Though I was technically off work, I had nothing better to do, so I spent my whole afternoon reviewing my colleague's codes. The only concern was stable WiFi, but Riley surprised me by saying she had the best WiFi connection in town and was right about it. I could tell I wasn't her favorite when she lectured me about stereotyping Land's End.

Fast forward, I'd rewritten the parts that could be shorter to increase the performance of the code, fixed some issues, and debugged. After staring at the screen for so long, my brain was mush, which was why I was repeatedly reading the same line of error with no conclusion.

It looked pretty right to me—no syntax errors. However, the system didn't agree with me, even after debugging several times. I sighed and shut my eyes. I knew I should have taken a break from the screen and freshened up, but my stubborn nature refused to step down before detecting this goddamn error.

I sat up on the bed, pulled the laptop to my lap, and tried to look at the code from a new position. My back was stiff from laying motionless for hours, so I put my arms up and stretched my back. My laptop chimed with a notification from Slack.

Jess: Where the hell are you?

It was from my work bestie—Tuesday rubbed on me—Jess. I chose to stay silent for a while, but she didn't take the bait.

Jess: You are online, idiot. And I can track your latest activities on the system.

Amber: I'm in Land's End.

Jess: Not funny.

Amber: I'm not joking.

Jess: Just checked it on Maps. How did you even end up there?

Amber: Long story. I'll tell you when I'm back.

Jess: When will you be back?

Amber: I'll use my honeymoon leave for two weeks.

Jess: *thumbs up*

Jess: Are you okay?

Amber: Could be better.

Amber: But floating.

Jess: Call me if you need anything, ok?

Amber: *thumbs up*

As I opened the code file again to review, I heard the jingle of keys unlocking the door. I pretended to be focused on my screen as Cam entered, put his keys on the table, and mumbled a hello. I resumed glued to my laptop screen as he slowly removed his jacket with a groan and went to the bathroom.

I can do this. I can ignore him for the rest of my life, and everything will be just fine.

I looked down in panic when he walked out. I could feel his burning eyes on me, but I didn't waver. He declared war with me when he went for Uncle Joe. It was a low blow.

"What are you doing?" He said, casually walking toward me as if nothing had happened and glancing at my screen over my shoulder. "Wait. Coding? You need therapy, Amberoni."

"Coding is therapy," I retorted.

"You're crazy," he said with a sigh.

Honestly, I wanted to show him how crazy I could become, but he wasn't worth my effort or time. I was going to be cool, minding my own business.

Then, I saw the shiny package of Chips Ahoy in his hand, and my stomach somersaulted, reminding me that I hadn't had dinner. Cam was quick to follow, seeing my hungry eyes on his snack. "Did you spend your whole day here?" Cam asked as he walked to his armchair.

"Yes, you have a problem with that?"

He shook his head. "I shouldn't judge you for missing out on life." Then, he took the cookies out of the package.

His comment pulled a string of me like a lightning struck on my brain. Missing out? I changed my mind about being cool and decided to show him what he missed. I put my laptop aside and got up from the bed.

Cam's eyebrows tilted as I approached him and grabbed his arm to pull him up from the armchair.

"Well, guess we'll see who was missing out," I said, extending the armchair. I discovered it today and had a good laugh about it. But the feeling of accomplishment I felt at this moment was incomparable. Cam's shocked face was worth all the effort and time.

"You knew this thing could extend out but didn't care to tell me?" He asked in sheer shock, even a bit hurt. I was looking at the delicious cookies instead.

"You're the smartpants, Cammybear," I replied, hopping back on my bed. "Thought you could figure it out."

"I hate you so much."

"The feeling is mutual."

He took a bite from the cookie. Damn. And he chewed it so loudly that I closed my eyes. I guess I should have paid a visit to Uncle Joe.

A fog of angry tension filled the cracks of silence when Cam scrolled on his phone in his beloved armchair and enjoyed his cookies, and I lay down in my comfy bed. Though I didn't do much today, I was feeling exhausted. I guess my body wasn't used to swimming for hours, and my eyes hurt from staring at the screen for so long.

"Do you want cookie?"

I looked at him in surprise as he reached forward and extended the package to me. The temptation of hell. I knew if he offered me these, he would like something in return.

"What do you want?"

"I want to sleep soundly," he replied. I opened my mouth to say that he wasn't getting the bed, but he continued. "But your stomach keeps growling."

Can he hear it?

