Page 86 of Staying for You

“Camilla Moore.”

That gets my attention. Is this…

Is this jerkoff Cami’s ex-husband?

He looks smug. I just gave him the exact reaction that he was aiming for. Dammit. “Yeah. That’s my wife you’ve been screwing.”

“I think you mean ex.” I know a lot of things and even though Cami and I may have had our miscommunications, I know one thing’s for certain. She told me she was divorced and I have no doubt in my mind that she was being truthful there.

“Is that what she said? Hmm.” He doesn’t deny that they’re divorced. Just tries to manipulate his words into making it seem that she was lying.

“It is. She also let me know that you’ve been squatting in her house. Got a stripper pregnant. Oh, and that you’re a piece of shit.” She didn’t use those words exactly but they were implied, I’m sure.

“Squatting?! That lying bitch!”

I somehow stay calm when I chuckle. “Hey now. Scott, is it?” His eyes darken at my use of his name. “That’s no way to speak of your wife, do you think?”

He scowls and I know this time, I don’t give him the reaction he was looking for.

“Listen. I don’t know what Cami told you but she’s a habitual liar. Bipolar, actually,” he adds on as if he’s just coming up with the story as he goes. He starts walking toward me like I’m a scared little animal, about to run away if he gets too close. He’s wrong though. I don’t run away from predators. Or assholes.

“Is that so?”

“It is. I’m sorry you got caught up in her fray. I know she seems like a cool chick and fairly normal but trust me, she’s far from it. I’ve been dealing with it for a long time now.”

“Sorry to hear that,” I tell him even though the only thing I’m sorry about is the fact that he’s a giant douchebag who’s trying to spread terrible things about Cami.

“It’s been hard, but yeah, I’m kind of her caretaker. She’s never gone this far off the deep end before, though.” He scoffs and shakes his head like he’s sad. “She actually left me. Broke my fucking heart. She’s the love of my life, you know?” He’s really laying it on thick, walking closer, clutching his damn heart. My word. If he wasn’t such a bad actor, I’d actually struggle not to believe him. “She even changed the locks and sent the police in after me when I was finally able to get into my own home. Kicked out of my own home! Can you believe it?” His lies just tumble out of his mouth, he’s such an idiot.

“You’re a saint. Dealing with all that.” The words taste like bile in my mouth but I say them anyway. The problem with guys like him, their narcissism knows no bounds. He probably believes everything he’s saying as if there’s some semblance of truth to it. And, part of me likes feeding him full of bullshit just like he’s doing to me. Seeing the way he thinks he’s besting me. Dillhole.

“Nah. This is what you do for the people you love, you know?”

“Right.”

He shifts on his feet and fuck if the evil look in his eye doesn’t make my stomach twist. “So where is she? I’m here to take her home.”

Even if I had a clue where she was, I wouldn’t tell this toolbag. “I have no idea.”

“Come on, now, don’t lie to me. I know she’s here. It took me a while but I tracked her down.”

“For real, man. I’m not the liar here. I don’t know what to tell you, but she’s not here.”

His stance takes on one full of anger as he advances toward me again. I can tell he’s about to snap. I have no idea why he wants to find her so badly, but he’s growing angrier by the second for me not giving her up. “She’s not well, man. Help me out and just tell me.”

“You know, men like you? They don’t deserve the title of man. I don’t know who you think I am, but I do know that Camilla Moore is none of those things. Not a single one. She’s good and sweet and kind. Funny and beautiful and so fucking fun to be around. And she’s divorced. I know this to be true as well as I know my own name. So I’ll tell you this just once. Get the fuck off my property and go back to whatever hole you crawled out of. Cami’s not here. She left a week ago. I suggest you learn how to be a fucking adult and move the hell on and forget about her.”

“Forget about that bitch? Right. She ruined me!”

I get in his face and point at his chest. I was calm for long enough. He didn’t deserve it then, and after calling Cami a bitch more than once and saying everything he said, I’m done. “Man, you are not hearing what I’m saying. Get the hell off my property. I know Cami. And two seconds in your presence and I knew you. You’re the most transparent piece of shit I’ve ever met in my life.”

He looks at me closely, assessing. I’ve got about thirty pounds and a few inches on him and he realizes that. Still… it doesn’t stop him from shoulder checking me as he passes by to get to the staircase behind me.

I grip his bicep, or where his bicep should be if he were even remotely strong, and growl, “You want to try to start something with me? Go ahead. I’m in a helluva mood and looking for a way to get out some of this frustration.”

Unlike when Cami slapped me, which I deserved, I see his fist coming and dodge it easily. But he doesn’t see mine coming at him, too. I punch his gut and he doubles over, grunting and cursing. Once he stands up, I taunt him a little. “Want to keep going?”

Apparently, he does, because when he raises his head, all I see is crazy eyes staring back at me before he charges. Dipping low and rushing at me with his shoulder into my stomach, I lose my footing and that’s when I realize my mistake. Standing in front of the staircase, I don’t have anywhere to go but down.

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