Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 6

said, his brows lifting when he saw the matching water bottle in Brad's hand. "I thought you wanted to decompress?" Cam queried while unscrewing the cap, his unspoken question easily heard by Brad.
    Brad cleared his throat. "A good friend of mine doesn't need alcohol after a hard day to decompress, and I seem to have lost my taste for the stuff. I guess he's rubbing off on me," Brad said with a quick smile.
    Cam grinned and lifted his water bottle in a silent toast, which Brad returned. After taking a drink from it, though, Cam sobered and turned to face Brad. "So, your hard day," Cam said softly. "You wanna talk about it?"
    His hard day.
    That was a damned understatement.
    Brad couldn't stifle a groan as he turned away and began to pace for a few steps, muttering under his breath. Finally, Brad set the water bottle on the coffee table, and, running an agitated hand through his hair, he flopped onto the leather sofa with a sigh. Cam took a seat beside him, setting his water on the table next to Brad's. Cam glanced at Brad, his brows raised expectantly.
    Brad blew out a long breath. Rubbing his hand over his eyes, he dropped his head onto the seat back cushion to stare at the ceiling. "It's just… it's such a surprise, you know? I just can't believe anyone would do this to me. I'm sure you've heard by now what Katja's supposed to have done, and it just seems to snowball every damned time I hear her name. First that one tape. Then another tape. I just… I don't know what to expect." Cam made sympathetic noises, and Brad continued. "Really, you think you know someone and then you find out you can't trust your own judgment. It's like… you can't trust yourself, and you're not worthy of respect. It just… doesn't inspire much confidence. I feel like such a goddamned fool, and I hate that everyone else is bound to think I'm a goddamned fool, too," he admitted, raising his hand to rub his eyes again.
    Cam didn't respond immediately, so Brad glanced over at the other man. Cam was staring into the middle distance in the direction of the marble fireplace and appeared to be struggling with what to say. When they made eye contact, though, Cam's blue eyes were clear and focused, and he gave Brad a soft smile. Brad felt a warmth spread through his chest at seeing that smile. It was comforting; it was like coming home.
    "Brad," Cam said in his smooth drawl, "it's not you. You have to realize that, like it or not, there'll be some bad apples out there, and sometimes you might find yourself mixed up with one of them. That's not your fault." Cam paused before continuing in a softer voice. His eyes met Brad's. "There's nothing wrong with you, Brad. Far from it. You're strong. You're smart. You're passionate. You're talented. You're good-looking. Spending time with you and getting to know you have only proven what I always thought might be true– that you're pretty much… perfect." Cam ended his words on a whisper, his gaze intent on Brad's.
    During the course of Cam's speech, Brad's heart had begun to race. What was Cam saying? Was he saying…? But looking into Cam's eyes now, the message was clear.
    "Is that so…?" Brad asked, stalling for time and rapidly processing this development.
    Their friendship was close now, but it seemed Cam may want something… more. Brad waited for a mental recoil that never came. Wait– what? What was happening here? He was an open-minded guy– he'd lived all his life in New York City, after all– but he'd never considered another man for himself before. But with Cam, something felt… different. Something felt right. Cam had come to mean so much to him in such a short period of time that it was like Brad had been waiting for him all this time, and they were meant to fit together.
    He tried to imagine himself with another man and failed miserably. He tried to imagine Cam with another, and his entire being rejected it, a possessive wave rolling through his body. He thought about Cam and that group of friends he'd seen Cam with earlier in the season. What if Cam were to become involved with one of them? He remembered the concerned– and interested?– gleam in the eyes of that other man, Seth. He tried to picture Cam with Seth, and just the thought of it made him want to punch something.
    Cam's gaze was gentle, but unwavering, when he answered Brad's question. "Yes," he declared simply. "Anyone would be lucky to be with you."
    With his pulse racing, Brad inched forward on the sofa, moving