Love in Isolation: Six Book Complete Set

Chapter 6

Cami has given me whiplash the past couple of days, but I’m managing the best I can.

One second, she’s blazing hot, and the next, she’s ice cold.

Then she’s apologizing.

I must be living in the twilight zone because Cameron rarely admits she’s wrong, so I certainly appreciate her apology. Though she may not believe it, I’m actually glad she’s here and keeping me company. It beats being in this big cabin alone, and if we can get along, even better.

rarelyI throw sticks for Bruno until my arm nearly gives out, then we head back into the house. I grab some bottles of water, go upstairs and take a shower, then log in to my laptop. I have a video conference with some clients and my supervisor for two hours, which is as boring as it sounds. The only bonus is the view of the snow-capped mountains in the distance and clear blue skies. Though it’s a little chilly outside, it’s common for Upstate this time of year.

Once I’m off the call, I return dozens of emails and decide to turn on the news.

Bad f*****g idea.

Bad f*****g idea.Reporters show footage of doctors working in the ER in New York City under extreme distress, and it has me on edge thinking about Ryan. Though he might not be able to text me back, I message him, anyway, so he knows he’s on my mind.

Elijah

Hope you’re doing okay. s**t is looking scary on TV.

I’m shocked when his reply comes minutes later.

Ryan

It’s f*****g bad. Never in my life have I ever seen anything like this before.

Elijah

I can’t believe it. It doesn’t seem real.

Ryan

I heard you’re stuck with my sister. Sorry, I didn’t know she’d be there, but I’m glad you guys are together and safe. Gives me one less thing to worry about.

Elijah

Did she chew your ass out?

Ryan

Not really. She said she was worried about me so I tried to downplay things so she wouldn’t have an anxiety attack.

Elijah

Does she still get them?

I knew she did in high school, but wasn’t sure if she still did. Since the media is constantly in her business and making up stories, she’s overly private about her personal life.

Ryan

Yeah, sometimes. She doesn’t always tell me, so it could be happening more than I know.

Elijah

I’ll keep an eye on her. Did she tell you Zane broke up with her?

Ryan

What? No. That fucker. I’m gonna punch his pretty boy face.

I laugh, knowing he totally would, too.

Elijah

Don’t worry, she’s taking her anger out on me.

Ryan

I believe that. Don’t let her near the vodka.

I snort.

Elijah

You’re a day late and a dollar short on that tip.

Ryan

Fuck. Sorry.

Elijah

Don’t be. We’ll be fine. She’s coming around. We’ll be married in no time ;)

Ryan

I’m not sure if I should worry about the virus killing you or my sister, but good luck either way!

Elijah

Be safe, bro! Keep me updated with how things are going. I’ll make sure Cami is safe.

Ryan

Appreciate it, man. I gotta run. Talk to you later!

I’m not a religious guy, but I whisper a little prayer to keep my best friend safe and healthy along with his coworkers and patients.

By three thirty, I’m tired of glaring at my computer screen and want some fresh air, so I take Bruno outside. I chase him around the yard, throw the stick a dozen times, and am nearly out of breath after thirty minutes.

“Let’s get some water, bud.” I pet his head, and we go into the house. As I reach the fridge, I spot Cami at the kitchen table with her cat lying next to her computer.

“Hey,” I say as she pounds her fingers on the keyboard. Grabbing a bottle of water, I offer her one, too.

“No, thanks.” She doesn’t take her eyes off the screen.

I chug half of it before taking a deep breath, trying to get as much air as possible. Bruno drinks every drop in his entire water dish, and I fill it up for him. When I turn around, I notice Cami’s cat is moving around the table, taking notice of the dog. To avoid another war between them, I put Bruno in my room.

“You okay?” I ask Cami when I return downstairs. “I don’t think you’ve blinked in five minutes.”

“Just working on a paper.”

“You look like you’re about to fire someone.” I chuckle. She finally drifts her gaze toward me and shoots me a death glare. “What? You seem tense. That paper piss you off or something?”

“It’s called focusing.”

“Why are you down here anyway?”

“I got tired of looking at the same thing upstairs,” she explains. “Plus, I needed more caffeine.”

“Speaking of which, can you teach me how to use that machine? I mean, unless your plan is to make it for me every morning. And if that’s the case, I’d prefer it be delivered to my bedroom.” I smirk, sitting on the edge of the table.

