Page 23 of Cam
Cam was meeting me here to help load up the last of my stuff, which wasn’t all that much. I didn’t wantany of my bedroom furniture so I only had a little bit of my clothes and things left.
Since Dad’s car wasn’t in the driveway, I thought I’d have the house to myself and didn’t wait for Cam.
Except I was wrong.
Dad came out of the kitchen with what looked like a Hot Pocket in his hand. His hair didn’t seem to have been washed since the last time I saw him. So was his scruff. He was officially moving into beard territory and it didn’t look that good on him. His eyes were a mix of bloodshot and wired, like he drank too much and then dosed himself with a few cups of coffee.
“Where’s your car?” I wondered, heading to my room to get my few things. I knew I was spending the night with Cam again, but being back here, even after just one night with Cam, I wasn’t coming back. Not because Cam had told me as much, but because I didn’t want to be here.
Was I using Cam to escape this place? Definitely. But he wanted to be used. He wanted me in his house and I so wanted to be there. I loved it there. Besides the house being clean and well maintained, it just felt… good. Safe. Like a real home and it all had to do with Cam.
Grabbing a bag from my closet floor, I started stuffing the last of my clothes in, random sweaters andpants, shoes and my raincoat, then made my way into the bathroom. I tossed in my remaining toiletries, then opened the cabinet and pulled out my box of tampons.
I was due to get my period in two days, but it sometimes came early. They were something I was sure Cam didn’t have at his house. While we’d only had unprotected sex, I doubted I could be pregnant this close to my period. Were we crazy for being risky? It didn’t seem it, in the moment. Nothing seemed risky with him.
For the first time in my life, I felt like I was able to hope. To go after my dreams. New ones, too. I wanted everything with Cam, including a baby.
“My car? I loaned it to someone,” he said, as I stuffed the box into my bag. He took a bite of his hand held meal. “What’s this I hear about Cam Wilder?”
It wasn’t a surprise he heard something about us because small towns had big mouths, but we hadn’t done anything in public, besides him walking me out of The Roadside. Except, that wasn’t anything wild and crazy. Maybe one of the Wilders mentioned it to someone and it spread. Maybe it had been Cam himself.
“What about it?” I asked, shouldering past him to head back into my room.
“What was wrong with Rod?” he asked. “He was a good guy.”
I stopped in my tracks. Rod? Seriously? “Good guy? He’s wanted by the cops for a number of crimes including attempted murder. That’s what you call abadguy.”
He waved his hand through the air. “I’m sure it was all overblown. You should get back with him.”
I stared at him, then sputtered in disbelief. Get back together with Rod? He didn’t seem drunk but… what the hell?
“I’m with Cam now.” I wasn’t going to argue with him about Rod. Rod was dangerous, long gone and good riddance.
I grabbed my sweatshirt off the back of my desk chair and shoved it into the top of the bag. I couldn’t zip it, but it didn’t matter. I was only going across town, not on a plane. I’d gotten what I needed, at least for a little while. “You remember him, he was the guy here earlier in the week.”
Hopefully, that was enough for him to remember that Cam had him thrown up against the wall for touching me and there wouldn’t be a repeat.
“Seriously?Thatguy?” he sputtered. “Do you know what he’s done?”
All week, Cam had proved to me that I was mostdefinitely his. We’d had sex on the kitchen counter, the couch, in the shower, and a number of other places around his house. Each time was better than the last. Cam took care of me. Ensured I had a lunch packed for work. That I had the toothpaste I liked. That I didn’t forget my coat, or offered me his. Who held me while we watched TV on his big couch and while we slept.
I felt cherished, protected… safe and I hadn’t really felt that for a long time. I didn’t even realize how much I craved that until him.
“What’s he done, Dad? Taken care of me? Made sure I had food and shelter? That I wasn’t yelled at or verbally abused? The guy whodoesn’tgaslight me?”
“What’s gaslight?”
I rolled my eyes and flung up my hands. “When you yell at me and I get upset and you tell me to calm down.” I sighed. “Look, I’m only here to get more of my stuff.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m living with Cam,” I replied, cutting past him and through the living room. He followed.
“Over my dead body,” Dad snapped.
“That can be arranged,” Cam said.
Both of us froze at Cam’s voice. I hadn’t heard him come in. But there he stood in the family room,formidable and willing to kill my dad to protect me. I knew Dad was only bluffing, but by the look on Cam’s face, I wasn’t sure if he was.
