Chapter 20
~ Cameron ~
I stop my truck next to the curb outside Hayley’s grandmother’s house and cut the ignition. I sit there for a good ten minutes, thinking about what it is that I want to say to Hayley. I know I need to apologize because I treated her poorly after my father died, but I’m still reeling after what happened at the diner last night. I can’t even imagine how she must be feeling. I woke up this morning and made the decision to drive over here, whether she wanted to see me or not, so that we could talk. I have no idea where to go from here, or if we even have a place to go, but if I don’t at least try talk to her, I will never know what could be. The truth is, Hayley has consumed me, and thinking about her has helped me through the last few weeks, helping me cope and deal with not only my father’s death but with my guilt, too. I thought I was doing the right thing by pushing her away, because she makes me feel and after losing my father, feeling was the last thing I wanted to do. But I see now that pushing her away, hurting her, wasn’t the right thing at all. Which is why I’m here. To talk. To clear things up, and to hopefully try again if she’ll let me. She needs to know how I feel about her, and Ari too, for that matter.
I climb from my truck and walk around the front just as the front door opens. It’s Kyle, and he looks happy about something. My stomach drops like an anvil. Are they getting back together? Not on my watch. Hayley and Ari are mine.
Kyle sees me, and the smug smile on his face falters.
“What are you doing here?” I ask. I don’t like this f*cker one bit, and it has nothing to do with the fact that him and his bitch of a girlfriend gatecrashed my birthday dinner last night. However, it may have everything to do with the conversation I overheard when I walked back into the diner after Hayley left. Just thinking about what they put Hayley through makes me want to f*ck him up seven ways from Sunday and not think twice about it.
“Taking care of business,” he replies, puffing out his chest a little. Really? “Why do you care? I thought you and Hayley were over?”
“You don’t know anything about me and Hayley, dickwad, so why don’t you get in your car and go back to whatever hole you crawled out of.” I sneer, making my disdain for this a*shole known.
His hands lift up in mock defeat and he takes a step back. “Hey man, chill out. Hayley and the kid are both yours. I don’t want anything to do with them. I’m sure you can understand that at our age one p-ssy just isn’t enough.”
He shrugs nonchalantly, like he didn’t just throw away the best thing that could’ve been his. “Can’t deny that she was a great lay though. Too bad it came back to bite me in the ass with a kid.”
I step closer, feeling the familiar protectiveness over Hayley and Ari clash with white hot rage and warm my blood. My fist connects with his jaw and I hear the crack of bone. He falls to the ground with a thud. “What the f*ck, man? What was that for?”
Bending down, I grab his shirt and yank him until our noses are pretty much touching. “Listen here, you waste of skin,” I growl. “Someone should have done that a long time ago. You have no idea how incredible those two girls are, and you sure as hell don’t even deserve to breathe the same f*cking air as that precious little girl.” I let go of his shirt, giving him a shove. “So I suggest you leave and think twice about ever showing up here again, unless you want to piss sitting down for the rest of your life.”
Just then the front door swings open and Hayley appears. She sees what’s going on and runs down the porch steps.
“Cameron? What’s going on?”
Ignoring Hayley’s question, I stare at Kyle. “Are we clear?”
He spits some blood onto the grass. “Yeah, Cameron, we’re clear.”
He stands up and walks away without a backwards glance. What an a*shole, I think to myself. Hayley and Ari are both better off without him anyway.
I turn to look at Hayley, expecting to find her scowling at me, or at least angry. But instead, she’s got a small smile on her face that she’s trying to fight, and I hope it’s because she’s missed me as much as I’ve missed her. Her eyes are a little red, like she’s been crying. It makes me want to find Kyle and punch him all over again.
“Do you make a habit of this?” she asks.
“A habit of what?”
“Showing up unannounced and punching people.”
I chuckle, looking at my hand that has started to throb. “No, but I’m starting to realize you make me do some pretty crazy things, buttercup.”
Her smile falls slightly before she looks down at her bare feet. It’s cold outside, and she’s in nothing but her pajama shorts, a tank top, and her robe. And she looks as hot as the day I met her, bending over the engine of her car.
She takes my injured hand. “Let’s get some ice on this, Mohammed Ali.”
