Path To Retaliation (Fighter's Den, #2)

Chapter 22 - Avery

"Say what?" I screech.

"What?"

"Not literally!" I smack Cameron's arm. "Ugh!"

"Okay." He sniffs. "Rude."

"This is crazy. You're crazy."

"Estas loco." He wiggles his brows.

I rear back. "No, I'm not."

His eyes grow insanely wide. "Wait. What did I say?"

"You said that I'm crazy." I cross my arms and level him with a stare.

"I meant to say estas loco...for me."

I lose my composure at that and burst out laughing. His efforts were nothing short of adorable, sometimes. "Nice."

"Don't you think you should think about this?"

"Cameron, you didn't even think about this."

"The beauty of this idea is I don't have to think about this. It's that perfect."

"Moving in with you?" Saying the words aloud speeds up my heart rate. My mind is swimming with emotions right now, none of which make sense, but I can't deny the underlying giddiness at the thought of living with Cameron. "We're supposed to take things slow Cameron. Friends, remember?"

"Friends can be roommates. This is exactly something a friend would offer you. It makes total sense."

"Except for the fact that we have history so this would only complicate things. We can't jump into things based on a whim anymore. That's the kind of behaviour that almost destroyed us last time."

"No, it was the fact that we weren't communicating. And what are we doing right now? Communicating."

"Communicating also involves listening and you're not listening to me."

"It's because you look insanely hot when you're mad at me and it's distracting. This is all your fault!"

"Cam." I bite the inside of my cheek to restrain my laughter. The only thing more annoying than Cameron being annoying was his ability to make me laugh while I was annoyed with him.

"Okay, okay. For realsies." He holds his hands up in surrender. "Just think about it from a logical perspective and not from an emotional one. Your father somehow tracked you down and showed up at your doorstep mere weeks after his early release from prison. You don't want him to come anywhere near you but that's a given now that he knows where you live. Chances are he might snoop around for Em's info too because he knows you two are best friends and she might have information on you. Your old man has no idea who the hell I am. On top of that I'm living in a home that has a high-class security system I payed for so that's double the safeguarding you get. Lastly, you and I get along great and yes we're working on being friends but I'm doing this for you because you're my best friend and I'll go out of my fucking mind if you live with anyone but me. I need to know you're safe, Avery. Please reconsider this."

Ah, damn it. I can literally feel my resolve melting at his words. I see where he's coming from, no doubt, and in retrospect he's definitely making sense but...

"I'm scared." I finally admit.

His eyes soften and he places both of his hands on my shoulders, rubbing them affectionately. My insides twist at his innocent touch. "Of what?"

"We're doing so well, Cam. How we are now is all I ever wished for those months we weren't even talking. And last time things were going so well it all went to shit. What's to say it won't happen this time?"