continued from here ( @emotionlcss )
Cameron stood there, Sutton's words hitting harder than he'd prepared for. Still, he didn't flinch. Not really. Just swallowed whatever cocky smile he had left and let his hands drop to his sides. "Yeah..." He mumbled softly, voice stripped of all the swagger he was so used to carrying these days. "Figured you might be the one person who wouldn't give a damn." He glanced at her hands; tight around those bags like she needed something to anchor her. He didn't blame her. Hell, if he could grip something that tight to keep from unraveling, he would've. "I wasn't trying to brag," he added quietly. "It's just... Kinda weird when someone who knew you before all the noise shows up again. I guess I forgot how to be real around someone who already knows the difference." He let out a quiet breath and looked at her, not the way people looked at him on magazine covers or on TV during a game. Like she was a person, not a memory. Not a mistake. Just her. "You look good, Sutton. I mean that. I heard about the bakery you got started." A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Always figured you'd build something like that. Cozy and yours. A little sanctuary for everyone but yourself." For a second, he almost said more. Almost apologized. But the timing didn't feel right. It felt too early, and maybe too late all at once. So, instead, Cameron stepped a little closer and nodded toward the bags in her arms. "You, uh... You need a hand with those? I'm not trying to make anything weird. Just figured the least I can do is help carry something you actually want." The offer sat in the air, but he didn't know if Sutton would say yes. Honestly, he didn't expect her to. But he was still standing there, no longer hiding behind headlines or highlight reels—just Cameron, the guy who once let the best thing in his life walk away.