Page 62 of The Easy Way
Chapter Seventeen
Cam was supremely comfortable,laying on the warm sand in the sunshine down in the hidden cove on St. Brigitte. His eyes were closed, but he could hear the distant crash of waves on the shore and birds calling as they dove for their supper. Everything was perfectly peaceful, and in a moment or two, when he felt like opening his eyes again, he’d grab his book and towel, and head on up the path to see whether it was time forlunch.
His stomach growled. Okay, so maybe it was closer todinner. Bas, Drew, and Amy hardly ever left him alone this long, always forcing him to play some stupid game Bas was a dead cert to win. His stomach rumbled insistently again and he sucked in a deep breath. His mom and dad were probably wondering wherehe’d…
Reality hit him like a tidal wave - first the slow shadow falling over his mind, an awareness in his hind-brain, warning him something was off in his thinking, and then, before he could brace himself, before he could move or protect himself, the full realization crashed over his head and sucked himunder.
They weregone.
His father, with his keen intellect and take-no-prisonersconfidence…
Amy McMann, with her razor-sharp tongue and kindsmile…
His mother, with her soft eyes and quickwit…
No one would ever again wonder where on earth Cam had got to when it was time fordinner.
No one would remind him things would getbetter.
No one was waiting for himanymore.
He was utterlyalone.
He was sobbing before he opened his eyes. Chest heaving, stomach cramping under the weight of his grief, he sat up and wrapped his arms around his knees. It was shattering, this pain – uncontrollable desolation so vast he couldn’t contain it as it welled up from his lungs and sank down into his bones. He buried his face in his hands and let the tears roll down past hisfingers.
When he felt a warm hand on his naked back, he stiffened in shock and looked up to find Cort, his eyes still half-slitted and glazed with sleep, shifting to sit behind him in the bed. Cam hadn’t even realized where he was, hadn’t remembered Cort was alsothere.
He wasn’t alone afterall.
Hehadsomeone afterall.
Cort didn’t say a word. He shifted one leg around Cam’s back, and pulled Cam to lean against him. The scruff of Cort’s beard was rough on Cam’s shoulder as Cort pressed small kisses to his skin and ran his hand through Cam’shair.
Without thinking, Cam twisted to bury his face in Cort’s chest as the sobs came faster and harder. How could one person have so much grief inside them? Had it been there all along? Right now, it was expanding like a living entity inside him, threatening to split Cam’s skin, fragmenting him into a millionpieces.
Cort didn’t waver. His grip around Cam tightened, holding Cam’s pieces together with the strength of his embrace, and he began rocking, almost imperceptibly at first, then faster, the motion comforting andsure.
“I’ve got you,” he whispered. “Let it go, baby. I’ve gotyou.”
And Cam took him at his word, allowing Cort’s soft kisses to push comfort into his skin, trusting Cort to care forhim.
When his tears finally slowed, hours or minutes later, Cam noticed the room was lighter than it had been, warmer, though perhaps it had more to do with the way Cort had wrapped him up completely, arms and legs and chest, all buffering him against theworld.
He swallowed, not sure how to feel once his sanity returned somewhat. Should he be embarrassed? Should he move away? Last night with Cort had been incredible, but there had been no promises between them. And still, he couldn’t summon the energy to respond atall.
Cort’s lips moved against his hair, his hands stroked over Cam’s arm. His eyes held affection, concern - a dozen different emotions Cam could read, clear as day, because all along they’d been doing that wordless communication thing, hadn’t they? And Cam hadn’t evennoticed.
This giant, crazy, secretive, wonderful Viking, with his green eyes and his just-fucked hair, knew exactly what Cam was thinking. He always seemed toknow.
Cort frowned as Cam stared at him silently. “Can I get you anything? Water,or—”
“I love you,” Cam blurted, stunning himself. Stunning Cort, too, by the way he tensed around Cam, squeezing him tight before lessening his death gripsomewhat.
“You—” Cortstumbled.
Cam pulled in a deep breath and moved his head from Cort’s chest so he could look directly into his face. Cort didn’t look horrified or concerned, or any of the other things Cam had worried he’d find there, just completely surprised and maybe a little unsure of how torespond.
Cam shook his head. “I didn’t say it for you to say it back,” he told Cort. “In fact, I definitely don’twantyou to repeat it to me. Not now. I just… I was thinking about my parents. Dreaming about them actually.” Cam’s voice broke and he cleared his throat. “I miss them.” It was so stupidly obvious, but Cam didn’t think he’d ever said it aloud before. He wasn’t certain whether he’d even admitted it tohimself, because admitting it would mean contemplatingeverythinghe’d lost and he still wasn’t sure he was ready to dothat.
