The Right Kind of Wrong: A Brother's Best Friend Romance by Fabiola Francisco (open ebook .TXT) 📗

Everything will be all right. Everything will be all right. I repeat the chant in my mind, taking deep, steady breaths.

The door swings open, and wide, brown eyes stare at me. “What the… Ally?”

I smile and nod, tears blurring my vision. Camden’s arms pull me into a hug and hold me tightly.

“What are you doing here?” His warm breath tickles the shell of my ear.

“I missed you.” I bring my arms around his back and step closer with tears in my eyes. I giggle when my stomach stops me from getting as close as I want.

Camden leans his head back to pierce down at me and brushes wayward strands of hair from my face. His lips touch mine in a slow and gentle kiss.

“I missed you, too,” he murmurs against my mouth. “Come in.” I walk inside, and he grabs my bag and rolls it into his apartment. His unique scent hits me instantly, and I finally feel like I’m home. He’s my only home.

I turn around to face Camden, who is staring at me with furrowed brows. I crack a smile and walk toward him, taking his hands and placing them over my stomach. As if knowing his daddy was touching him, our baby boy kicks.

“God, you smell good, like home.” He reads my mind and pulls me in again to hold me. His hand runs a soothing trail up and down my back and his lips touching my neck. I shiver at the contact and shift, combing my fingers through the strands of hair at the nape of his neck.

“How long are you here for?” Camden’s brown eyes stare into mine, joy and worry shining back at me.

“How long will you have me?” I bite my lip and hold my breath.

“Huh?” He scratches the side of his head. “What does that mean?”

“I’m here for good. I quit my job.”

“Like quit, quit? You’re not going to work at the Richmond office?” His eyes bug out.

I shake my head. “Let’s sit, yeah?” I hold his hand and walk toward his sofa.

“I’m so confused,” he runs a hand through his messy hair as he sits next to me.

“How about I explain from the beginning?” One side of my mouth tilts in a smile.

“Yeah,” he breathes out with a firm nod, his hands back on my belly as he listens to me speak. Peace fills me being this close to him.

“Remember when we were in Everton for Christmas last month, and you asked me if I’d ever want to move back there?” He nods, so I continue talking, his eyes focused on me.

“I had never thought about it. I moved when I was a young teen, and Virginia became my home, but seeing Easton back in Everton, visiting my hometown, it’s stirred up emotions and memories. I remember helping my dad around the ranch, learning to ride a horse, preparing for winter… It was such a different lifestyle than I later had in Charlottesville when we moved.” I search his face as I speak.

“I loved my life in Virginia, and I always felt like Everton was a distant part of me, but now…” I suck in a deep breath and let it slip from between my lips as I gather my emotions.

“Hey… What’s going on?” Camden scoots closer to me when he sees the tears in my eyes. I shake my head, and he pulls me into a hug. He whispers sweet words in my ear as I gather myself.

I lean back and look at him, cupping his face with my hands. His scruffy beard tickles my skin as Camden turns his head to kiss my palm. “Talk to me, Kiwi.” His voice is gruff, and I’m afraid of what his reaction would be.

“I want to move back to Everton.” I rip it off like a Band-Aid, blinking my eyes rapidly as I wait for his response. Any reaction that will give me some insight into what he’s thinking.

Camden leans back, causing my hands to drop to my lap. His eyebrows rise, and my heart pounds as I fear this will be a deal-breaker.

“Is that what you really want?” he asks.

I nod. “Yes,” I say softly. “I never thought I did. I thought I was okay never living there again, but…” I shrug. “I miss it.” Moving back to Everton was never in the cards for me. We moved away, and I never felt a need to return the way my brother did. Now, I crave the open spaces, reconnecting with my roots, and having a different life for our son and me.

“Wow.” Camden runs a hand through his hair. “This is a big decision…” He shakes his head, and I try to swallow past the lump in my throat.

“I know it is, and I can’t ask you to uproot your life for me—”

“Kiwi,” his stern voice interrupts me. “I was going to uproot, as you say, my life and move to Spain. I want to be with you so badly, I was willing to speak my broken Spanish just to be near you and our son. You’re my family.” He places his hand on my stomach.

“I want you, whether that’s in Virginia, Europe, Everton, or the fucking moon. You’re my world, babe. Get that?”

Tears trail slowly down my cheeks and off my chin.

“Don’t cry,” he whispers, brushing my cheeks.

“It’s a lot to ask. Spain was different because I was working there, already living there, but moving to Everton came from left field.” I weave our hands together and look into his brown eyes. I wonder if our son will have his eyes or my green ones. Maybe hazel—the perfect blend of his mommy and daddy.

“You’re allowed to think about it.” I squeeze his fingers.

“What will you do? Work in HR?” Camden tilts his head.

“I spoke to Easton. He’ll need help in the firm since it’s just him right now. Faith helps him when she can, but he’ll need someone there all the time, more administrative work.”

After the only lawyer