Embarrassed, I first took one cookie, then two more because one was never enough. I didn't meet his eyes while eating and headed straight to the bathroom before bed.

Taking a warm shower relaxed my muscles. I put on Cam's t-shirt and dried my hair. I actually hated the way the dryer blew my hair off, but sleeping on wet hair gave me a headache, so I'd pick bad hair over a headache any day.

Cam was lying in my bed in his pajamas when I opened the door and walked out. I couldn't stifle my loud gasp at the sight and folded my arms over my chest. "What are you doing in my bed?"

"Not anymore," he said brazenly.

I reached the edge of the bed and poked his side with my knee. "Get out."

Cam huffed a laugh with a glance at me. "You can sleep on the other side if you like. It's big enough for both of us."

I just pressed my knee harder against his side, and Cam groaned. He looked into my eyes in pain, then grabbed my upper leg to push it off the bed. The sudden touch of his hand on my bare leg tingled my skin but didn't faze me from my purpose. My anger burnt brighter than the temptation.

"Cameron, I'm exhausted. Don't play with me."

"I'm really not moving an inch, Amberoni. Suit yourself." He patted beside him with a smug grin. "We can share the bed. I'm not a monster."

I shook my head with laughter. "Didn't know you're so eager to sleep with me."

"I secretly pray you'll move your ass to the armchair."

I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment. "I could easily choke you in your sleep," I said, holding his gaze. He could've seen the fire of revenge in my eyes. "Aren't you scared?"

"I'll either die from back pain or lack of oxygen." He paused for a moment to think, pouting his lips. He looks cute when he pouts. No, he didn't look cute. Stop straying from the damn point. "I'll take the latter, thanks."

I huffed a breath and weighed my options. There was no way I could drag him out of the bed with my strength, and judging from how he lay on the bed, he would never be convinced by manipulation. He was done with my sob story.

I glimpsed at the armchair behind me, open so that I could extend out my legs while sleeping, but it'd still be a long sitting position.

The other option was to accept sleeping beside Cam. I measured the empty spot beside him in the bed, and his eyes immediately followed my gaze.

"Don't be shy," he said mockingly.

Cam made the decision for me with his last words: the goddamn armchair that was. I grabbed the empty pillow from the bed, patted it, and settled in the armchair. It was far from ideal, but my dignity was in place.

Cam grinned at me widely like he was opening his Christmas gifts, and I rolled my eyes at him in return. "Sweet dreams, Amberoni."

"Go to hell, Cammybear."

"Only if you join me."

I snorted. This guy.

After holding my gaze with a beam one last time, he turned the lights off, rendering us in complete darkness since the blinds were fully closed.

I shifted in my place to find a more comfortable position. Then, I understood my effort was in vain because there was no comfort in this. I pulled the blanket over me and shut my eyes. I listened to the quiet, catching the sound of Cam's calm breath in the end.

His breath made me self-conscious about our situation: sharing a room. Though we were sleeping separately, it felt intimate because I was close enough to hear his breaths.

I widened my eyes, but it was so dark that it didn't make a difference. Sleep was far from my reach at this moment. My mind was so active. I released a ragged breath.

"Can't sleep?" Cam's calm voice sliced the silence.

I shook my head first, then figured he couldn't see me. "No."

"Me neither."

Then, a beat of silence sat between us as neither of us knew what to say next. I realized we hadn't really talked for a moment since we landed here. I never asked him how he was doing or what he was up to. He didn't ask me about what happened.

Of course, he knew I was left at the altar but didn't know why.

I cleared my throat, which sounded like a handbell of a town crier that they rang before an announcement. "So, how are you doing?"

It took him a beat to acknowledge my question. I wondered if he looked for meaning beneath it. "Fine," he said thoughtfully at last.

His pile of clothes lingered in my mind. "I thought you were your mom's ride, but you packed a lot for a few days. Are you planning to stay longer?"

"Permanently," he answered. "I quit my job."

I stifled a gasp. "Oh, why?"

"It was a tough decision," Cam explained with a tone of seriousness that threw me off guard. "Leaving a stable job with good pay for a dream, I mean." I heard him huff a laugh. "Mom doesn't know."

"For a dream?" I asked in curiosity. Is he planning to found his own firm? Then, I thought about the reaction Aunt Annie would give if she learned about it. "Better not tell her before you stabilize your new job."

"The thing is, I don't know if I can stabilize it. I want to be a photographer."