I laugh at her little joke and feel the tension leave my body. I still need to talk to her, apologize, but at least she’s not pissed that I showed up out of nowhere. And she doesn’t seem to mind that I punched Kyle. Somehow, I think it’s because she knows I did it for her and Ari. I would do anything for them.
Hayley leads me into the kitchen and pulls out a chair. I take a seat while she grabs an ice pack from the freezer. Hannah walks into the kitchen and stops short. “Cam? What are you doing here?”
“Trying to be a hero,” Hayley murmurs, placing the ice pack on my swelling hand. I wince.
“What did you do this time, smartass?” Hannah quips.
“I punched Kyle,” I reply.
“Oh, well, then you are a hero. After what he just said to Hayley, he deserved more than just one punch.”
Hayley shoots Hannah a look. “You heard that?”
Hannah nods, but doesn’t elaborate.
I look up at Hayley. “What did he say?”
“It doesn’t matter,” she replies. “It’s nothing I didn’t expect.”
“Is that why you were crying?” I ask, feeling my anger rile in my chest again.
Her eyes dart to mine and they plead with me to drop it, to leave it alone, but I just can’t. If we’re going to sort our shit out, we might as well start now.
Hayley’s grandmother walks into the kitchen, Ari hot on her heels.
“Cam!” Ari squeals, pushing past everyone as she runs in my direction. I catch her with an outstretched arm and fling her in the air, her laughter filling up the kitchen. Her arms come around my neck and she squeezes. I’ve missed this. So much. Who would’ve thought, huh? That I’d fall flat on my face in love with a woman and her child. And I had to have it pointed out to me the first time. But now, I can see it clear as day.
“Hey princess,” I kiss her head and hug her to me. “Did you miss me?”
She nods and smiles up at me, her brown eyes dancing as she settles comfortably in my lap. Her gaze travels to my hand. “Cam has boo boo,” she says, her brows forming the tiniest of dips. She looks just like Hayley when she does that.
Hayley’s grandmother comes around the kitchen island. “What on earth did you do?”
“He punched Kyle,” Hannah says proudly.
Hayley’s grandmother looks surprised. “Well, someone had to do it, but if you ask me, he deserved more than one.”
Hannah laughs. “That's what I said, Gama!”
Hayley just rolls her eyes and leans against the counter. I sense she’s trying to create some distance, but it won’t work for long. I’m too determined to get her to finally talk to me.
“So, Cam, to what do we owe the visit?” Hannah asks. She’s sneaky. She knows why I’m here.
I clear my throat. “I’m, uh, actually here to talk to Hayley.”
No one looks surprised. In fact, both Hannah and Hayley’s grandmother have shit eating grins on their faces. They exchange a look, which Hayley also notices, and then look between the two of us.
“Oh, uh, I just remembered that we need some things from the store,” Hayley’s grandmother says. “Ari, sweetheart, are you going to come with me to the store?”
Ari nods, and jumps off my lap, following Hayley’s grandmother out of the kitchen
“And I forgot, I have to go home and help my mother with something,” Hannah adds. She hugs both me and Hayley goodbye before grabbing her things.
Just like that, Hayley and I are left alone, without a single clue how it happened.
“That was weird,” I chuckle.
“And not the slightest bit obvious,” Hayley replies sarcastically.
An uncomfortable silence settles over us, and my hands start to sweat. Why am I so f*cking nervous now?
“Cameron - ”
“Hayley - ”
We start speaking at the same time and stop, waiting for each other to continue.
“You first,” Hayley tells me. She crosses her arms over her chest again and doesn’t move from her spot against the counter.
I swallow, wondering how I’m going to approach this without making it worse. I open my mouth to speak, but Hayley is quick to interrupt me.
“Wait, let me go change quickly.”
Before I can respond she’s out the kitchen and her feet pad up the stairs. I get the feeling she’s stalling, or running away from me. Or both. When fifteen minutes pass, I decide to go to her instead. As I enter her bedroom, she walks out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel. “You showered?”
“Yes, I’m allowed to do that.”
I try not to look her up and down, but, hell, she makes it so damn difficult not to.
“You’re stalling,” I tell her.
Looking away from me, she replies, “No, I’m not. If I want to take a shower, then I will take a shower!”
I walk closer to her, noticing how she freezes on the spot and how her chest starts to rise and fall unevenly.
“You have got to be one of the most frustrating women ever,” I tell her. “But you can’t hide from me, buttercup.”
