Eyes shining, Cam let out a huge breath. Then he took a long swig of coffee. “Yeah, probably better.”
Hold on, did Cam not want her to go? Why the hell not? Because of the video?
Buoyed by a sudden stubbornness, she said, “You know, on second thought, maybe I should stop by. I mean, since your mom extended the invitation to me and all.”
Riley clapped her hands together in quick succession. “Yeah.”
Cam’s face fell. “Are you sure? It’s, ah, a formal, black-tie kind of party.”
“Not a problem. I recently bought a gown when I was visiting Milan. It’ll be just perfect for the occasion.”
Did he think she couldn’t afford a gown or something? That she’d never been to a formal party? She may not have a bank account like his but, hell, who did? Besides, Elle couldn’t figure out why he wouldn’t want her there. But she’d show him. Not only would she go to that party, but she’d look better than she ever had in her entire life.
“A gown from Milan? Oh, my God, you are like the coolest person I know. I must raid your closet immediately.”
Elle smiled at Riley even as she watched Cam seething.
“My mother’s parties are overrated. Trust me,” he said through clenched teeth.
Enough was enough. She was tired, a little overwhelmed and greatly annoyed. She stood and turned to Cam. Trying to get up in his face proved difficult, considering her five feet six inches didn’t come close to his height. Still, she tilted her chin up and pegged him with her most intimidating stare.
“Maybe I should come to that conclusion myself.”
Riley stayed silent as she watched the two of them from the table with an interested look on her face.
“It’s not going to go the way you want,” Cam said quietly, so only she could hear.
“What way is that, exactly?”
He looked as if he wanted to say something. His mouth even opened slightly, but no words came out. Elle could practically see the wheels churning in his brain.
“Jasper,” he whispered, his eyes glued to hers.
Just as she’d suspected. Even Cam thought she would still make a fool out of herself over his brother.
It hadn’t even been a full twenty-four hours since she’d returned and she already felt like a total outcast. Stupidly, she’d thought a full decade away would have given everyone ample time to forget about that one little moment when she’d lost her mind.
Her cheeks felt warm as she tried to hold the embarrassment at bay. She wanted to yell at Cam, tell him she wasn’t some girl obsessed with her high school crush. Truthfully, she didn’t know how she’d feel seeing Jasper again. Her stomach tightened at the thought of it. But she was back in Bayside, so she knew it would happen eventually. What did Cam think? She would see his brother and throw herself at his feet?
How many other people would assume the same?
Beyond frustrated with Cam and his presumptions, she gathered her things and nodded to Riley. Then she narrowed her eyes at Cam. “I wouldn’t miss this party for anything in the world, Cameron Dumont.”
With that, she pushed open the door with all the dignity she could muster.
Bayside Blogger @BSBlogger
First nugget of the day. Ellie Owens in @TheBrewside, a certain yummy recluse antagonizing her until she fled the scene...
“Elle, wait up!” Cam called as he rushed out of The Brewside. It had taken him one whole second to realize he’d really hurt her feelings.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want Elle to come tomorrow night. It was more that he didn’t want her to become upset at the party when the local gossips would no doubt descend on her like a scene from Hitchcock’s The Birds.
And dammit, he knew she’d changed. Jasper had changed, too. But the rest of Bayside? Still the same. That was the problem.
Bayside was his home and he loved it. But that didn’t mean he was oblivious to the inherent small-town quirks—like gossip, clinging to the past and more gossip.
Elle and Jasper in the same room with the entire town watching was a recipe for disaster.
But at the moment, Cam needed to find Elle and explain. Or at the very least, apologize. He spotted her light brown hair blowing in the soft breeze coming off the water. She was halfway across the square. He rushed in that direction.
“Elle, hang on.”
“I’m done talking to you.” She kept walking.
Finally close enough to stop her, Cam reached for her arm. He grabbed hold for a second before she shook him off and turned around to face him. “What is your problem?”
“I only wanted to say...”
“What?” she snapped.
“I’m sorry.”
“Well—oh.”
By the way she blinked multiple times in rapid succession without any words coming out of her mouth, he’d obviously taken her by surprise. She started biting her lip, and then squinted up at him.
“I think you got the wrong impression back there,” he said. “My parents’ parties...” He threw his hands up in the air. “They are... I mean, it’s just that the people that go... I really don’t...”
Her face fell and she shrugged. “I get it. You don’t want me there. You think I’ll make a scene and ruin the event. Is that what you’re trying to say?”
“No.”
“Then what?” she asked.
“I hate those parties.”
There, he’d said it out loud. He’d never really told anyone that before, although he was sure many people assumed as much. After all, a surly guy hanging out in the corner, downing beer instead of expensive, imported champagne, and talking to as few people as possible, might give off the impression he wasn’t the party-loving animal the rest of the Dumonts were. He felt almost guilty admitting that. Like he was betraying his family, and hadn’t he already done that when he’d shirked his birthright and started his own company?
“You hate the parties? Really?” She emitted a little laugh.
“Why are you laughing?”
“It’s funny. Unless they’ve drastically changed, your parents’ parties are supposed to rival...” she tapped a finger against her lips, pausing in thought “...Oscar parties, inaugural balls, royal weddings.”
His turn to laugh. “Can’t say I know about any of those things. Listen, I don’t think you’d make a scene tomorrow, although to be honest, it would be a hell of a lot more fun if you did.”
“Cam.” She rolled her eyes, but was smiling as she did so.
She had a nice smile. Really nice, he noticed. It brightened up her face and brought out those adorable dimples in her cheeks.
And the sun was catching her hair, casting a golden hue on the brown tresses.
“Cam,” she repeated. “Tell me the real reason you don’t want me to come to the party.”
He looked around the square, at the stores that hadn’t yet opened for the day. Some wouldn’t open at all, their owners here only for the busy summer tourist season. In the distance, he could hear the squawking of gulls as a fishing boat no doubt returned to the bay.
Bayside was home. It always