Page 47 of Unbreak My Heart

His body is no longer rigid inside my arms, and he’s leaning against me slightly. I don’t make a fuss, but I can’t avoid pulling him a little closer.

“I needed to have a clean slate. I needed to cut loose from whatever my life had been until you found me, and I needed to look my dad in the eyes and tell him how happy I was going to be by being with you.”

“Did you?”

“Yes, I did. I had some money stashed away that I needed to retrieve. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to buy these things. I wish I could give you so much more.” I look at my empty hands wondering why my presents are not there. Then I search the floor where I think they fell when I saw him crying, but they’re no longer there. I pull away, ready to get up, when both the flowers and the bag with our breakfast appear in front of me. I take them and look up and smile at Rebecca, and then turn around and place the gifts in front of Cameron.

Cammy looks at me as if I’m crazy, and I totally get him. It seemed so important this morning, but I shouldn’t have left without a word. I go to open my mouth but he stops me.

“I can’t live like this, always worrying about you leaving me one day. I realised today that I can’t. It’s too painful.”

Panic kicks in at the thought of this being the last time I see him. I can’t let him go, not now—not ever.

“I left a note on your bedside table because I didn’t want to put you through any of this. I’m well aware I fucked up when I left without telling you ten years ago, and I promise you that’s never going to happen again.”

“There wasn’t a note. I didn’t see one there.”

“I swear to you. I wrote a note. It should be in our—your room.” I’m begging him to believe me, not only with my words, but also by pulling him closer still and kissing his forehead, and I don’t care if I’m using my touch to do it. I’ll beg on my knees if he asks me. Or if that’s what it takes for him to let me stay.

“Here, darling,” Mel says to Cammy, placing the note in his hands.

He takes it and looks at it as if it’s a foreign object, coming from another universe.

“It wasn’t on my bedside table. I checked.”

“It was under the wardrobe, and only a corner was peeking out,” Mel is quick to explain.

I watch his face, more from desperation to hope, and I’m nearly ready to bawl my eyes out, but I need to hear him say that everything’s fine now.

“You did write one,” he says, while looking ecstatic and apologetic at the same time.

And I love him even more than I did a second ago.

“I’m sorry I doubted you.”

“No,” I say. “You had every right not to trust me. I should have made sure you knew where I was. I shouldn’t have left you, not this morning and not ten years ago.”

“I’m sor—“ Cameron tries to say, but I press one of my fingers against his lips to stop him.

“I’m the one that should be, and is sorry. I’m the one who made a mistake. You did nothing wrong.”

His wet eyes, pleading with me to understand and forgive, push me to lean closer and press a kiss to his mouth instead of my fingers. I want the kiss to be a chaste one, but his taste and moan as our lips touch have me deepening the kiss.

The clearing of throats have both of us quickly pulling away, blushing.

“That’s our cue to leave the two of you alone,” Mel says, winking at everything and everyone.

I love Cammy’s laugh, filling the room with joy, even if it’s still full of tears.

“I’m sorry for making you come here,” he says, while rising from the sofa to go say goodbye to his sisters.

“Don’t be daft,” Mel says, while Becky hugs her brother close, and gently slaps Mel.

“Be nice.” Then she whispers to her brother, “We are always here for you.”

“I love you,” he says, and when Mel joins the hugging couple he adds, “both of you.”

“We love you, too,” Mel replies, and Becky nods.

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