Chapter 3:

It was later that afternoon when Taine knocked on Camila's door.

"Come in!"

He entered the room and saw that it was mostly stripped and bare. He wished he could have seen it before.

Camila ducked her head out from a wardrobe and got up to greet him.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Do you want help?"

Even his gesture of kindness got misinterpreted. "I'm almost done so don't worry we can leave before dinner." She turned around and began to pile boxes on top of one another at the foot of her bed.

"Camila..."

She turned and looked at him, not realising he was still there.

"Yeah?"

He was nervous. He didn't know why. He flexed and unflexed his fingers. "If you need to pack.. we can stay the night, but everything has to be ready to go first thing tomorrow."

She looked at him like he had told her he was from outer space. Then she smiled and he felt like the luckiest man alive, to be there to see it. She stepped closer to him. "You really mean that?" Her dark hair looked brown as the sunlight captured it. She was an angel. Before he realised what was happening she flung herself into his arms hugging him tightly. His instinct was to push her away but he fought it, allowing himself to be in the moment.

It was over too soon.

"Thank you Alph- I mean Taine. Thank you, Taine. It means a lot, so much." She pulled away. "Um, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." There was a pause. "There is a pack barbeque happening tonight and now I can go." She was still beaming.

"I will leave you to it." He turned to leave.

"Taine?"

"Yes?"

"I can't promise I'll be with you but I think you should come too. Smart casual, did u bring anything? But only come if you want, I'm not forcing you."

She definitely thought he was a hermit. "I'll see."

"Also," she approached with trepidation, "why the sudden change of heart?"

He turned and looked into her deep brown eyes, so this message was clear. " You seem happy. I want you to be happy so I won't do what I did last time. I'm not a monster." He left. She watched him go, stunned.

She refused to let the words affect her. He didn't know what she knew. He didn't know why she could never love him.