Page 39 of A Boy is a Gun: Part I
“Love the sin, and hate the sinner.” She corrects. “Jamie talks a good game, but she knows the score. The only person who can pay for her lifestyle and not say shit is Cameron. Mommy and Daddy Klan members won’t. Ethan damn sure doesn’t make enough money for it. But Cam? He can keep her laced as long as she shuts up. Jamie can claim she hates Cameron for what he does, but she doesn’t hate himthat much.” She stands up and stretches. “And I reckon she never will.”
Jamie’s attitude bothers me, but it doesn’t bother me that much to confront her again. I don’t have to wonder why she despises Cameron, but I question why the money hasn’t soothed over any harsh feelings. “Jamie is a millionaire on her own.”
“Cameron is a billionaire, and if things play out soon, he’ll be even richer,” Hayley comments to my shocked expression. “Cameron has been making many money moves behind the scenes. He’ll make sure you and Mia are set for life.”
“Blood money,” I murmur.
“Would you rather cry in a Nissan or a Phantom?” Hayley paraphrases Future, and I roll my eyes. “It’s not a pop quiz, Taylor. You’re acting like you’re too good for the lifestyle, but I don’t see you returning that Beemer or any expensive shit Cam bought you and Mia!”
“I’ll dump all of it in the trash and set fire to it. That’s exactly how much I do not care about Cameron and his fucking money.” There’s some bass in my voice that wasn’t there before, and I feel emboldened. “I’ll even make an IG post about it so it can go viral. And I’ll use hashtag #dontgiveAF.”
“Yeah, burning your baby’s clothes will make you goviral, all right,” Hayley rolls her eyes. There’s a knock at the door, and she opens it. I have the worst luck, and our guest has the best coincidence. “Well, hello, Cameron.” She smiles at him and turns back to me. “It seems Taylor has a lot to say to you. I’ll let you two be.” She leaves and closes the door behind her.
I feel my heart hitch in my throat and remember to breathe still. Cameron is undeniably gorgeous in a V-neck sweater and jeans. His brown hair is gelled back, and his outfit outlines his body perfectly. He smelled like musk, earth, and generational wealth.
My body instantly craves him, my heart misses him, and my brain tells both hussies to be quiet. I hope my brain has a switch on her because this might be a long meeting.
Three
Cameron
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Seeing Taylor before me immediately made me miss her even more. Her curly hair, full lips, and almost Becky-in-the-Valley attitude about life. Seeing her body behind the desk made my dick twitch, and I must put those thoughts away.
I can’t appear to be some horny asshole needing to get off. I need to talk to Taylor and be honest with her. A lot is about to happen within the next few weeks, and she needs to be protected as much as possible.
I’m about to make some decisions I may not regret.
“Can we talk?” I ask her as I gauge her reaction. She’s silent, and it seems like an eternity. Her eyes flutter between me, the floor, her hands, and everywhere else in the office as she decides.
Usually, it’s a simple yes or no question, but we both know it’s more to it than that. Nothing is ever simple between us, and even our love is complicated. But we can’t go on like this, not with a child. We need to clear the air, but also I need to get Taylor and Mia out of the way before they could get hurt again.
After what seems like forever, Taylor finally answers: “Yes.”
“I wanted to take you out shopping today,” I circle the table with my finger, “something nice.”
“Let me guess,” she folds her arms, “is this a ‘shut up, Taylor’ gift because of what happened with Mia? Or is this ‘shut up, Taylor’ gift because you’re about to be in the news for something else?”
“This is a ‘shut up, Taylor’ gift because I want my child’s mother to be comfortable and not live with her insufferable grandmother.” I calmly state. “Let’s go.”
~~~~~
We drive quietly to a luxury apartment building and park at the front. After a tour by one of the office managers, Taylor and I are alone in the two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo she and Mia will live in soon.
It’s a new building with a top-of-the-line interior. New kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms. Granite countertops, hardwood floors, plush carpeting. Plenty of windows for natural light and a small playground on the ground floor for Mia to enjoy and make new friends.
It’s close to my home, and Taylor will be away from her Granny. I have beef with that woman, but now isn’t the time to explain why. The goal is to get Taylor away from her, and I will have more access to our daughter.
“So…” I begin as she looks around the furnished condo. I hired an interior decorator to fit everything brand-new and everything Taylor and Mia would like. It is move-in ready; all she has to do is say yes. “… what do you think?”
Taylor walks around with folded arms and a slight smirk. I can’t tell if she’s impressed or wants to throw something at me. Maybe it’s a bit of both. After a short while, she stops walking and turns towards me. “You planned this.”
“I plan everything, angel,” I reply. “Do you like it?”
She looks around a bit more, and I see the anger slowly rising. “Who’s the owner?”
“Que,” I state, and she shakes her head.
