Kara If there were times when I caught Cameron brooding, too many times in fact that it was concerning, I asked myself to be more patient. He said he would tell me when he was ready. He promised. And I believed him. If there were times when I felt like Cameron was shifting to a place where I couldn't reach him, I asked myself to take courage. He would come back. He said he always would. And I trusted him. If there were times when I felt a desperation in him when he kissed me, when he touched me, when he had me, I told my heart to hold it together. Whatever was bothering him was giving him a hard time. I told myself to be stronger, that everything was going to be okay. I knew that I would only make it harder for him if I started demanding. But still... In bed, there were times when he refused to let go of me, even in his sleep. His arm would wrap around my waist possessively and, again, with that desperation in him that had become familiar to me. Whenever he would release me, I thought I saw fear in his eyes, as though he was scared that I'd disappear, but maybe I was imagining it. After all, where would I go? In the following months, Cameron and I became inseparable. He'd given me his house key and I had given him mine. We slept beside each other, at his place or mine, whenever our schedules allowed. And even when they didn't, we found a way. Cameron had been a part of my life so deeply as if he had always been there. I couldn't imagine my life without him. It wasn't something I would say lightly. Those words held a heavy weight because my life before him had been hard and meaningful. I always had my family beside me, but I never had anyone I could share all of myself with, be with, and...love so completely, so intensely, so intimately it consumed me. Not like this. It was terrifying. "Kara," he groaned. "Deeper." "That's what she said," I mumbled. He laughed a little, and it turned into a moan as I went deeper. With my elbow. He was lying on his stomach on his bed—sprawled, really, that he'd taken most of the space—and I was on top of him, straddling his hips as I gave him a massage. He wouldn't want anything but my elbow, teasing that my fingers were too dainty and wouldn't go deeper on his muscular back like my elbow did. Sometimes he'd even get me to step on his back. I worried that I'd break his spine, but he seemed to be made of stone and enjoyed it. Still my massaging skills were nothing compared to his. His hands were wide and huge, his fingers long and strong, and when they slide and did their magic on my body, I became putty in his hands. "Have you changed your mind about going to BC with me?" Cameron asked, moaning as I dug circles on his upper back. I loved hearing the sound of his moan, but instead of smiling, I frowned at the back of his dark head. We'd had this conversation several times before. Not just about British Columbia, but with other places too. It was like he was possessed by a travelling itch. It had started in winter, just as the new year began. It was summer now and he was still at it. He'd always suggest going out of town or overseas—a vacation or he'd even go as far as to suggest living elsewhere for a while. I knew he travelled a lot for work, but I never suspected he was the type of person who liked it. One afternoon on my day off, I went to visit the site where he was working and brought three bags of food for the crew. It was a three-story building just past the city limits to the south. It was so hot I could see the heat shimmering in the air. I felt sticky and sweaty by the time I walked the short distance from my car to the front entrance. My heart hitched as I spotted Cameron up on the roof, toolbelt around his hips, muscular arms straining, sweat dripping, shouting directions to the crew. It was one of the hottest things I'd ever seen in my life. I was mesmerized. I was about to reach for my phone to start filming when someone walked up to me. "He hates heights." I had to force my eyes away from the show and looked at Caleb. Like Cameron, he was shirtless, sweaty, and beautiful. His bronze hair was wet with water or sweat, probably a mixed of both, plastered on his forehead. Testosterone overload. Jesus. What are these guys eating? There must be something in the water. "Cameron hates heights?" "Yeah. You brought this? Damn. You're awesome. I'm starving to death." "You're welcome. Then why is he up there?" He shrugged. "It's just the way Cameron is. Cool, huh?" My eyes went back to Cameron, watched him for a while. He didn't look scared at all, but then again, Cameron was really good at hiding his emotions. "Hey, Caleb?" He bit into a chicken leg, chewed and swallowed, reached for a napkin and wiped his mouth before he said, "Yeah?" "Cameron has been asking me to travel with him." He angled his head. "Travel where?" "Everywhere. He asked if I want to go on a vacation—out of province, even out of the country." Caleb raised his brows in surprise. "Are we talking about the same guy here?" "I know, right?" He reached for a big jug and took a long drink. "He doesn't like being around people," he said. "If he needed a break, he'd go to the country. Got a secret hideout there I don't even know about." Cameron said I was the only person who knew about his property and the only one he'd brought there. "There's this BC project he's been talking about," I said. "He mentioned it would take months. He asked if I want to move there with him. Did he mention it to you?" "He's not one to talk about his plans." I sighed. "I've heard about it from Rick. It's his friend who wants Cam," Caleb continued. "It would be good for Cameron's rep if he takes it. Would bring a good profit too. He could do it. He's worked with the BC crew a few times before." He leaned his hip against a makeshift table, grabbed another chicken. "What's curious is why he'd want to work that far. He doesn't take out of province jobs anymore as far as I know." So, what was up? Shaking off my thoughts, I shifted on Cameron's back and pressed the heels of my hands on his middle back. Honestly, I felt bad always saying no to him, so I could only explain again. "Cam, you know I can't leave Dad and Dylan, especially now that the shop's been so busy. We just hired another mechanic for the bodyshop. I feel like it will just get crazier. Which is really good," I added. I'd said this to him before too. Now that the shop belonged solely to my family, all the profits had been invested back into it. We had new equipment, hired two mechanics, and expanding the bay was in our plans. Most days I wanted to dance naked out of sheer happiness. Business was booming. It also felt strange that suddenly I had all this saved money in the bank. It had been in my savings account for years, accumulating until I could finally pay off Andrew's shares. I never once considered it mine. I remembered taping the bank statement on my wall to remind me of my goal. And now all this money belonged to me. My dad refused to take any of it and told me to buy a new car. Or, I thought with excited glee, I could finally go shopping for clothes and make-up. Calm your tits. "Also," I continued, "I can't leave my term at The Yard until Deb comes back. Pretty soon now."