Chapter Nineteen
19
THE NEXT MORNING I WAS LYING in my bed staring at the yellow walls. Walls that Camden had painted for me because he was trying to do something nice, something to show he cared. The fact that I had a bag packed beside my bed was weighing heavily on me, but the idea of walking out of the apartment not knowing when I’d be back made me want to hurl myself off a cliff. If I walked out on Camden, that would be it. He wouldn’t forgive me, and there’d be no coming back. There was a light tapping on the door before it was opened and in walked a showered and refreshed Bree. I thought she had left town already but apparently not. Lucky me.
“Hey, mind if I come in?” she asked.
Uncurling myself, I scooted up the bed and pushed my hair behind my ears. “No, come on in.” I really wasn’t in the mood to talk to anybody, and certainly not her. I might know who she was now, but that didn’t mean my brain was yet computing that she wasn’t the enemy. I should get to know her though. Camden protected her, he loved her, and he was a part of her, because they shared the same DNA. And anything that was Camden, I loved.
She came and sat down next to me, stretching out her long toned legs and getting comfortable next to me like she’d known me her whole life. “How’re you holding up?”
“Fine I guess. Just happy that my sister is safe.”
She nodded. “Yeah, I heard about that. That must’ve been pretty scary.”
“Yes it was, more than you know.” I was fidgeting with my blankets.
There was an awkward silence that loomed between us, and neither one of us were speaking. She glanced around my room and smiled. “Like your room. I have the same colors in mine.”
I didn’t know how I felt about us sharing the same tastes. Maybe that was why Camden picked what he did. “Thanks,” was all the response I gave her.
“So this isn’t awkward at all,” she said sarcastically.
I had to give her credit, she was trying. I smiled over at her. “I’m sorry, I’m just not much for talking right now.”
“I figured as much, which is why this might be perfect timing for me to do some talking, if you’re willing to listen.”
Intrigued, I sat up a little straighter. “Okay.”
She started off by telling me about her mom, how she never was around, and how she made Bree feel like she didn’t want her. “It wasn’t like that all of the time though. We’d have moments where she’d come home with all the ingredients to bake cookies, and she wanted to spend time with me. Or we would camp out in the living room and watch cartoon after cartoon laughing. It was like she wanted to love me, she just didn’t know how. Paul, my dad, he didn’t realize she had been depressed when the courts gave her half custody. He’s told me, had he known, he would have never let me live there. Paul’s a good man. It’s where Camden gets it from. In fact that whole family is good people.”
“They’re your family too.” I pointed out the obvious.
“Yes, but as you grow older, you question things that were done to you, and how having a different life would have led you in a different direction. I don’t blame Paul or Donna for my childhood. They tried to get me to come live with them, but for some reason, I just couldn’t leave her. I’d become the parent, and she was the child I raised.”
Wow, didn’t I know that feeling? Sitting here next to her it felt like every word that was pouring out of her mouth were words that I was supposed to hear, to relate to. Our childhood stories alone were so similar you’d think we lived side by side in the same world. Except, I didn’t have a dad who wanted me. If I’d had one who was like Paul, I probably would have a lot more questions about my life and how different it could have been.
“Bree, I’m sorry for how I treated you, and the things that I said outside of the restaurant the other day. I had no idea who you were, and I’d kind of snapped. That’s never happened to me before,” I offered.
“It’s cool. He should have told you. I knew he was dating someone, though I didn’t know how serious you two were, but I should’ve known he would have kept it from you unless I gave him permission to tell you. See, that’s the thing about Camden, he’s loyal to a fault. He never spills secrets, even if it could ruin everyone else around him. I know that I have three other brothers who would drop everything for me if I asked, but Camden has always been the one who reaches out to me. He’s the one who acts more like the big brother versus the little brother. I rely on him too much, and I wished I wouldn’t have asked him to help me. It’s caused a shit storm of a mess, and I’m very sorry about that.”
I shook my head. “No, don’t blame yourself. He should have told me, just like he should have told me about a lot of things. But I guess you’re right about Camden being tight lipped about stuff. It’s just that it’s ‘mum’s the word’ with him all the time, and all I want is for him to feel comfortable enough to talk to me.”
She reached over and grabbed my hand. When I glanced up at her, I wanted to burst into tears. She looked so much like Camden, I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. How did I not see it in the photo? Well, I guess if I wasn’t looking for it, how could I have?
“He does feel comfortable enough with you. He loves you Keegan.” I was about to argue, but she stopped me. “No, just listen to me. I’ve watched him grow up and date girls here and there. Do you know how many he’s ever brought home?”
“No.”
“Zero. Do you know how many he’s stuck with for as long as he’s been with you?”
“Huh-uh.”
“Zero. And do you know how many he’s told that he loves them?”
Tears sprung to my eyes and I said, “No.”
“None, Keegan. He’s never said it to another girl.”
“But he’s never said it to me either.”