“You have a better chance of a meteor hitting us than me bringing you coffee in bed.”

“Ouch.” I chuckle, placing my hand over my heart. “Why don’t you take a break? Have you eaten yet?”

“Not since breakfast.”

I check the time and see it’s already after four. “That was hours ago. C’mon, shut down the laptop and make me dinner.”

Her fingers finally stop moving, and her shoulders shake as she laughs. “You’re not as slick as you think.”

“Really?” I stand. “Because I think I just got you to finally smile.”

She rolls her eyes with a groan. “Fine, but after we eat, I have to get back to it. This professor is a hard-ass, and instead of taking it easy on us during this time, she’s added assignments.”

added“Sounds like a b***h move,” I say. “But you’re a genius, so I’m sure it’s cake for you.”

Cami flashes me a look of uncertainty. “I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not.”

I hold up two fingers. “I swear, totally genuine.” Her expression softens. “You’re obviously smart, Cami. You got into NYU on your own merits. You’re just not fix a toilet seat smart.”

fix a toilet seatShe leans back in the chair, and her arms fall to her sides. “And you’re clearly not make coffee smart.”

make coffeeLaughing, I nod and shrug. “Right. So it’s perfect. I’ll be in charge of the hard labor, and you’re in charge of making sure I’m caffeinated enough to do it.”

Her gaze lowers to my mouth, and I wonder if she’s thinking about our kiss like I am. When she licks her lips, the temptation to lean in is strong, but I refrain. The last thing I want is for things to be more complicated between us. It’s only the two of us, and it’s too easy to blur the lines. If we’re going to stay here and get through this together, we have to be civil and respectful of each other.

“Okay, deal. But don’t expect room service,” she teases, closing her laptop.

“Oh…” I say slowly. “So, then I guess it’s a no for personal lap dances?”

“Are you always this obnoxious?”

“Only when I know it gets on your nerves.” I beam, staring into her crystal blue eyes. They’re brighter than yesterday.

“I’m gonna need way more vodka to deal with you.” She stands and pushes in her chair, then moves to the kitchen.

“Actually, I was informed to hide that.”

She looks over her shoulder and glares at me. “If you know what’s good for you, you won’t.”

I follow her, then rummage through the fridge for the meat I brought. It’ll go bad if we don’t eat it soon. “Do you like chicken fettuccini Alfredo?”

“Is that pasta?” she asks, leaning against the island.

Turning to look at her, I furrow my brows. “Are you serious?”

“What?” She shrugs. “I don’t eat a lot of pasta.” I tilt my head at her. “Okay, fine. I never eat pasta.”

never “Guess that means you’re about to have the best meal of your life,” I tell her, gloating. “Wash your hands.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not making this alone. Time for you to learn how to cook, woman.”

She sighs and goes to the sink, then suds up her hands. “Don’t get your hopes up.”

I chuckle at how she exaggerates her inability to cook and then grab all the ingredients for dinner. After I place the box of pasta and chicken breasts on the counter, I grab a knife and cutting board. “You can be in charge of the chicken. Cut off the fat, then slice it into long pieces. Think you can manage?”

“I guess we’ll see.” She steps closer to the counter and opens the package. I hold back a smile when she grabs the chicken breast and cringes. Carefully, she places it on the cutting board as if it’s going to jump out of her hands. “This is really gross.”

“Dry it with a paper towel first,” I tell her.

Cami does what I say, and I’m amused by how helpless she looks. You’d think she was dealing with a live animal by the way she’s holding it. With her back to my chest, I lean into her ear. “Don’t worry, it won’t bite ya.”

“Not funny,” she deadpans.

I place my hands on her shoulders, and she shivers. “I have faith in you.”

She inhales sharply, and I release her so I can prepare the sauce. “Wanna learn how to make homemade Alfredo sauce?”

Cami looks over at me, unamused. “Sure, why not?”

Chuckling, I grab the butter, heavy cream, garlic cloves, parmesan cheese, and parsley. Then I tell her what I’m doing as I do it. After I melt the butter in the saucepan, I add the cream, then let it simmer.

“You wanna whisk it?” I ask after I check the sauce, not wanting it to burn.

She looks over her shoulder. “Do what?” Before I can respond, she drops the knife. “f**k!”