Her arms fall to her side and she huffs, frustration settling on her face. “You know what? I don’t need this shit right now. I’ve had a really crappy morning - ”
The way her lips move distracts me, the way they’ve swelled because she’s been nibbling on it makes my decision so much easier. Oh f*ck it. I grab her nape and yank her into me, crashing my lips to hers. They’re warm, and a little wet, and at first, resistant. But then I feel Hayley’s surrender when her shoulders relax and her body presses harder into mine, seeking me out, touching me, fanning the fire burning in my soul, in my body and my heart.
I break away, my pulse racing, and her eyes flutter open. “Will you just listen? Please?”
Her voice comes as nothing more than a breathless whisper. “Okay.”
My nerves from a few minutes ago resurface, and I don’t understand why I’m so anxious. Be a man, Cam. Dammit, just do it. Tell her you love her. F*ck everything else. She’s all you want, all you need.
“I f*cked up,” I tell her softly. “And you will never know how sorry I am for what I said to you the day my dad died. I shouldn’t have asked you to leave.”
Hayley searches my face, her eyes lingering on every feature as if she’s trying to figure out whether or not I’m being truthful. Finally she sighs, finding whatever it is she was searching for.
“I understand,” she replies softly. “I know why you did it. But you really hurt me. I told you I love you and - ”
“I kicked you out,” I finish for her. Thinking back to how I acted is like a kick to the stomach. I release a heavy breath and prepare to grovel if that’s what it will take to get Hayley back.
“I have no excuse for what I said or how I behaved, but I didn’t mean any of it. I was a wreck, and so angry with myself that I wanted to protect you from that, and the only way I could think of doing that was to push you away. I see now why that was the worst thing I could’ve done.”
“I would’ve given you space, if you had just asked me. I wanted to be there for you,” Hayley retorts in a low voice.
I cup her face. “What must I do to show you how sorry I am? Because I’ll do it, Hayls. I’ll do anything.”
“Don’t push me away again,” she whispers. “I was miserable without you.”
“I won’t,” I promise, pressing our foreheads together. “And you have to know that nothing happened between me and Rachel, right? You know that, don’t you?”
“I do now, but for a while she had me convinced otherwise.”
“She told me what she said to you, at dad’s memorial service.”
Hayley’s expression is one of skepticism, and disbelief. “She did?”
I nod. “After you left the diner last night I cornered her and she told me everything.”
Hayley shakes her head and shrugs. “Talk about one big ass misunderstanding.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me?”
“Because I was afraid, okay? I didn’t want you finding out about my past with Kyle, and how Ari came into my life.” Hayley looks away and fiddles with her fingers. “Not that it matters now. You know everything. I have nothing left to hide.”
“I was upset, but not for the reason you think, Hayls. I was mad that instead of talking to me, you avoided me. ”
She looks at me, worry lines marring her forehead. “So you weren’t upset that I never told you about the video?”
I was surprised, but how could I hold something like that against her when I wasn't part of her life back then? It doesn’t matter to me what mistakes Hayley has made in her past, or who she used to be. All I care about is who she is now, and who she will be with me.
“No. I knew you were hiding something, but I figured you’d want to tell me when you were ready. I can’t judge you, or be angry with you, because of who you were. I only want who you’ve become.”
Her eyes glaze over and as she blinks, tears spill over the rims of her eyelids. I brush them away with my thumb, reveling the feel of touching her soft skin again after not being able to for what feels like forever. These last few weeks without Hayley have been torture. I tentatively wrap my arms around her, and hug her close.
“I’m so sorry, Cam,” she murmurs into my chest. “I made a mess of things by not being honest with you. I thought I was doing what was best for Ari. I would rather die than have her suffer for my mistakes.”
I kiss her head and rub my hand up and down her back. Her heart is beating against my chest and I squeeze her tighter, like she could possibly melt into me. “I know, but you can’t forget about what’s best for you either. Ari will be just fine, because she has you for a mom.”
Hayley sniffles and looks up at me, a small smile gracing her features. “I’ve missed you,” she whispers quietly. “And I’m sorry for everything.”
Our lips brush and that connection crackles to life between us, igniting an even stronger need to have Hayley in my life.
“I’ve missed you, too,” I breathe against her lips. “And I missed Ari, too.”