Photographer? "Wow. That's a bold decision. I mean, couldn't you build an audience via social media first while working a day job and quit after your business took off?"

"That'd be the wise thing to do," Cam replied with a sigh. "But I'm the kind of person who hates forced things, you know. Waking up every day, opening my laptop, and spending my whole day with a job I didn't love was torture. Yeah, it pays the bills, and that's actually why I think it was silly of me to let go of it right away. But at the same time, I don't regret quitting. I feel free now."

"I can't relate, but I understand."

"Of course, you wouldn't," he said with a mocking tone. "You and I are different." That we are. "You can love what you do, but I have to do what I love—does it make sense?"

I needed to mull over his words before replying. "Yeah. I grow to love the things I do. But Cam, I keep doing things I don't love, too. Unlike you, I accept it. I know I don't have to love everything or everyone in my life, but I have to keep them."

"No, you don't."

"Not everyone is as brave and eager as you to burn bridges."

"If you don't burn bridges at some point, Amber, they will burn you. That's the law."

His words sent shivers down my spine because they hit home. Did Marcus leave me because I neglected all the signs and kept him close? Did I let people burn me instead of burning the bridges? Despite my thoughts, I denied his claim. "I don't agree with that."

Cam didn't reply to that. I wish he did because the tension was way worse than his insults.

"What is your plan now?" I asked to clear the air.

"Building an impressive portfolio."

"You need marketing, too."

"That's the next step."

"You could make them work simultaneously. On Instagram and Pinterest—even TikTok, maybe. You need a website as well." I thought over a marketing strategy for his business. "I can help you make a website," I offered. I didn't have anything better to do, and it would take my mind off things.

Cam's voice was surprised when he answered, "You'd do that?"

"Of course," I said with a smile. "I'm not a monster." It was easier to talk to him when I didn't need to see his face. It felt like we were talking over the phone.

We talked a bit more about his plans. Cam was passionate about photography—you could hear it clearly in his voice. I envied him for pursuing his dreams, even though I loved my job. Coding wasn't my dream. It was something I learned to love.

The talk about our jobs led to our college times. The more we told each other about our experiences, I realized how different it was. Cam was active in student clubs, he led the photography club for two years, and he cared to reach the bare minimum in his grades.

Me? I ranked second in my department. No clubs, occasional friends that lasted me a semester or two, and a few unsuccessful dates. I didn't have time to socialize.

In the middle of the talk, Cam suddenly said, "Okay, confession."

I wondered what his confession would be.

He paused for a while, keeping me on the edge. "I picked computer science because of you."

"Huh?"

"I picked computer science because you said you would." He laughed, and I imagined him shaking his head. "I mean, it was to prove a point."

Of course, it was. Everything was about winning between us. I had a confession on my sleeve, too, but I wasn't ready to admit it.

I had to choose another college because you picked my dream college, and I didn't want to come second to you.

"I even—" I waited for him to finish that sentence, but all I heard was a muffled laugh before he said, "Never mind."

"You even what?" I asked, suddenly too interested in the rest of that sentence.

"It's nothing."

"Cameron."

He didn't say a thing.

"Cam," I tried again desperately. "You even what?"

"Good night, Amberoni," he mumbled, waving me off. How could he expect me to go to sleep after leaving me with a cliffhanger? What was he going to say?

"Oh, come on," I groaned. I straightened my back and ran a hand through my hair. "Say it."

No answer.

I had to grip the armchair's edge to stop myself from climbing onto the bed and strangling him.

What the hell just happened?

Then, I realized he could be playing with me. He wasn't going to say a damn thing, but he said that to keep me up all night. To get his revenge. "You know what? I hate you so much."

No answer again.

"Hope you have the worst nightmare tonight, Cameron Wright."

I slumped in the armchair and pulled the blanket over me again. After a long while, sleep finally wrapped its arms around me, but the fire of rage never dimmed.

This time, I'll use this space as a sincere, sappy thank you for ... everything. I'm always thankful for everyone that are reading my stories, but it's truly different this time. YOU share my love and excitement in the purest form. 🥹💓 Some of you read the chapters multiple times, commenting their theories/thoughts on the aspects; most of you let me know about your feelings. And these all feel so special to me. So, thank you for being here with me! This story wouldn't be the same without you. 💗

This is the first time Camberoni (hello, ship name) had a civil talk. Semi-civil, but it's something, right? What do you think Cam was about to say in the end? 👀

Leave your feelings here in the form of emojis.

Full of love,
Sev xx