Selfless: Book Two (bxb) ✔️

Chapter Nine: It Happened One Night

Cade Windsor

"Stop pouting."

I sunk lower into the seat, staring that that damned elf on the dashboard. "In the car? Really? I should give you extra points for making a knife big enough for him to hold."

Ace was focused on the road with sunglasses over those carefree eyes of his. Damn him. "It wouldn't be very symbolic if he didn't hold a knife at least once, Dancer."

Carter coughed dramatically from the backseat. "You guys sound like an actual married couple. Ethan and Nolan took their own car; you don't have to perform for Cameron or Asher. Alastair has his AirPods in, but him either."

I glanced in the rearview mirror and gave him the finger. "That's not a show—he put Creeps the elf in the damn car. And here I thought it would be a peaceful afternoon."

"Comet, you haven't told me to stop. I already said that if you didn't like it, tell me, and I'll stop. You haven't done that. Therefore, with all due respect, deal with it."

"Don't say 'with all due respect' if you're not going to be respectful," I grumbled. "I'm beginning to regret every life choice that led me to this moment."

Carter snorted. "Cade, it was Alastair who started all of this—it was his life choices that led you here. If he didn't try to ask me out in college, none of us would be sitting here. None of us had connections to anyone. I mean, I didn't even meet Asher until after college. I wanted alcohol, and he was having a Christmas party. I tried to crash it, and I ended up saving the day."

Asher mumbled something under his breath that I didn't catch before he said. "Yes, I'm thankful to still have my building because of you. Except now I have to deal with all three triplets. Two out of three aren't bad."

Cameron scoffed quietly. "Good thing I'm not here for you, isn't it? Keep your opinions to yourself, would you? I don't have anything to prove to you."

"No, you're absolutely right." Asher shot back. "I'd have to care about you to continue this conversation, and I won't be."

When I glanced in the mirror again, I didn't miss the flash of hurt in Cameron's eyes. I didn't miss the way he turned his body toward the window and stared outside with dead eyes. Something was going on with him—something major, and I felt slight panic start crawling up my spine.

I hoped that whatever was clearly bothering him was what he wanted to talk about. We've spent a long time surrounded by people who didn't care about us, and I knew Asher's comment hit the mark because we only once had each other. Now, we were a crumbled pile of shattered pieces on the ground. We held the ability to rebuild, but everyone had to be on board. 

My gaze flickered to Carter, and I saw him looking at Cameron with the same look of worry I knew was filling my chest. Even though he played tough on the outside, none of us liked it when any of us were in pain. Cameron was clearly going through something. He wouldn't admit to it. But we knew. We knew, and we had to wait until he spoke about it.

Carter's eyes found mine in the mirror, and his flicked his sight to Cameron for a split second. I knew he was telling me the same thing I was already thinking. What the hell was that, and why was Cameron so upset by it? By someone whom he didn't know. 

Because, whether we like it or not, the opinions of strangers matter to us. Especially when one of those strangers in Cameron's world liked two out of three of the triplets. I tried to convey my answer, glancing at Asher for a moment before looking at Carter. I shrugged. There was simply nothing we could do. If we pushed Cameron, it would cause him to retreat. We couldn't have that. Not when he was this close.