Camryn's POV

Just go in, Cam. Turn off the car and just walk in. I can't bring myself to make my way into the coffee shop Sam told me to meet him at. I don't know what's wrong with me, I used to be so strong, or at least I hoped I was. I'm so sick and tired of acting like a scared, little, fragile creature. I am a strong woman who is going to start acting like one. No more crying, no more hiding.

I turn off my car and step out with much more confidence than I've had in a while. I used to not care about anything when I was a loner, but now life wants to throw a few problems at me and I crack? No way.

I've cried so much in this past month I'm surprised I haven't dropped dead due to dehydration. Last night's breakdown in the shower was the last straw for me. Never have I felt so weak. I hate it.

My nerves disappear with each step I take towards the coffee shop. Once inside I feel completely okay. For real this time.

I spot Sam at a table in front of a large window. The barely risen sun shines through and shows off the contours of his face. We have the same cheekbones.

He looks up and sees me standing by the entrance and waves me over. I feel my nerves awaken and quickly shake them off with a hair flip. Hair flips always make a girl feel superior to anything.

I walk over to him with the same confidence I had as I walked in. You got this, Camryn. No more weakness.

"Good morning, Cam," he says, standing up. "You don't mind if I call you that right?"

"Good morning, and of course not," I smile. This is happy time, I'm having coffee with a brother I never knew I had, so I'm going to smile as much as I can. No pain this morning.

He doesn't sit until I do. Very gentleman like. I take off my black coat and set it on the back of my chair along with my purse.

"Will Colton be joining us?" He asks.

"No, I let him sleep in, he has a few hours of driving to do this afternoon," I explain.

"I see," he says and I just nod. "Would you like a coffee? They're really good here," he asks.

"Yea, the one on the sign outside really caught my eye," I say pointing behind me with my thumb.

"I'll be right back then," he says. He makes his way to the counter and I see him point to the sign while talking to the barista.

This coffee shop looks a lot like Starbucks but it's pretty big and even has a bookshelf as a wall filled with tons of books. The clientele is the same though: young people on MacBooks and textbooks open.

"Here you go," Sam says when he gets back to the table with my coffee.

"Thank you," I say. I'm not even sure what type of drink was in the picture I pointed to, but the drink is hot so how bad could it be. Frappes always scare me with their crazy flavors.

Sam also got a hot drink and sips on it slowly as he sits across from me. I'm not sure what to say, so I take a sip of my drink too. I immediately regret my decision when my tongue and throat start to burn. On the bright side, the drink is good, tastes like vanilla.

"Alright, do you mind if I just ask random questions to try and get to know you," he asks raising his eyebrows. He doesn't seem nervous and I'm glad I don't either.

"Go for it," I respond, taking another sip. He leans forward with his forearms resting on the table and eyes me closely.

"Okay," he says, looking at me with squinted eyes. "Favorite movie?"

"Back to the Future."

"Favorite tv show?"

"Friends."

"Favorite band?"

"Third Eye Blind."

"Favorite sport?"

"To watch, football. To participate in, swimming."

"Swimming isn't a sport," he huffs, neither of us breaking our intense stare.

"Tell that to Michael Phelps," I scoff.

"Fine, favorite book?"

"Of Mice and Men."

"Did you cry when George killed Lennie?"

"Like a baby."

He continues to eye me as he moves his head slowly from side to side. "Okay, I've decided."

"Decided what?" I ask.

"You're cool enough to associate with me," he says and I laugh.

"And if I wasn't cool enough?" It's funny how some of these questions were the same as Colton's questions up on the roof that night. The night that jerk tricked me into believing he was drunk.

"I'd politely ask you to leave my presence and pay me back for that coffee." He doesn't brake his 'cool guy' demeanor until I burst into laughter. He joins me and laughs a little. "Seriously though, you have some cool taste, except for that swimming comment, it's not a sport."

"Then why is it in the Summer Olympics?" I ask raising a brow.

"Who likes watching it though? Sports are entertaining, swimming is not," he states.

"It is entertaining. It's racing and it gets very intense," I defend. Swimming was the only sport I was good at so it bugs me for someone to say it isn't a sport. Swim practices for my school starts in January and I'm not sure if I'm going to join again this year.

"I've never met someone this interested in the "sport" of swimming," he says using air quotes.

"Well maybe that's because I'm actually on the swim team for my school," I say, taking a drink of my now warm coffee. Sam seems surprised by my words.

"No way? You play a sport?" He asks shocked. Oh, so now it's a sport.

"Yes, is that so surprising?" I answer with a question. He sits back in his chair and crosses his arms.

"Kind of, you don't seem like the sporty type," he says.

"Well you've only known me for fifteen hours so..."

"Hey I didn't mean to offend you, people are always surprised when I tell them I'm a basketball player," he says.

"You play basketball?" He nods. "Well you are tall, why are people surprised when you tell them?"

"They're not, I just wanted to seem relatable," he admits with a straight face, then laughs. "I'm actually quite the jock," he brags.

"Well that's the complete opposite of me," I laugh to myself, looking down at my coffee cup.

"What? My little sister's lame?" He asks. My head shoots up and looks at him. He still has a smile on his face as if what he just called me wasn't a big deal. "Oh calm down, its true. You're my little sister and I'm your older brother, no need for dramatics."

"Dramatics? Who's being dramatic, big bro?" I ask. It feels weird to call him my brother but if he's going to be nonchalant about it so am I.

"Much better," he smiles. "Look I know this is pretty weird and that you probably hate my, um, our parents for what they did, but that doesn't mean we can't be siblings to one another," he says seriously. He's right Cam. Just because you couldn't build a relationship with your birth parents doesn't mean you can't build one with your brother.

"Alright, I feel the same way," I tell him.

"Good," he says, reaching across the table for my phone. He holds the screen up for me to put my passcode in and I do. "We were robbed 16 years of being a part of each others lives so I want you to call me if you ever need anything."

He hands me back my phone and I see that he put in his contact information. "I know our parents are going to want to see you again after last night, especially my dad. After you left last night was the first time I've ever seen him cry, so just call to tell me if you'd rather not see them."

My jaw drops when he says that his, our, dad cried after I left. Colton did tell me at the hotel that he was at the hospital after my accident. Is it possible that that wasn't the first time he's visited me. What if throughout my whole life he's been watching over me. I have no clue and I would love answers.

"I'd be okay if they'd want to see me again," I tell him. "I'm almost an adult, I grew up completely fine, I don't see why there has to be any animosity between any of us." I didn't realize it until I said it just now. I can't complain one bit about how I was brought up, so there isn't any need for the hate I felt towards Jaimie last night.

I don't think I'd ever agree with her choices, but there's nothing I could do about it now but leave it in the past and try to move forward with a family member I never knew I had.

"They're going to be so happy when I tell them you said that," he sighs with relief.

"Enough about crazy family drama," I tell him, "tell me about how much you suck on the basketball court," I laugh.

He scoffs and goes on to tell me how he's the best player and carries the whole team to championship titles. By the time we finish our coffee we're laughing and playfully nudging one another. It all feels so natural and that's because it should be. He doesn't feel like a stranger to me, he feels like family. Actual, biological family.

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