Filed to story: That Campus Prince Is a Girl
Xander watched her retreating figure but stayed rooted to the spot. He didn’t follow.
Once again, he’d been rejected without even getting a real chance.
Xander let out a quiet sigh. “Cameron, I hope you’ll be happy.”
He wasn’t that naive young man anymore. If Cameron didn’t like him, she didn’t want him-no amount of persistence would change that. He would watch her from afar and wish her well.
Kate’s birthday party tonight was buzzing with energy. Many young, successful men were drawn to Amelia’s beauty and elegance. Matthew and Kate had their hearts set on Xander as a match for her.
-60
But Xander didn’t spare Amelia so much as a glance. That was when Matthew and Kate realized they’d been wishful thinking. With so many promising young men at the party, they still had many options.
Amelia kept busy mingling with guests while Cameron deliberately kept her distance from Xander. Xander maintained his boundaries, too, making no move to approach her.
Cameron said goodbye to the Chapman family when the party ended and left the manor.
Xander followed her out anyway. “Cameron.” He called her name at the Chapman Manor gates.
His face was unreadable, his eyes fixed on her with an expression she couldn’t quite decipher.
“Let me drive you home. It’s getting late,” he offered.
Cameron shook her head. “Thanks, but someone’s waiting for me.”
Disappointment flickered across Xander’s features. He just wanted to end his youth properly, nothing more than that.
As they walked toward the street together, Xander spotted Bradley standing beside a Mercedes.
Xander narrowed his eyes. ‘Bradley. It’s been seven years.’
Bradley wasn’t the inexperienced kid from Xander’s memories anymore. He wore a crisp white shirt, gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, and an expensive watch gleamed on his wrist-every inch the successful professional.
It looked like he’d become a lawyer after all. It must feel incredible to achieve his dreams.
Xavier’s thoughts raced. ‘Bradley’s here-he must be waiting for Cameron. So Bradley is the guy Cameron mentioned who’s been pursuing her. After all this time, it’s still him.’
Xander couldn’t help but smile to himself.
Cameron had always treated Bradley differently from the rest of them. She’d shower Bradley with praise and was closest to him.
Looking back now, her behavior around Bradley was affectionate. But Xavier’s younger self had been too oblivious and self-absorbed to notice.
Years later, reflecting on it all, he had to admit defeat gracefully.
“Cam.” Bradley’s face lit up as he called out to her.
The next second, he noticed Xander standing behind Cameron. Bradley looked genuinely surprised to see Xander there too. Xander seemed much more composed than before.
“Xander.” Bradley walked over to both of them.
“Brad.” Xander gave a slight nod.
“You here for the birthday party too?” Bradley asked. Despite not seeing each other for years, they chatted like old friends.
Xander nodded. “Yeah. Brad, why aren’t you going in?”
“I’m not here for the birthday party,” Bradley replied. “I’m waiting to drive Cam home.”
A faint smile touched Xander’s lips as he nodded slightly. “Alright, you two take care.”
With that, Xander turned and walked toward his Maybach.
As the car pulled away, Xander sat in the back seat and glanced through the rearview mirror. He watched Bradley open the passenger door, gently protecting Cameron’s head as she settled into the
“Bradley and Cameron looked perfect together. Xander slowly looked away and closed his eyes. All he could do now was wish them well.
His youth had finally come to an end.
The Mercedes cruised steadily down the road.
Bradley gripped the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. “Xander seems a lot more mature now.”
Cameron nodded. “Yeah, he’s definitely more composed.”
Bradley glanced over at her. “Are you tired? You’ve been standing in heels all night. Do your feet hurt?”
Cameron turned to look at Bradley. With his attention on the road, she could only see his handsome profile.
Sensing her gaze, Bradley turned back with a smile, meeting her eyes for a moment before focusing on his driving again.
“There are some slippers in the glove compartment. They’re new,” he said, his voice carrying a gentle warmth. You can change out of those heels. Your feet will feel better.”
While waiting for Cameron outside earlier, he’d suddenly realized she’d been standing in heels for hours and might be uncomfortable. He’d walked almost two miles to the nearest store just to buy them for her.
Cameron opened the storage compartment and found a pair of women’s sandals in pink, elegant and straightforward, with the tags still attached.
She slipped off her heels and put on the sandals. They felt so much better.
Cameron leaned back in her seat and turned to look at Bradley, who was driving. “Brad.”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you,” Cameron said softly.
Bradley smiled, “Cam, I’m trying to win you over here. Just enjoy all the nice things I do for you, no need to feel grateful.”
“Then why didn’t you have this kind of patience before?” Cameron asked quietly.
Bradley hit the brakes. “Before?”
Cameron shook her head. “It’s in the past now.”
He didn’t even remember. There was no point in dwelling on it.
Bradley looked at Cameron. “Cam, what exactly happened between us before? Can you tell me?”
Cameron was quiet for a moment, then decided to be honest. “Seven years ago, you asked me to think about being your girlfriend. I turned you down. You told me to reject you to your face, so I did. Then you locked me up.”
Bradley’s face went blank. “Wait, what?”
Disbelief washed over his features. “You’re telling me that because you rejected me, I locked you up?”
Cameron’s expression remained neutral. “You don’t believe what I’m telling you, or you don’t believe you could do something like that?”
Bradley’s face went blank with shock. He couldn’t wrap his head around how he could have done something so terrible.
“Cam, I believe you,” Bradley said quietly. “I’m just blown away. I’m sorry for what I did before. It was completely insane.”
It was insane-even he couldn’t understand how he’d gotten to that point.
Cameron’s voice stayed flat. “Brad, like, i said, we’ve wiped the slate clean on all that.”
Bradley asked hesitantly, “Cam, besides locking you up, did I do anything else to you?”
“No.” Cameron shook her head.
Bradley let out a breath of relief.
Cameron added, “Even if you’d wanted to, you couldn’t have pulled it off. You’re no match
Bradley had no response to that. for me.”
Cameron turned to look out the window and fell silent. The tension in the car became thick and uncomfortable.
Bradley started the car and drove in silence.
No wonder Cameron looked at him with disgust when she saw him before. Even Bradley knew he’d screwed up badly.
Neither spoke during the entire drive, with only soft background music filling the quiet.
Bradley pulled up to the marina.
“Cam, we’re here,” Bradley said gently.
Cameron unbuckled her seatbelt and slipped on her heels. She reached for the flip-flops, planning to take them since she’d worn them.
Bradley stopped her. “Cam, leave the flip-flops in the car.”
