The Duet(83)

Chapter Twenty-Eight





I’ll admit, Cammie wasn’t the most gracious person in the world, but usually she didn’t verbalize her death threats. Clearly, I’d screwed up with her somewhere along the way.

Jason chuckled and held out a graduation card for her to take. She eyed it like it was a snake about to bite her, but then she reluctantly accepted it. Of course, she didn’t bother to open it.

“I guess they’ll just let anyone into these things¸” she glared. “I thought I told Hank to kill on sight—”

“Cammie! Be nice,” I warned as the limousine pulled away from the stadium.

We had fifteen minutes to make it back downtown for our reservation at a trendy French bistro. (Fifteen minutes to persuade Cammie to lay off Jason.) I’d reserved a back room and had hired a party planner to make it extra special for Cammie since she insisted she didn’t want a graduation party.

“I am being nice. This is my nice face, see?” She proceeded to force her lips apart in the most awkward smile I’d ever seen.

“I’ve raised an animal,” I said, tossing my hands into the air in defeat.

“A cute one,” Summer said, winking at Cammie.

“You should read your card,” Jason said, pointing to where Cammie had dropped the small cream envelope onto the leather seat next to her.

“Maybe you should read my lips: N-O. Not after what you did to my sister.”

Oh, great. World, welcome to my drama. Here, have a front row seat.

“Cammie, seriously, everything is fine,” I said, trying to meet her eye so that I could reassure her. I couldn’t blame her for wanting to be protective of me, but I already had Hank. I didn’t need Cammie, too.

“Fine,” she said, grabbing the envelope and tearing the envelope open with her finger. We all sat there watching her unfold the card. I wasn’t close enough to make out what the front said, but it looked simple enough. It took her a little while to read, but I didn’t pry. When she was done, she licked her bottom lip and nodded while she stuffed the card back into the envelope.

“You are one charming suckwad, Monroe, I’ll give you that,” she said, giving him a sly smile.

I didn’t even bother chastising her because Jason cracked up and shook his head. Whatever was inside that envelope had hopefully changed Cammie’s opinion of Jason, and I had to use every ounce of willpower not to reach across the seat and rip it out of her hand so that I could read it too.

“We’re here,” Summer said, clapping her hands and bringing everyone’s attention toward the bistro coming up on our right. It was a hidden gem in the city. The front of the restaurant was painted black with a glossy sheen. Gold filigree spanned the windows, creating works of art that dotted the exterior. Grayson was standing against the side of the building with his head down as he scrolled through his phone. The moment she saw him, Cammie froze.

“What the hell is Grayson doing here?” she asked, the color visibly draining from her face.

She hadn’t even had that bad of a reaction when she’d seen Jason.

“He came to your graduation, so I invited him to lunch,” I explained, studying her.

The limousine driver parked near the entrance of the restaurant and we all stepped out onto the sidewalk. Cammie moved to take her cap and gown off, but I held up my camera.

“Leave it on for two photos and then you can take it off,” I pleaded. I really wanted a cheesy photo of her to frame for my fireplace.

She sighed and stepped outside, all evidence of her sassiness left behind in the limousine. When I posed her against the glossy backdrop of the restaurant she didn’t even fight it. She plastered on a smile and let me snap away — all without acknowledging Grayson’s presence.

I peered over to watch him out of the corner of my eye, but he wouldn’t look away from Cammie. He was studying her with a furrowed brow, his lips tugged into a thin line that wasn’t exactly a frown. Okay, it was pretty close to a frown.

“Okay, are we done?” Cammie asked with an unusually timid tone. No one made Cammie shy, no one except Grayson apparently.

“Yes. I got some good ones,” I said, scrolling back through the last few photos.

“Finally! I’m starving!” Summer said, moving to hold the door open for everyone. Grayson hung back, teetering on the curb with his hands shoved in his suit pockets.

“Cameron, may I speak with you for a moment?” he asked with an air of polite indifference that I wasn’t used to. My gaze snapped to Cammie as she swallowed slowly and nodded.

“You guys can go inside,” she said, her dark eyes wary and unsure.