When I rush to her side, she’s holding her finger that’s bleeding. “Did you cut yourself?”

“Yes, and it hurts like a bitch.”

“Let me see it.” I grab her arm, turn her toward me, then grab a paper towel before holding her hand in mine. “Oh, man. I think I’m gonna have to amputate.”

“Stop!” she whines. “That stupid knife is really sharp.”

“I think this was caused by the operator’s error,” I say, laughing. “It’s just a small cut. But I’ll grab some supplies and bandage you right up. You’ll be as good as new in no time.”

“You distracted me with your sauce.” She pouts, looking down at her finger as I race to the staircase. I’m full-on laughing as I grab the first-aid kit I packed from my bag and bring it back to her, cradling her hand.

“Raise your arm over your head to slow the bleed.” I stand in front of her and open the kit, finding the items I need to play doctor.

After a moment, I grab her hand and inspect her finger again. “Let’s rinse it under some warm water for a second, and then I’ll clean it with an alcohol pad before putting some Neosporin and a Band-Aid on it.”

She nods, and I lead her to the sink, carefully placing her hand under the stream. She winces for a moment, then relaxes. It’s a baby cut, but I think it freaked her out more than anything.

Once it’s clean, I dry off her finger, then continue to help her. “There,” I say, meeting her eyes and pressing a soft kiss over the wound. “All better.”

She sucks in her lower lip, and I admire the way her freckles sprinkle over her face. Cami’s barely wearing any makeup, but she doesn’t need any because she’s a natural beauty.

“Thank you,” she says softly.

“You’re welcome.” I pat her hand before releasing it. “Perhaps I should take over this part, and you can stir the sauce.”

“You still want my help?”

“Of course I do. A deal is a deal, and it’s pretty hard to f**k up pasta.”

“Don’t underestimate me.” She snickers. “We just started, and I’m already injured.”

“Well, good thing battle wounds are sexy.” I flash her a wink, and I swear I catch her blushing. Cami would never admit it, but I think I’m getting to her the way she’s always got to me.

She continues to stir, and I show her how to make the pasta with my salt and oil trick, so the water doesn’t boil over and the fettuccini doesn’t stick together. I bake some garlic bread, and soon, our meal is complete.

“Wow, this smells delicious,” she says as I set our plates on the table. “Even the bread.”

“Don’t hate on bread.”

“I’m not, but I don’t typically eat this stuff. It’ll probably put me in a carb coma.”

“Maybe it’ll force you to relax for a change.” I smirk, sitting across from her.

“What’s that mean?”

My smirk deepens. “Means you’re uptight.”

She narrows her eyes as she lifts her fork and stabs a piece of chicken. “I’m not uptight.”

I smile when her deadpan expression breaks, and she laughs at her own statement.

“If I get anything out of this situation, it’s gonna be to hear more of that sound come out of you.”

“You act as if I don’t know how to laugh.”

“Do you? All I heard from you growing up was ‘Go away, Elijah!’ followed by a door slamming in my face.” I c**k my head, challenging her to deny it.

“Well, I’m not slamming doors now,” she says, the tension in her body nearly melting away.

“No, just throwing expensive statues.”

Cami playfully rolls her eyes, grinning. “I thought you were a burglar!”

“One who knows the security code and brings food?”

“Keep being a jerk. I just might change the code, and you’ll be out on your ass.” She points at me with her fork, trying to act all serious.

“I’m willing to risk it.” I shrug, knowing she wouldn’t know how to do that. You have to call and verify a bunch of s**t with the security company. I know because Ryan tried to change it so we could sneak up here one weekend, but his parents busted him after they got an alert.

“So how’s your sister doing?” She changes the subject abruptly, but I don’t mind. My sister was one of my best friends growing up and still is.

“Ava’s great.” That reminds me I have to text her and make sure she’s self-isolating, too. “Not exactly your biggest fan,” I mock, finding it ironic she’s asking about her. “She’s going to freak out when I mention the two of us are here.”

Cami groans, sucking in a deep breath. “Another person I need to make amends with, I suppose.”

I shrug, twirling the pasta with my fork. “Wouldn’t hurt.”

“If we ever get to leave and go back to civilization, I’ll make sure I do. I’d rather apologize in person.”

“I’m sure she’d appreciate that. I know I would.”