Hayley smiles, and this time there's nothing small about it. “She missed you, too,” she tells me. “She asked about you almost every day that we were apart.”
That makes me sad. I hate knowing that all of this bullshit has affected Ari negatively.
“So what now?” Hayley asks.
My answer comes as naturally to me as breathing, because I know there’s no way I can be without Hayley, or Ari. This is one packaged deal I will never return.
“Now,” I say, pressing a firm kiss to her lips. “We try again.”
** ** ** ** **
Hayley turns onto her side and rests her head on my shoulder. I hear her soft, quiet breathing, listening to the cadence of her breaths. Her eyes move beneath her eyelids and I can tell she’s dreaming. It’s 4am but I haven’t slept yet. I’ve spent most of the day with Hayley, and Ari at my parents' house, watching movies, talking, and laughing. Something about the three of us together just feels so natural, and so right that it frightens me. I’m young, and I have my whole life ahead of me to start a family, but looking down at Hayley now, and knowing that Ari is tacked away safely down the hall, I realize that she is it. They are it. I find myself wanting to be the kind of man they deserve, someone to depend on, and someone to protect them, someone to provide for them. I just haven’t been able to put that into words yet.
Hayley’s eyes flutter open, and seek mine out like magnets drawn to each other. She smiles at me lazily, and stifles a yawn.
“Hey you,” she says, her voice hoarse and laden with sleep. “Why are you awake?”
I kiss her nose and tighten my arm around her. “I couldn’t sleep. You were snoring too loud.”
“I did not!” Her hand comes up to slap my bare chest but I grab it, and place a kiss in the center of her palm. Her breath hitches, and I grin, rolling us over so that her body is covered by mine.
“No, buttercup, you didn’t, but you do make these sexy little breathing noises, like you’re moaning in your sleep,” I breathe into her neck, brushing my lips over her pulse. “And it does crazy things to my imagination.”
Her exhalation is harsh, coming out in a swoosh of air. “Oh, yeah?”
“Hmmm hmmm,” I hum, feeling her heartbeat race faster the lower I drag my lips on her hot skin. Her legs part, wrapping around my hips, and my cock stirs as I press into her.
“Cam,” she whispers. “I want you.”
I smile and meet her heated stare. “You have me.”
My head drops and my hands slide down her waist and under my shirt that she’s wearing. I feel her skin break out in goosebumps, her body quivering under my touch. “Tell me what you want,” I murmur.
Instead of telling me, Hayley sits up, forcing me to move, too, and silently pulls of my shirt. Her hand comes around my neck and she pulls me into her, until our chests are touching. Her nipples pebble with the contact and the feel of them against my skin makes blood rush south. Her mouth captures mine and suddenly it feels like she’s taking control, and I let her.
Her lips part and our tongues brush against each other as I explore her mouth. My hands graze the soft skin under her perfect tits and her response is to dig her nails into my back.
I break our kiss, both of us panting. “Can you be quiet?”
She bites her lip, looking up at me from beneath her lashes, and nods. I kiss her quickly and reach for my bedside table, pulling out a condom. I sit back, and she watches me with curiosity. Her eyes are hungry and full of lust, but I also see the love pooling in their depths. I remove my boxer briefs, toss them aside, and roll the condom on. I settle between Hayley’s legs again, resting my forearms on either side of her head. Our lips brush and I suck in a breath when her hand wraps around my hard length and guides me to her entrance.
“Be gentle,” she says quietly. Her request has me swallowing hard.
Our mouths join as I sink into her tight, heated body and our joint moans fuse. Her hips rock into mine, with mine, and our bodies’ fall into a slow, sensual rhythm, becoming slick with sweat. Threading our fingers together, I stretch her arms above her head and she whimpers. Our kiss breaks, but her eye stay on mine, and we don’t look away. Her little whimpers drive me wild and encourage me to push harder, deeper. I bring my knees up, changing our position so that the backs of her thighs rest on the front of mine.
“Oh, wow,” she cries out. “So deep.”
“So close,” I groan. “F*ck, buttercup, you’re close, too. I can feel it.”
“Faster, Cam, please.”
My hips move faster, and Hayley’s muscles clench around me. “Cam,” she breathes between pants. “I’m going…”
“Let go, baby, just feel me.”
