Bradley was stunned, wondering. What the hell kind of question is that?"


    "Like? What do you mean?" Bradley thought he must have misheard.


    Eric said, "Romantically,"


    Speechless, Bradley frowned at that. He thought, "Homantically! Le Cameron? How could that even be a thing? Is Enclosing it?"


    Bradley stared at him. "Eric, do you have any idea what you''re asking?"


    Eric replied seriously, "I know exactly what I''m asking"


    Aher a long beat, Bradley said, "So let me get this straight-you thought I had feelings for Cameron, so you made mee abroad to take care of you? Was this your way of "breaking us up?"


    Eric nodded evenly. "Yeah, Brad. Even if you hate me for it, I had to do it. You can''t be into Cameron."


    Bradley gaped at him like he''d grown a second head. "Eric, where the hell did you get the idea I like Cameron?"


    "Everywhere."


    Bradley was at a loss for words,


    Eric said, "Don''t y dumb, Brad,"


    Bradley retorted, "y dumb? There''s nothing to y dumb about! It''s not happening!"


    "Just think about what you''ve done for him"


    "What''d I do?"


    "You dropped over 100 million dors on a castle so he could keep the tiger. Does that sound normal to you?"


    "What''s wrong with friends helping each other?"


    "When''s thest time e you went that hard for any other friend?"


    "My other friends don''t need that kind of help. We''re from the same world."


    "You''re just in denial, Brad."


    Speechless, Bradley rubbed his forehead. "Eric, this is beyond ridiculous."


    Bradley stared at Eric, suddenly realizing something. He mped a hand down on Eric''s leg. "Eric, was your car ident fake?"


    Eric ended up denying it. "Of course not. I just wasn''t that badly hurt."


    Bradley gave a nomittal nod


    po date a girl."


    Eric said, "Brad, take my advice-quit while you''re ahead. Stop contacting Cameron and go


    Bradley shook his head. "You''re overreacting, Eric.


    He and Cameron were just friends. He believed Eric was making something out of nothing


    Annoyed that Bradley wasn''t listening, Erie said firmly, "Brad, I''m doing this for your own good. Don''t bring trouble on yourself"


    "Eric, you''re really oveplicating this.


    Seeing he wasn''t getting through, Eric grew imitated. "Bradley, even if you like Cameron, does he like


    * you back!


    Bradley wanted to say Eric was being unreasonable, but Eric was already dead set on the idea. Anything he said would just sound like a den


    So he simply said, "I deal with my own things, Eric. What you''re thinking will


    never happen. Since you''re okay here, I''m going back home?


    Eric said, "Wait. I''m still hurt. What do you mean I''m okay"?"


    Bradley adjusted his gold-rimmed sses. "Need me to help you take off that cast?"