Cam sent me a sidelong glance. “We hooked up every once in a while, but like I told you this weekend, I haven’t been with anyone since I met you.”

“I know. It just seems like she wanted more.”

“Wouldn’t you?”

“Geez, we really need to work on your confidence.”

Cam chuckled as he pulled me to his side. We huddled against the wind whipping down the hill. “I can think of a few other things we can work on.”

“Perv,” I mumbled even though my mind was right there with him.

He pressed his lips to my temple. “Guilty as charged, sweetheart.”

#

Cam didn’t go to the party at Jase’s Saturday night. He hadn’t even brought it up and I wasn’t sure if I should have. I felt a little guilty about him not going, because I didn’t want to interfere with his friends, but he didn’t seemed bothered by the fact that he was missing out on an epic game of beer pong.

We went out to dinner in a nearby town and then came back to my place. If I had any doubts about the seriousness of our relationship, there were vanquished that evening.

Cam had brought Raphael over to my apartment.

Nothing got more serious than allowing a tortoise to crawl across your kitchen floor.

“He needs to get his exercise,” Cam said, sitting in front of my fridge, legs spread. “If not, he just gets fat and lazy, sitting in his shell.”

“Poor Raphael.” I picked him up and turned him back around, so he was heading toward Cam. “It has to be boring in the aquarium.”

“It’s a terrarium,” Cam corrected. “And he has a rocking terrarium. Got him a new one for his birthday.”

“You know when his birthday is?”

“Yep. July 26th.” He paused, eyeing me. “When is your birthday?”

I crossed my ankles. “Uh, you have a while until you have to worry about that. When’s yours?”

“June 15th. When is yours, Avery?”

This was about to get awkward. “It was January 2nd.”

Cam leaned forward, his brow raising. Several seconds passed as he stared at me. “I missed your birthday.”

“It’s not a big deal,” I said, waving it off. “I went to the Smithsonian and then I got sick, so it’s probably a good thing you weren’t around.”

His expression tensed. “Aw, man, that’s why you said you wanted to go there on the second. You were alone? Shit. I so feel—”

“Don’t.” I held up my hand. “You don’t need to feel terrible. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Cam watched me for a few more moments, expression sheltered. Finally, he said, “Well, there’s always next year.”

I smiled at that. Next year. Wow. Thinking that far in advance was a little scary and exciting.

After a little while, Cam scooped the turtle up and stood. “Be right back.”