Read Not the Placeholder: A BBW New Adult Serial Romance (Not the Hot Chick series Book 4) for Free Online

long enough to hear me out."
    She turned. "What's going on?"
    They were in the storage room where she'd once dragged Cam, intent on seducing him. It looked different now. The boxes had all been moved along the walls, and a little table and two chairs sat in the center of the cleared space. On the tablecloth sat a long-necked bottle and two glasses. Several votive candles flickered in their holders, casting a soft glow.
    She felt dizzy with confusion and apprehension. "What's happening? Was Kelsey in on this?"
    "Don't blame her. I had to do a lot of serious crawling to get her to help me—believe me, all she wanted to do was kick my ass." He took her hand in his. It felt so warm and strong. "Will you come sit?"
    Her heart hammering, she allowed him to lead her to a chair. She was afraid to hope.
    He picked up the bottle of wine. "Something to drink?"
    She nodded, though she wasn't sure she'd be able to swallow a drop.
    He poured a glass for her and one for himself, then removed a cloth from a plate, revealing a selection of cheese and grapes. "I thought of ordering a blooming onion or stuffed potato skins, but that didn't seem too romantic."
    Romantic? A pulse throbbed in the base of her throat. "No. This is nice. Really nice." Her hand trembled as she lifted the glass, and she took a sip, moistening her dry lips. Glancing down at the table, she noticed the flickering "candles" were actually LED tea lights. "Cute touch."
    He hitched his mouth into a half smile. "Real ones would be a fire hazard. I'm trying to romance you, not burn the place down." The tense muscles of his face and his tight hold on the bottle told her that he was just as nervous as she.
    She questioned him for the third time. "What does this mean?"
    He set the bottle down and took the seat across from her. "Paige got married tonight. Right about now they're having the reception."
    Layla stiffened when he mentioned Paige, then relaxed when she understood his meaning. "And you're not there."
    "No. I'm not making a toast or watching her dance with her new husband or faking a smile, pretending I'm glad to be there."
    They weren't out of the woods yet. "Because it would hurt too much?"
    "No. Because I'd rather be here with you."
    She let go a breath, releasing all the tension bottled in her chest.
    "You said something to me last time." His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. "About how exhausting it was to always play the hero. I'd never thought of it like that before, but you're right. That's why I wasn't happy to see her again. It wasn't because I was jealous or wanted her back. It was because I knew she'd want something from me. And I was tired."
    Tears burned Layla's eyes. They were tears of sympathy, and tears of happiness that he'd finally stood up for himself. It couldn't have been easy. And what about Paige? She wasn't a bad person, after all.
    "What did you tell her?"
    "I told her no."
    And what a step for him. "She must have been disappointed."
    "Yeah. But funny thing, not as much as I thought."
    "I'm proud of you," she said.
    He shrugged off her praise. "She's got this Ted guy now. He's her husband. It's his place to look out for her, not mine. I can't be her rock anymore." He paused, his gaze piercing her. "I want to be yours."
    Hope fizzed in her chest like soda pop. Wait , she told herself, tamping down her urge to throw herself across the table at him. They had to get a few things clear.
    "So what are you saying? Are you asking me to be your girl? Because I won't settle for anything less." She wasn't the same insecure girl she'd been when they first hooked up. She deserved Cam's love and commitment. From now on, it was first place or no place.
    The tension melted from his face as he stood and came around the table to her. He pulled her to her feet and tugged her close. "Yeah. That's exactly what I'm saying. I want to be your boyfriend, your man, your lover. All of the above. I want to see where this thing is gonna take us. I want to take this