Filed to story: That Campus Prince Is a Girl
Cameron set down her milk. “You want tutoring today?”
“Yeah, obviously. The SATs are coming up, so you need to get over here ASAP
“Fine.” Cameron nodded. “I’ll head over after breakfast. Nothing was more important than making money right now, except maybe studying.
“Hurry up!” Xander pushed before hanging up.
Cameron looked across at Bradley. “What were you saying before?”
Bradley was still smiling, but behind his glasses, his eyes carried a hint of disappointment. “Looks like you’re busy today, he said.
It couldn’t be helped. Cameron was on her own now. She had to make money to support herself. “Xander wants me to tutor him,” she explained. “He already paid me 300 grand upfront.”
Cameron only had a little over 300 thousand dollars in her account, so with Xander’s money, that would be about 600 thousand dollars total.
Even though Cameron charged Xander 30 grand an hour-which was insane-she was still nowhere near the two million dollars she needed to register her pharmaceutical company.
Cameron would have to find other ways to make money. For now, tutoring Xander was the only side hustle she could manage while still in school.
Bradley raised his eyebrows. “That’s pretty generous of him.”
Cameron nearly rolled her eyes. Xander wasn’t generous. He was just ridiculously wasteful with his money.
“Sorry, Brad, but I’m going to have to say no again today,” Cameron said.
Bradley shook his head with understanding. “No worries.”
***
After breakfast, Cameron decided to grab a cab to Murphy Manor. While waiting at the corner, a black Mercedes pulled up in front of her, and the passenger window rolled down.
“Cameron, get in,” came a familiar voice.
Cameron couldn’t believe it. She stared at Bradley behind the wheel, feeling completely exasperated.
Cameron already owed him way too many favors as it was. She wanted to repay him, but he wouldn’t let her. This had to stop. She couldn’t keep accepting his help.
“Brad, thanks, but I already called a cab. It’ll be here any second,” Cameron said.
“Cancel it. I’ll take you.” Bradley’s eyes sparkled behind his glasses.
Cameron shook her head firmly. “The car’s literally about to arrive. It’d be rude to cancel now.”
As if on cue, a white car pulled up behind the Mercedes. “Look, Brad, my ride’s here,” Cameron said, reaching for the door handle.
Cameron barely had it open when Bradley appeared out of nowhere, pushing the door shut again.
Cameron blinked in confusion.
Bradley pulled out a hundred-dollar bill from his wallet and handed it to the driver. “Sorry, we don’t need the ride ar more.”
The driver happily pocketed the money and drove off.
Cameron stood there speechless.
Bradley opened his passenger door with a grin. “Hop in. I’ll take you.”
Cameron wanted to argue but knew it was poir des Moments later she found herself sitting in Bradley’s passenger seat, exactly as he’d planned.
“Where does Xander live?” Bradley asked.
Successfully unlocked!
Cameron opened WhatsApp and forwarded Xander’s address to Bradley.
“Not too far,” Bradley said, pulling away from the curb.
“Yeah, not far.” Cameron nodded.
Bradley glanced over, noticing her troubled expression. “Hey, you okay? You don’t look so hot.”
Cameron turned to face Bradley. “Brad, you really don’t need to drive me?
Bradley kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead, his voice deliberately flat. “You don’t want me to?”
‘No, I don’t, Cameron said bluntly.
Bradley blinked, caught off guard. He hadn’t expected such straightforward honesty from her. “Why not?” he asked.
Cameron didn’t beat around the bush. “Because I already owe you too much. I don’t want to be in your debt any more than I already am.”
‘So that’s why you turned down my invitation yesterday and went with Elijah instead, Bradley said.
Cameron stared at his handsome profile and nodded. “Yep.”
Bradley turned to look at her. “Cameron, are you in a rush to get to Murphy Manor?”
“What do you mean?”
The corner of Bradley’s mouth quirked up, but he said nothing. Instead, he spun the steering wheel and made a U-turn, heading back toward Noble Vista.
“Brad, what are you doing?” Cameron asked, confused.
Bradley pulled into a parking spot and unbuckled his seatbelt. “Come on. Let’s go to my place. There’s something I want to show you.”
Cameron didn’t budge. “What is it?”
“You’ll see when we get there.”
Cameron sighed and got out of the car, feeling like she didn’t have much choice.
Inside Bradley’s villa, she casually asked, “Did you get the pipes fixed?”
Bradley smiled, “Yeah, all fixed. This way.” He led Cameron to a storage room and pulled back a bright yellow curtain. Behind it sat a black mountain bike completely wrapped in protective plastic film, meticulously preserved.
Cameron unconsciously stepped forward. “Brad, is this-
Bradley grinned. “It’s the mountain bike you gave me. Don’t recognize it? Check out the initials you had them engrave.” Cameron was speechless. She bent down to look, and sure enough, it was the same bike. Standing up straight, she asked, ” But didn’t you return it?”
Bradley shook his head. “Cameron, I never planned to return it.”
“But I got my money back, Cameron said, confused.
“I just had the property management office charge me the 60 grand and then refund the money to your card,” Bradley explained.
Cameron was completely speechless. ‘Seriously? That’s what this is about?’ she thought.
Cameron just stared at Bradley, utterly lost for words.
Bradley noticed her blank expression and reached over to ruffle her hair. “Look, you just cut ties with the Wallace family. You’re broke right now. You don’t need to buy me expensive gifts.”
“I appreciate the thought, really,” he said, pulling his hand back. “But I had no idea you’d start avoiding me over this. If I’d known, I would’ve just accepted it.”
Cameron felt a lump in her throat. “I’m sorry, Brad.” That familiar warmth spread through her chest again, Bradley’s kindness hitting her right in the feels. hteen
Even though she’d spent thousands of years world-hopping, jumping from reality to reality, completing system tasks and picking up countless skills, somehow, in less than a month, Bradley had shown her more warmth than she’d felt years with the Wallace family.
Bradley was genuinely good. Moving into apartment 316 and becoming his roommate was the luckiest break Cameron had gotten.
Bradley smiled, “Sorry for what? You didn’t do anything wrong was pist surprised to run into you at the fondue place yesterday.”
Successfully unlocked!
“You were pretty mad, weren’t you?” Cameron asked, meeting his eyes.
“A little,” Bradley admitted honestly.
“I’m-“
“Don’t,” Bradley cut her off. “The misunderstanding’s cleared up. So can you stop avoiding me now?”
Cameron laughed, “Promise. But you have to stop refusing when I try to return favors.”
Bradley adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses. “Cameron, I don’t think ‘returning favors’ has to involve money”
Cameron looked at Bradley, confused. “What can I do to help you?”
“I mean, your cooking is pretty good,” Bradley said.
