He looked really good today, even though he was fully clothed.
"Shut up," J.J. grumbled.
I vaguely heard Colette talking to Brody and Cam, but my eyes were still locked on Ben and he was staring at me.
When Colette said his name, our intense stare broke, and Brody and Ben followed her into the kitchen. I smirked at the look J.J. was giving Cam until I realized he wasn't exactly happy about what he'd just seen.
"Sierra, can you give me a minute with my sister?" he asked.
I met his gaze for a protracted moment before I glanced at Cam. She didn't seem too worried, so I nodded and headed into the kitchen. Maybe I could discreetly ogle Ben a little more. It would keep me from eavesdropping, which is what I really wanted to do.
A few minutes later, I heard Cam's raised voice before the front door slammed and J.J. came into the kitchen, looking upset and a little hurt.
"Where's Cam?" Colette asked, absently. "We're almost ready to sit down and eat and I could use her help bringing the food to the table."
J.J. rubbed the back of his neck as he looked down at the floor. "Cam left," he mumbled.
Colette stopped stirring the pot on the stove and turned to look at him, her eyes glinting. "She what?"
"She left," he answered again with a sigh. "I said something stupid and I upset her."
"Then, you can call her, right this minute, and apologize."
J.J. gave his mother a sheepish look. "I think it might be best if I give her a little time to cool off first. She hasn't been this mad at me in a while."
He was right. When Cam got mad, it took her a bit to cool off enough to handle the situation in a reasonable manner.
Colette cocked her head and stared at her eldest for a long moment. "You're probably right. Well, come help me get the food on the table. While we're doing that, you can tell me what you did."
"Actually, I need to talk to Brody for a sec," he said.
Colette looked like she wanted to argue but ultimately nodded and roped her husband into helping her. The woman might behave like a Southern belle, but she was sharp as a tack and sensed emotional undercurrents that might usually go unnoticed.
J.J. and Brody disappeared out the back door and huddled together on the edge of the back deck.
Crap. I hoped what I said to J.J. wasn't the cause of his fight and the tense conversation he seemed to be having with Brody. I'd assumed Brody had mentioned taking Cam to the movies to J.J., but maybe I was wrong.
I glanced at Ben. "This may be my fault," I admitted. "I mentioned that they went to the movies last night and he didn't know."
Ben shook his head. "It's not your fault. J.J. worries about both of them."
I took my phone out of my pocket and scrolled to Cam's name. "I'm gonna find out what's going on."
Ben watched as I lifted the phone to my ear. Cam answered on the second ring.
"I am so fucking sorry. I was just so mad when I left, I didn't even think," she said.
"What did your brother say to you?" I asked. "Because he looks like a puppy who just got the crap beat out of him with a newspaper." When she snarled, I cringed. "Whoa. You really are mad."
"He told me to quit messing with Brody," she answered, her breath hitching as though she were trying not to cry. "That I shouldn't be playing mind games with his best friend."
I stared out the back door, my eyes narrowed on J.J. "Oh, no he didn't." My voice was dangerously low.
"He did."
"Okay, then I'm officially not upset you forgot to take me with you when you left. Want me to hurt him for you?" Because I totally would. I loved J.J. like a brother, but I wouldn't hesitate to make him regret hurting my bestie.
Cam laughed, no longer sounding as though she wanted to cry. "Thanks, but that won't be necessary. Just make him squirm a little."
"Oh, that I can do."
There was a pause, and then Cam said, "Crap. I have no idea what to tell my mom."
"Tell her the truth, that J.J. was being an asshat," I said. Though it probably wouldn't be necessary. It seemed he was willing to admit that he'd screwed up.
I glanced back out the door and J.J. and Brody were still talking but their