Gavin nodded. "The waves out there are too rough, so all the boats have stopped running


    "What about the p


    people on the boots?" Cameron asked.


    "They all got off. Nobody''s crazy enough to stay on board in weather like this Gavin exined


    Cameron''s brow furrowed with concem. "Gavin, you''re soaked to take a hot shower before you catch a cold


    Gavin''s face lit up at her concern. "Okay"


    "Mom, Dad, I''m heading to my room too, Cameron announced.


    Back in het room, Cameron immediately called Bradley


    Bradley was just as drenched at that moment as Gavin had beenpletely soaked to the bone. He ducked into the nearest dock and grabbed a towel and an umbre.


    convenience store


    "by the


    Bradley quickly toweled off the raingater from his clothes and pulled out his phone to search for nearby hotels. Looks like I''m stuck on thisnd for the night, he thought


    The ind had really developed into a full-fledged destination over the years. Everything was expensive, but it was a great tourist spot.


    Bradley


    by found a hotel listing pretty quickly, but they werepletely booked when he called. He tried another one-same story, fully booked.


    With the sudden downpour, everyone was scrambling for a ce to stay, so it made sense that all the hotels near the dock were sold out.


    Just as Bradley was about to call a third hotel, Cameron''s call came through. A smile fugged at his lips as he immediately swiped to answer "Hey, Can"


    "Brad, where are you right now?" Cameron got straight to the point.


    "I''m near the dock. This crazy rainstorm hit out of nowhere, and the boats can''t leave, so I''m stuck here overnight."


    "Have you found a hotel yet?"


    "Still looking" Bradley replied.


    Cameron fell silent. The ind had be a total Instagram hotspot these days, with tourists Hooding every day


    During peak season, practically every hotel was booked solid-people couldn''t find a room anywhere.


    Plenty of tourists who struck out on hotels would just pitch tents and camp out, but with tonight''s weather,


    mping was definitely off the table


    The recent good weather had made the ind gorgeous, drawing massive crowds. Now, a violent storm was tearing through outside,


    Cameron figured Bradley would have zero luck finding a room. She stayed quiet for a long moment before saying, "Brad, send me your WhatsApp: I''ming to get you."


    lection on


    "Coming to get ma?" Bradley instinctively nced outside at the trees getting thrashed around by the wind and shook his head. "Cam, it''s pouring out there. You absolutely cannot go outside-it''s way too dangerous."


    "I''m picking you u up and bringing you back to my ce," Cameron said.


    Bradley just stared at his phone. "Back to Her ce! This fast? We''re not officially dating yet, and I''m already meeting her family? He was sure he''d heard


    "Brad, send me your location," Cameron saki. She hang up right after that


    Bradley stared at his phone screen as it went ck, and he couldn''t help but smile a title "Maybe Cam''s letting mee over her and


    ept me?


    Pradley hadn''t sent his location yet, so Cameron sent another message. [Brad, location)


    That was when Bradley finally shared his location with Cameron


    Cameron: [On my way]


    Bradley: [Cool, I wait for you)


    Bradley stood in the convenience store, thinking about how this was his first time meeting Cameron''s family He should probably bring somerbing Bot honestly, there wasn''t much worth giving in this little store.


    Cameron hurried downstairs and grabbed a set of car keys.


    "Cam, are you heading out?" Jacqueline stood up.


    Cameron nodded. "Mom, Dad, the ferry''s shut down and my friend can''t get back


    to Viremont. All the hotels are booked too Would it okay i brought him here to stay with us?"


    Levi cut straight to the point with a knowing smile. "Sweetie,


    Cameron hesitated. "Yes, Dad"


    Levi''s grin widened. "A boy?"


    "Yes"


    petie, is this the friend who gave you that shawl?"


    Jacqueline chuckled warmly. "Well then, Cam, you''d better go pick him up. It''s pouring out there. We don''t want him catching


    With Jacqueline and Levi''s blessing, Cameron drove off into the storm


    About fifteen minutester, she pulled up to the convenience store where Bradley was waiting.


    Cameron stepped out of the car, umbre in hand.


    Bradley stood by the convenience store entrance, clutching arge bag of fruit.


    He couldn''t find anything fancy inside a ce like this, but he wasn''t about to show up empty-handed.


    "Brad," Cameron called out.


    Bradley t


    y took the ck umbre from Cameron''s hand, his arm sliding around her head


    to rest on her shoulder. He angles Cameron, leaving nearly half his shoulder exposed to the rain.


    The rain wasing down hard, and the wind howled around them


    Neither wasted time with small talk-they hurdled back to the car


    Even though Bradley had tied the umbres to shield Cameron, the rain was too


    heavy. Droplets still managed to the


    Bradley, on the other hand, waspletely soaked.


    of the umbra oper


    Cameron handed him the towel she''d prepared, then noticed what he was carrying, "What''s that?" she asked.


    "Fruit." Bradley said.


    "You didn''t eat dinner)


    "No"


    Cameron stared at him. "You waited for me all evening without eating dinner?".


    Bradley saw her surprised expression and couldn''t help ruffling her hair. "Missing one meal won''t hurt."


    The moment Bradley made that gesture, his hand froze in mid air. Something about this scene felt f


    "Come eat at my ce," Cameron said. "You can''t just have fruit for dinner."


    Bradley smiled. "Okay"


    Cameron drave Bradley back to Yates Manor


    Within thirty minutes, Levi and Jacqueline had the servants quickly tidy up the


    living room. However, it was already spo


    After all, this was Cameron''s first time bringing a male friend home


    Lance had returned as well. He lounged on the sofa. "Mom, Dad, he''s just a friend


    Do we really need to make such a big deal about this?"


    Levi shot Lance a look. "If your sister gets a boyfriend before you do, I''d like to


    see how you and Gavin will show your f


    faces around here."


    Lance fell silent.


    "Who''s getting a


    a boyfriend?" Gavin had just reached the staircase and only caught half the


    conversation


    Jacqueline smiled, "Cameron has a friending to stay


    w with us tonight"


    Gavin hurried downstairs. "What kind of friend


    "A male friend,"


    Lance said.


    Gavin went quiet.


    Levi looked at Gavin. "Why are you wearing pajamas? What kind of impression is


    that? Go upstairs and change into something decent."


    Sensing Levi''s concer


    Gavin could only nod. "Alright."


    Just as Gavin headed upstairs, Cameron walked in with Bradley. "Mom, Dad, Lance, this is my friend Bradley Saunders. The ferry stopped running because of the heavy rain, so he''s say her dripping umbre by the door. Bradley had dried off, but his clothes were still damp, and his hair was wet. They could tell he''d been caught in the rain. Bradley cared a bag of fruit into the living room. "Mr. Yates, Mrs. Yates, Lance, hello, I''m Bradley. Sorry for the trouble tonight."


    thus tonight" Cameron set