more good stargazing on your balcony further up in the mountains.”

“Most nights I go out and look for stars out there,” Adam said. “But you can catch a few out here, I bet. It’s really cool for looking down at the street, too.”

“I do love sitting out here.”

I was on the fourth floor, and the balcony looked out over Spruce Street. String lights lined the brick walkways below, and my view was mostly tree leaves, peppered with views of the street and people walking by underneath.

We sat down on the cushioned lounge chairs with our beers, the sounds of the evening filtering up from the street.

“There is something I want to talk to you about,” I said, my heart rate amping up already. “But let me get a beer in me first, okay?”

“That sounds ominous,” Adam said, giving me a look. “Are you sure everything is okay?”

“Yes. Totally fine. Mostly,” I said too quickly. The little glowing lights from the street reflected in his eyes and caught me off guard. “You look really good tonight.”

I’d barely been able to hold in the compliment, but I knew it was worth it when I saw the look of happiness and relief on his face.

“Thank God,” I said. “I was starting to think you hated me.”

“What? Why?How?”