CHAPTER 3
1063 Words
Camille had always believed there were two kinds of silence.
The awkward kind, And the comfortable kind.
The silence between her and Ren belonged to neither.
It was something else entirely.
Because every time it settled between them, she became more aware of him.
The way his fingers rested around his whiskey glass. The way his gray eyes watched her when he thought she wasn't looking. The way his voice seemed to settle somewhere deep inside her chest whenever he spoke.
She should have left an hour ago.
Instead, she was still sitting beside him Still talking.
Still forgetting, little by little, that her life had imploded upstairs.
The realization should have worried her.
Instead, it made her feel guilty.
Because how was it possible that she was laughing mere hours after watching Adrian propose to another woman?
And yet somehow the stranger beside her had managed to make her smile more in one evening than Adrian had in months.
The thought hurt. And Ren noticed.
He always noticed.
"What was that look?" he asked.
Camille blinked.
"What look?"
"The one you just made."
She laughed softly.
"You analyze everyone this much?"
"Only interesting people."
The answer came too quickly.
Too naturally.
Camille felt heat creep into her cheeks.
She took another sip of tequila.
Ren watched her.
Not in a creepy way. Just... attentively.
Like he genuinely wanted to understand her.
When was the last time someone had looked at her like that?
She couldn't remember.
The realization made her unexpectedly sad.
"You keep doing that."
Ren tilted his head slightly.
"Doing what?"
"Looking at me like you know what I'm thinking."
A faint smile touched his mouth.
"And do I?"
"No."
His smile widened slightly.
"But I'm close."
Camille rolled her eyes.
That earned a low chuckle from him.
Why was everything about this man attractive?
His voice. His smile. His confidence.
Even his silence.
The bartender placed another drink in front of Ren. He nodded his thanks before looking back at her.
"So."
Camille sighed dramatically.
"So?"
"What happened?"
She froze.
There it was.
The question. The one she had been avoiding all evening.
Because talking about Adrian made everything real again.
The memory still felt like a knife twisting inside her chest.
"I don't know."
The answer surprised even her.
Ren remained silent.
"I genuinely don't know."
Her fingers tightened around her glass.
"Six months ago, I would've told you we were fine."
She laughed bitterly.
"Maybe not perfect. But fine."
People who were fine didn't end up publicly replaced.
Ren's jaw tightened slightly.
Again. That strange reaction. Almost anger. Almost protectiveness.
Camille noticed it this time.
Interesting.
"Then he started changing."
Her voice softened.
"Working late." She shrugged.
"Missing dinners." Another shrug.
"Canceling plans." Ren said nothing.
Not because he wasn't listening. Because he was. Every word.
"I kept making excuses for him."
"I became really good at making excuses."
The confession hurt more than she expected. Because it was true.
She had defended Adrian endlessly.
Every red flag had become something she could explain away. Every disappointment had become temporary. Every warning sign had become stress.
She had rewritten reality because she loved him.
And where had that gotten her?
The answer was upstairs. Wearing a diamond ring.
For a moment, she thought she might cry again.
Then Ren spoke.
"You loved him."
She nodded.
The simple statement somehow hurt more than anything else.
Because she had.
Ren's expression became unreadable.
"What about him?"
The question caught her off guard.
"What?"
"Did he love you?"
Camille opened her mouth. Then closed it.
And suddenly she wasn't sure.
Not anymore. Maybe once. Maybe years ago.
But recently?
Recently she couldn't remember the last time Adrian had looked at her like she mattered.
The realization felt devastating.
Her laugh came out hollow.
"I don't know."
For the first time all evening, Ren looked genuinely furious.
Not at her. For her.
The emotion flashed across his face so quickly she almost missed it.
But she saw it.
And somehow that affected her more than sympathy ever could.
Because he looked angry on her behalf.
Like her pain offended him.
The thought made something warm unfold inside her chest.
Something she quickly tried to ignore.
She barely knew this man. The last thing she needed was emotional attachment.
The bartender announced another round of last calls.
For the first time all night, she felt peaceful.
And she wasn't ready to lose that feeling.
"Tell me something."
Ren's voice interrupted her thoughts.
Camille looked up.
"What?"
"Before him."
His gaze held hers.
"What did you want?"
She frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"You."
His voice softened.
"What did you want before your life became about him?"
The question hit harder than expected.
Because nobody had asked her that in years.
Slowly, she looked away.
"I wanted my own company."
The words escaped before she could stop them.
Ren remained silent.
Encouraging her to continue.
"I wanted to build something."
"My own consulting firm."
"You still can."
She laughed.
"It's not that simple."
"Why?"
Camille blinked.
The realization startled her.
Ren watched understanding dawn across her face.
And suddenly he smiled.
The sight nearly stole her breath.
Camille's phone suddenly vibrated.
The screen lit up.
Adrian.
For several seconds she simply stared at the name.
Ren noticed.
His expression darkened.
"You don't have to answer."
Camille looked from the phone to him.
Back to the phone.
Then something inside her snapped.
Without another thought, she pressed the power button.
The screen went black.
She shook her head.
"I can't believe I just did that."
For the first time all evening, Ren smiled fully.
And Camille's heart forgot how to beat.
The smile transformed him. Made him younger. Warmer. Dangerously handsome.
Their eyes locked. Neither looked away.
The air shifted. Something electric crackled between them.
Camille became suddenly aware of every inch separating them.
Her pulse quickened.
Ren's gaze dropped briefly to her mouth.
Then returned to her eyes.
The gesture was tiny. But intimate.
The entire room seemed to disappear.
Just him. Just her.
Just this impossible pull neither seemed willing to acknowledge.
Then Ren spoke.
"Camille."
The way he said her name sent a shiver down her spine.
She swallowed.
"Yes?"
For one endless second he simply looked at her.
Then he asked quietly
"Do you want to get out of here?"
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