Page 11 of Seduced By My Bully

“We shouldn’t. This is going to get even more complicated than it already is.”

“My Captain already knows this is personal for me.”

“He does? It is?” I gasp as my cheeks heat. I hate that so many people know my business.

“He doesn’t like it, but he knows that I won’t rest until we get your bastard of an ex put away where he can’t hurt you anymore.

Whatever happens between us, I’m going to make sure we get him, Roe. I promise you that. Men like him shouldn’t be out on the streets.”

“I hope you do. Honestly, I just wish he’d leave so that I can live my life in peace.” I can tell Cam doesn’t like what I’ve said, but I can’t worry about that. “Look, I’m going to get out there and help Dani setup. We’ll have people here in less than an hour beating the door down for their caffeine fix. Thanks again for last night and this morning.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Roe.”

“Because I’m a job?” I sass, confused about everything.

“Because you’re you and I’m me. Because the last thing I want is for someone to steal the light that’s starting to come back into your eyes again. Where’s the fire that used to blaze there before?”

I shrug. “Must have fizzled out. Flames don’t burn eternally.”

Cam captures me in his gaze, “Sometimes they do. I’ll see you in a few hours. Call me if you need anything before then.” He says before walking out the back door.

Grrr, why does he have to be so infuriating? I walk out to the front and find Dani starting the coffee. “That was fast.” She says, smiling wide.

“That was… that was… you know what that was, a mistake.”

“It didn’t look like a mistake from where I was standing. That man has had the hots for you since before ninth grade, and I don’t know if he’s ever stopped.”

Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. “No, he hasn’t.”

“You sure about that?” She asks before going to the back.

I think about that summer night out on the docks. We had been hanging out for weeks, just the two of us, and I had a major crush on him. He kissed me, and at first, it was perfect, then he pushed for more, and it scared the crap out of me. When he tried kissing me again, I was pissed that he wasn’t listening. I pushed him away and walked home, but not before he had to dig the sword in a little deeper by blaming what happened on me.

I was so angry. I didn’t want to see him, and more than anything, I was hurt that he had turned something so special into something ugly. I refused to see him when he came to the house, and when school started, things went from bad to worse. He walked into the same homeroom I was in and glared at me the whole time.

He has been an epic jerk ever since that night. I have wondered what he would have said if I would have given him the chance to explain. Could things have been different if we had both reacted differently?

When seven-thirty rolls around and Cam doesn’t come walking into the shop like usual, I start to worry. Is he okay? Did he get hurt? Did he find Brent and something happened?

Some teenagers walk into the shop laughing and goofing off as they order their morning coffee and take a seat at one of the tables. The scene brings me back to a night years ago that should have gone a lot differently.

“Monroe! Girl, what is your fine ass doing here?”

“Give it a rest, Cam. Go find your friends, and I’ll stick to mine.”

Cam holds his hands up dramatically in front of his chest. “Truce?” He asks, tilting his head to the side adorably.

I shake my head and sigh. “Fine. Truce.”

“Good, come dance with me,” Cam says, grabbing my hand and pulling me onto the dance floor. He starts dancing, if you want to call it that, doing moves only our parents would know.

“Are you drunk?” I ask.

“No,” he says while shaking his head up and down.

Oh goodness. “Cam, let’s go get you a bottle of water. How much have you had to drink tonight?”

“You’re so beautiful, Monroe. I don’t tell you that enough.” He slurs as he pulls me towards him then spins me around.

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