Page 93 of Feels Like Coming Home

“I don’t want to talk to him.” My eyes were set on Piper, avoiding Cam at all costs.

“Well, I’m done talking to him and I think you’re crazy if you don’t. I’m heading out for a few hours, I’ll be back later.” She turned to face Cam. “I’ll see you later, Camden. Good luck. And don’t fuck this up because I will kill you if I have to. And I won’t feel bad for doing it.”

My eyes followed Piper as she walked toward the entryway and when I heard the door click behind her, I knew I was alone with Cam once more.

Without even thinking, my body rushed toward my room so I could close the door and lock it behind me. Cam anticipated the move though,damn football player,and cut me off in the hallway. Using one arm to block the hallway and one arm extended in front of him to stop me, I didn’t have anywhere to go. For a split second, I thought about running out of the house behind Piper, but that would be totally immature and embarrassing.

Plus, I’m pretty sure Piper would haul my ass back here if I tried.

“Jones…” Cam started before I interrupted him.

“I don’t want to talk to you.” I turned away from him and walked back toward the kitchen. If I was going to make it through this, I was going to need some coffee. Cam’s footsteps followed closely behind me to the kitchen.

My hands reached for the filters, coffee, and mug with very little thinking. Over the last eight weeks, this process has become part of my morning routine and I could find everything I needed for my morning fix with my eyes closed.

“Haley, please, can we just talk?” Cam pleaded.

“We don’t need to talk. We talked enough last night. I’m done talking.”

“Okay fine, I’ll talk,” he said, trying to get his body in front of me as I moved around the kitchen. “Haley, I'm so sorry for last night. I didn’t mean to upset you and I—Haley, will you stop and look at me.”

I continued to ignore him, thinking that if I did it well enough he would just disappear from my kitchen and be gone for good.

“Haley…Haley, look at me,please.” Cam’s words came out as a plea and his hands laced around my waist, forcing me to spin and face him. Twenty-four hours ago, the move would’ve made my heart skip a beat. Now it just felt like being pricked by a thousand tiny needles.

“Haley, look at me.” I may have been facing him but I was staring at his chest. He was still wearing his clothes from last night, which meant he hadn’t left.

“Please, beautiful. Please look at me.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I held it in for a few seconds before slowly releasing it. I forced my eyes to look up into his and tried to keep myself from getting lost in the only pair of eyes that ever made my heart completely melt.

“There she is…” he whispered with a small smile on his face.

We were close, our bodies only a few inches apart, and I could smell him.

Pine, earth, and AstroTurf. Just like always.

“Why won’t you just leave me alone?” I grumbled, trying to pull my eyes away from his but failing miserably.

“Because I love you, Haley Jones. And I made you a promise that I would never leave you. I intend on keeping that promise, no matter how hard you try to push me away.” His words came out like honey, sweet and thick.

My heart started to beat faster and there was a growing heat in my core.Stop it. Keep your walls up, woman. You will not fall for his games so easily.

“What are you thinking about?” Cam’s eyes were searching mine. I turned my face away from him, trying to conceal the thoughts that were running around in my head.

“Come on, Jones. I see it behind your eyes, you’re thinking about something. Tell me, please.”

“I’m thinking about what a fool I am. How stupid I was to believe you when you said you weren’t leaving. How hilarious you must find this entire situation,” I spat out at him and tried to push him away from me, but he held me in place effortlessly. “Oh, I got her again! Jones really thinks I love her, time to deliver the punchline!” I mocked.

Cam’s face slowly morphed into one of sadness and disappointment, but he didn’t pull away from me. We stood there in the kitchen, chest to chest, as the coffee maker spurted and bubbled on the countertop. Neither of us said anything for a few, long moments.

Then, as the coffee machine beeped to let me know my coffee was ready, Cam leaned down and pressed his lips to my forehead. It felt like my heart was healing and breaking into a million pieces all at once.

“Can you please tell that brain of yours to stop making shit up?” he whispered, pressing his forehead to mine. “And the voices, can you tell them to shut the fuck up too?”

I pulled my face away from him quickly and looked at him in shock. How did he know about the voices?

“Piper,” he said, knowingly.Of course, Piper told him.

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