Free Not the Placeholder: A BBW New Adult Serial Romance (Not the Hot Chick series Book 4) by N. Raines Page B

been friends. Their present thing, whatever it was, was too new to name.
    Still, he'd referred to her as his girl. That had to mean something, right?
    Paige didn't wait for an answer. "Hope you don't mind me saying this, but you're not like most of the girls he's been with."
    Layla's mouth curled sardonically. "You mean I'm not his type?" No. She wasn't some hot chick with a banging body. But she'd decided she wouldn't let that trouble her. She and Cam were having fun and she intended to enjoy the ride for as long as it lasted. Later, she'd cry.
    "Not a brainless bubblehead, more like. Don't be mad. I mean, you're cute and all. But you got more going on than looks. You'd be good for him."
    Paige made her sound as exciting as a bowl of oatmeal. Time to change the subject. "How long have you and Cam been…" What? What were they, exactly? Layla still had no clue.
    "Oh, we go way back," Paige answered with a careless wave. "We grew up together, practically. Lived in the same neighborhood. He was like a big brother to me."
    "Really?" That sounded pretty innocent. Relaxing a bit, Layla took a chair next to the futon.
    "Yeah. I mean, I don't have any brothers—or sisters—of my own. So, you know, I really looked up to him. Kind of hero-worshipped him."
    Hero worship. Layla could understand Cam inspiring that in a young girl. She felt a twinge of jealousy. Paige had known Cam a long time and had a real history with him. "What was he like as a kid?" she asked, suddenly hungry to know.
    "Kind of like how he is now. A good guy. A great guy. Friendly, funny. Everybody liked him." Paige smirked. "And he always had plenty of girls. That hasn't changed, either." She grew serious. "You could never ask for a better friend. There were lots of times he must have thought I was a pest, but he always stuck up for me, protected me. He was always there for me."
    Layla was so touched by the heartfelt confession, she found it hard to swallow past the fullness in her throat. "I can totally see him doing that."
    "Yeah. Like this one time on the school bus, some bully stole my lunch bag and was just about to stomp it. Cam told him, 'Whatever you do to that bag, I'm gonna do to you.'" Paige laughed. "My God, I can still see that kid's face. He practically turned green. He was so gentle, handing me back that bag."
    Cam was a hero and a big brother figure to Paige, but what was she to him? Why had he reacted so strangely to her sudden appearance and the news of her getting married?
    An unfamiliar chirp sounded. "Oops, that's mine." Paige dug her phone from her jacket pocket and cackled at the screen. "Oh no, she didn't." She tapped in a response and grinned when the phone chirped again. She sprang to her feet. "I've got to meet somebody. Tell Cam I'll catch up with him later, okay?"
    Just like that? "Is everything all right?"
    "Sure. Just one of my crazy-ass friends. Hey, maybe I'll see you later." Paige was out the door before Layla could say more.
    Cam returned a few moments later. "Where's Paige?"
    "She just left a minute ago. Said she'd catch up with you later."
    He shot her a look of alarm. "Was she okay? Where'd she go?"
    His sharp tone jolted her. "She was fine. Meeting a friend. What's the matter?"
    He shook his head and the tightness in his expression eased. "No. Nothing."
    Layla didn't know what to make of this girl who suddenly appeared out of the past and just as abruptly disappeared. She didn't know what to make of Cam's reaction, either. "I didn't expect her to take off so suddenly. I thought she'd stick around a while."
    Cam huffed a short laugh. "That's the thing about Paige. She's totally unpredictable. You never know what she's going to do next."
    "She told me how you always used to stick up for her. You were her hero."
    "Yeah, that's me," he answered, deadpan. "The big hero."
    She didn't know how to reach him in the awkward moment of silence that followed. Cam eyed her speculatively, as though he were a cat and she an especially