She tightens around me and her body shakes violently as she comes. Her head falls to the side and she bites the pillow to silence her scream. Shit, that’s hot. I thrust into her once, twice, and on the third time my orgasm rips through me, starting low and working its way up my spine. My hips slow, triggering more residual quivers from both of us, and when I stop, Hayley’s eyes land on my again. Her face is damp, and I notice the tears sliding down her temples. Brushing the hair from her face, I ask, “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”
Her hands come up and she smooth’s the frown between my brows. Shaking her head, she replies, “No, it was… I just…”
I silence her with a kiss. “I know. I love you, too.”
Epilogue
~ Four Years Later ~
~ July ~
~ Cameron ~
I lean against the frame of our kitchen door and watch Hayley and Ari dance around the kitchen. Ari’s long brown locks, matching Hayley’s in both color and length, fly around her face as she spins in wild circles. Hayley laughs as her red summer dress flares up and shows off her bare thighs. She’s as gorgeous as the day I met her, and even after four years together, my need for her grows stronger with each passing day. So much has happened, and yet, I feel like Hayley and I are still the same. We drive each other insane more often than not, and we fight like an old married couple, but our love for each other, for our family, is unending.
Ari stops abruptly, having spotted me from the corner of her eye. “Daddy!” she yells, darting around the kitchen table and launching herself into my waiting arms. “Hey princess. You ready for your party?”
“Yes!” she claps her hands excitedly and beams down at me. “Can I go put my dress on now?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart, you’ll have to ask your mom.”
Just then, Hayley comes to my side and wraps her arms around my waist. She stretches onto her toes, and gives me a gentle, lingering kiss.
“Good morning, husband,” she whispers, her smile blinding in its brilliance.
“Good morning, wife.”
“Eeeeew.” Ari scrunches her nose. “That’s gross.”
I chuckle. “I hope you always feel that way about kissing,” I tell Ari. “Boys are gross.”
Hayley arches a brow at me and smiles at Ari. “Sweetheart, go get ready, Nana and aunty Candice will be here soon.”
Ari jumps from my arms and runs up the stairs, bouncing with energy. When we’re alone, my arms snake around Hayley’s waist and hold her as close as possible. We’ve been married for a year, and shortly after our wedding, I adopted Ari, making her my daughter. It was the second happiest day of my life, the first being the day Hayley and I said our vows and became Mr. and Mrs. Cameron Argent. That’s not the only ‘big event’ we’ve experienced together. When I graduated from college, I decided it was time to make my dreams come true, instead of doing what I thought my father would’ve wanted out of guilt. My mother told me he’d want me to be happy, regardless of what I wanted to do. My father’s company was sold, and with my portion of the profits I started my own restaurant. I also helped Hayley start her own photography studio, which is what she wanted after she graduated last year. Her father has also become a permanent fixture in our lives, making up for all the years he wasn’t there for her while she was growing up. He adores Ari and loves his role as grandpa more than Hayley thought was possible. But like most of the people in our family, he is smitten with her. Hannah, who is now happily engaged, works as a sports photographer in Chicago, and flies home twice a month to visit. As for Noah, he has stopped his man-whoring ways and is actually dating Hayley’s assistant at the studio, Lisa. Hayley freaked out when she got wind of it, but seems to have warmed up to the idea after seeing them together at our wedding.
“What are you thinking about so hard, buttercup?”
Hayley looks up at me, her face glowing but her eyes sad. “I wish Gama was here,” she says quietly. “I miss her so much.”
“I’m sorry,” I murmur, lifting her chin so that our lips touch. Hayley’s grandmother died of breast cancer two years ago, and it was one of the most difficult things we’ve had to face together. By the time the doctors diagnosed her, it was too late, and there wasn’t more they could do. It was the toughest four months imaginable, but in the end, Gama Tanner ended up in a better place. We knew that. But her absence is still felt and I know Hayley misses her, especially now that we are talking about growing our family, and having a baby of our own.
“I just wish she was here, to see everything.”
“She’s watching over us everyday, and probably rolling her eyes because of all the sex we’ve been having.”
Hayley chuckles. “Is that all you can think about right now, Mr. Argent?”
“Yes, Mrs. Argent, because you’re the sexiest wife ever, and I can’t wait to have you pregnant with my baby.”
Hayley sighs and wraps her arms around my neck. “I love you, Cam.”
“I love you, too, buttercup.”
“Always?”
“Always and forever.”
The End