Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 557

Camila Davis felt his gaze before she saw it, lifting her head just in time to meet his eyes.

For a split second, her heart skipped a beat.

She could feel her ears getting warm.

Nearby, Susan and Aaron had already helped the two up off the floor and were fussing over their injuries.

Both of them had taken a nasty fall; they clutched their lower backs, struggling to catch their breath.

Camila only needed a glance to know they’d strained their backs.

With a sigh of resignation, she turned to fetch the first aid kit.

She took out two packets of ointment, handing one to Aaron. “Would you help Mr. Adams with this? Rub it in well—should ease the pain in no time.”

She kept the other for Sarah Brown, applying it herself.

Camila was a professional—her hands were steady, her technique flawless.

But pain is pain, and there’s only so much a doctor can do to soften it.

Sarah winced and let out a dramatic groan. “Camila… Ow! Go easy on me, will you? I swear my back’s about to snap in half!”

Camila couldn’t help but laugh, though her hands didn’t let up. “Sorry, but if I don’t work out these knots, you’ll be stiff all week.”

She took the chance to lecture Sarah a bit. “You know, Mr. Adams was right. Maybe you should skip the drinks when you’re out alone next time. Especially with your move to Boston coming up. I won’t be there to bail you out, so you need to watch out for yourself. If you get in trouble, regret won’t help. Got it? Don’t make me worry.”

At the mention of Boston, Sarah deflated. “Yeah… I know. I just—I don’t want to go. I’ll miss you and Lillian too much.”

She sniffled, her frustration obvious. This was all her brother’s fault—one decision, and now the whole group was splitting up.

Camila’s voice was soft, but resigned. “I’ll miss you too. But hey, we’ll still FaceTime, right? And if I get some time off, I’ll bring Lillian to Boston. Or you can come back to Harrisburg. You’re not leaving forever—this isn’t some tragic goodbye, so let’s not make it one.”

Sarah nodded, still looking like a kicked puppy.

Once everyone was patched up, they finally sat down to breakfast. But with hangovers lingering, neither Camila nor Sarah had much of an appetite.

Sarah, especially, was pale and nursing a headache. As soon as she finished her coffee and a bite of toast, she retreated to her room for a nap.

As for Larry Adams and Dennis Williams, they had places to be. After a quick meal, they were ready to hit the road back to Boston.

Camila knew better than to try to convince them to stay, so she got up to see them out.

She didn’t ask, but the thought left her with a jumble of mixed feelings.

Was this really goodbye?

She mustered a shaky smile. “Drive safe, okay?”

He looked her in the eyes. “That’s it? Nothing else you want to say?”

Camila hesitated, unsure. After a moment, she blurted, “Last night… I didn’t do anything crazy, did I? I mean, I had a lot to drink. I just want to make sure I didn’t embarrass myself.”

Honestly, she hadn’t worried until she saw the state Sarah was in this morning. Now she was terrified she’d done something mortifying—especially considering the reckless dream she’d had about Dennis. With her feelings for him bottled up, she wouldn’t put it past herself to have done something foolish.

Just thinking about it made her scalp tingle.

Dennis watched her, amused. “You weren’t crazy at all. You were actually pretty cute—no drama, no wild stories. You answered my questions and that was that.”

Then his eyes twinkled, teasing. “But you did promise me something. You’re not going to go back on it, are you?”

Camila stared at him, blank. “I… what did I promise?”

He didn’t seem surprised she’d forgotten. “You said when I call, you’ll pick up. You won’t avoid me, and you won’t tell Lillian we can’t see each other for a whole year or anything like that.”