Page 95 of Staying for You

“Cami, this is Sawyer. He’s been looking into the case for me.”

“The case,” she repeats. “Against Scott, you mean?”

I look hard into her bright blue eyes, hoping I don’t see irritation or anger on his behalf. I nod and lift a hand to place on the back of her head. “Yeah, sweetheart. Against Scott.”

“Good. That fucker,” she growls.

Sawyer chuckles and I raise my eyebrows. She’s not a big cusser so hearing her say that is honestly quite hilarious. Cami stands up from the bed to shake Sawyer’s hand and tells her it’s nice to finally meet her and then she turns to the person she brought with her. Not Gretchen. No way is that Gretchen. She’s too young and well, pregnant. Is this… holy shit.

“This is Helen. She was plagued by Scott’s shittyness as well.”

Helen offers up a tiny wave at me before looking over at Sawyer. Where her eyes stay for the next several moments.

“Hi.”

“See we have a lot to catch up on,” I tell Cami and she grins, shrugs a shoulder and nods. Unfortunately, she doesn’t know the half of it.

“You two need a bit. Helen, care to join me in the cafeteria for something to eat?”

Helen looks to Cami who looks to me. “It’s okay,” I assure her and she looks back to Helen and nods.

“Go. I’ll be here and then when we get him checked out we’ll head out together.”

“Okay,” Helen says, a little nervous, obviously, but goes with Sawyer anyway.

Sawyer lets Helen walk in front of him and looks back at me, winks, and then Cami and I are alone.

I expected it to be weird. For her to still be upset with me. But that isn’t the case. She leans over, kisses me on the lips and whispers, “I missed you.”

I was wrong earlier.

Now I can breathe again.

Her in my arms. Admitting she missed me and smiling and kissing me. It’s everything I need. That’s all. Forever. Her.

“I missed you.”

“I’m sorry.” I lean back and look at her, eyebrows scrunched together.

“What? Why are you sorry?”

She looks around and gives me aduhlook then stands up from the bed, which I don’t like one bit because that means she’s not next to me anymore. “You’re here because of me!”

“Stop it.”

“I hate this. Are you okay? Your leg? Your shoulder? Your concussion? Are you in pain or need anything?”

I tug her back so she’s sitting next to me on the bed. “Stop it. I’m fine. You’re here and that helps. They re-set my shoulder. My leg will heal and my head is already doing better than before.”

Her eyes soften and she leans her forehead against mine. She’s close and I had no idea how much I needed that until this exact moment.

“It’s not your fault. I’m here because Scott is certifiable. But don’t repeat that because I don’t want him using an insanity plea to get out of the shit storm he caused.”

She leans back. Looks down at our joined hands between us then up to me. “He’s been hurting Helen.”

“I know.”

“You do?” she asks and then I think better of the way we’re sitting and I shift, laying us both down so we’re stretched out next to each other. It takes some finagling with my cast, but we make it work. What I need to tell her, all that I just learned from Sawyer, isn’t going to be easy and she needs to be in my arms when she learns it. I wish I wasn’t in this damn hospital bed and rather at the cabin, but the doctor couldn’t do a final check on me until this afternoon to sign my release papers.

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