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“That could be your tagline,” Enzo said.
Enzo let go of Ella and stepped farther into the house. Cami gave Ella a hug of congratulations for a job well done.
“It’s seriously perfect,” Cami said. Ella had turned his house into a home, and now all Enzo needed was a family to fill the room. The unexpected thought took her by surprise, causing a slight bout of fear to poke at her.
“I’m so happy.” Ella beamed. “Now that the big reveal is over, I’m headed to the airport to pick up my man.” Ella turned to Cami.
“Let’s double after he’s settled and before you two leave,” she said.
“Definitely. I’ll call you.” Ella gave Cami a hug then Ella interrupted Enzo admiring his place and gave him a hug. “The bill’s on the table,” Ella said with a wink, and with that she was out the door.
Cami stood beside Enzo, and he took her hand in his, bringing it to his mouth and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “What do you think?” he asked.
“It doesn’t matter what I think. All that matters is what you think.”
“This house could be our future,” he said. “And if you don’t like it…”
Cami’s heart stuttered in her chest. Future? They’djustagreed to be boyfriend and girlfriend, and granted he had spent almost every night since at her place, but actually moving in together, giving up her townhouse that she loved so much was something she wasn’t ready to deal with.
“What’s the matter?” Enzo asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
She had—the ghost of her future where her pink throw pillows didn’t have a place in her life anymore, and her crystal chandelier was too feminine for the masculine vibe of this living room. She loved being with Enzo, but the thought of giving up her life, sharing it completely with someone else, and sacrificing in order to compromise went beyond fear. It was downright terrifying.
She had always been the one to make fun of Enzo for resisting change, but in the end, she was no different. She had her routine, her life, and her own place that she loved. But then she looked at Enzo, the chiseled lines of his face, the pretty blue of his eyes, and the natural wave in his dark hair, and she couldn’t deny that she loved him, too. She just hadn’t thought loving him would one day result in sacrificing a life she’d built for herself.
She swallowed down the fear. This wasn’t the time to freak out over it. The future wasn’t today, and it certainly wasn’t tomorrow either. She had time to get used to the idea. Right now, all that mattered was that Enzo loved what Ella did to his place.
“You don’t like it,” Enzo said, assuming her silence had to do with her distaste rather than the actual thoughts running rapid in her mind.
“No, I think it’s perfect for you.”
He wound his arms around her waist and looked down at her. “For you, too,” he said. “You’ll be spending a lot of time here. We have a few more checks on my bucket list to mark off.”
Looking into his eyes, the future didn’t seem so scary, so she forced the still loitering thoughts out of her mind and kissed him. “Then what are we waiting for?”
He carried her into the living room where they christened his new coffee table and made the first check of many on his bucket list that day.
Chapter 24
Cami moved from register to espresso machine with little to no pain in her foot. It felt amazing to finally be back to almost a hundred percent.
Martha walked in, her pink shirt billowing behind her. “Cami,” she said as she approached the counter. “How are you feeling, sweetie?”
“Much better. Thank you for helping Enzo with the essential oils. They really helped.”
Martha waved her hand. “Please, that’s what I’m there for.” Cami rang her up and handed her the change. “I see you’re finally getting your tire taken care of, too. You know you shouldn’t be driving around on the donut for too long.”
“Wait what?” Confusion swirled in Cami’s head as she stared at Martha. While calling to get the tire fixed was on her to-do list, she hadn’t gotten to it yet.
Martha pointed over her shoulder. “There’s a tow truck hooking your car up right now.”
“What?” She untied her apron and slammed it down on the counter. “Paulie,” she called out. “I’ll be right back.”
She stormed down the boardwalk toward the parking lot. She didn’t call anyone to get her tire fixed, but she knew someone who she wouldn’t put it past. Cami made it to the parking lot just in time to see her car being towed away.
Enzo stood in the empty spot where she had parked her car, and she stomped over to him. She probably should have taken a calming breath, but anger surged through her, hot and reckless. He saw her, his face brightening.
“Hey,” he said.