“Do you think he even needs to? Camden sees something in you that is clearly special, and I see it too. You’re different than the other girls. He pushes and tests those that he lets in, because he wants to know that they will fight for him, like he will fight for them. Oh boy did you fight.” She laughed. “He needs someone like you who’ll give him a challenge. I knew that Camden was never going to settle for a girl who was shallow or vain. He likes other qualities…qualities that are real. Give him another chance, Keegan, he deserves one, and so do you.”
The corners of my eyes had crusted dry tears, and now they were wet again. “Thank you for talking to me. Your brother is pretty special to me, and I think you’re pretty great as well.” I paused. “Wait, what are you going to do, you know, about the whole baby thing?”
She exhaled loudly. “That’s the question of the year isn’t it? I think I’ll be heading back home to let the guy know and make a decision from there. I never thought I’d be in this position, but I am so I guess I better face the music.”
I squeezed her hand. “Good luck, Bree. I know you have other people to talk to, but I’m here if you need someone.”
“Thanks,” she said as she got up from the bed. Before she walked out the door she faced me. “Keep him on his toes slugger. He deserves you.” Then she walked out.
I’d kept my bags packed but didn’t leave. I went over and over in my head some things that Camden had said. He told me that I needed to get on board with him, that he was set in his ways. Camden had never done relationships, especially ones where his girlfriend was already living with him. At what point did I not cut the man some slack for that? It was a big adjustment for the both of us. At twenty-five years old, he’d been doing things on his own for quite some time, and now he was having to make adjustments to almost every part of his life for me to fit in. If he didn’t find me worth it, he wouldn’t have. In my heart I knew this, but waiting for my brain to catch up wasn’t so fun. My instincts were screaming at me to give him the chance that he deserved. If I walked out, that would have been it for us. I decided I was going to stay and fight for this, for us, because we deserved it. I loved him. Camden consumed me, and as scary as it was, it was still the best feeling I’d ever felt.
He had been gone for two days now. I’d texted Dodger after the first night to ask if he’d seen his brother, to which he responded that he was at his house, and he didn’t know how long he’d be there. I felt sick that Camden wanted to be away from me. If this was what it was going to be like not having him around, I didn’t like it at all. I was barely functioning as it was, but with each passing hour my heart was screaming at me to run to him. It was nearing midnight on night two when I’d passed out on the couch. I woke up to the sound of the lock clicking on the front door and the sight of a very disheveled looking Camden walking in. His hair was all over the place, his t-shirt was wrinkled, and if I had to guess, I’d say he had probably worn the same thing two days in a row. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. He looked out over the living room as though he were searching for me. The moment our eyes met, it was like I could breathe again. Rising from the couch, I went to him. Without hesitation he opened his arms to me, and it was like he was welcoming me back home. I pressed my face into his hard chest and let him wrap his enormous arms around me like a present. His scent invaded my senses, and I did everything I could not to climb up his body and cling to him like a monkey. He buried his nose in my hair, and he fisted a handful of my hair. We stayed this way; not speaking, not moving, just simply being, for quite some time. It could have easily been thirty minutes that we held each other like that when I felt it was time for us to talk.
“Please don’t leave me,” I mumbled into his neck.
“Never,” he stated, squeezing me tighter.
“You were gone for a while. I wasn’t sure if you were going to come back, or if you wanted me to leave before you got back.”
“You’re ridiculous. I just needed to work some things out in my head, is all. This all just went south really quickly and before I got a chance to fix anything, something else happened.”
“And have you worked out the stuff in your head?”
“For the most part. Seeing you is making it better though. These last couple of days have been hard.”
“For the record, I don’t think I could ever walk away from you Camden. You’re sort of my person. I kind of like you.”
I heard him chuckle sleepily. “Good, cause I’m pretty sure I kind of like you too. But we do have a lot that we need to talk about Keegan.”
Loosening my hold on him, I said, “Come upstairs with me?”
He nodded, taking my hand and walking upstairs. In his bedroom, we both stripped down and climbed into his bed. Once we were settled, we were lying down facing each other, our feet tangled together, and our faces only inches apart.
“I’m sorry for yelling at you, Camden. You didn’t deserve how I treated you, or not letting you explain yourself to me. I’ve not been very understanding lately, and I think I’ve been scared that you’d get too close and then realize that I wasn’t worth it.”
“That’s never going to happen. It wasn’t until I met you that I knew that something worth it even existed. I think you and I are just going to have to work on a learning curve. Because we already live together, we have to do things differently. I’d never change us or our situation, but we both are still making adjustments. As long as you know that I’m in this with you and I’m not leaving, everything will be fine. I told you, you’d be the girl that could ruin me, and I meant it.” He lifted one of my hands and placed it over his heart. “Do you feel this?”
“Yes.”
“It’s yours. It’s not beating for anyone else, just you. I love you too Keegan. I didn’t get the chance to say it back to you, because I think I was more shocked when those words left your beautiful lips than anything else. Never in my life did I think I’d find the girl who turns me upside-down and changes the way that I do things or how I think. Then in walked you, this blond-haired girl with the brightest blue eyes, and you’ve knocked me off my axis ever since. Our world spins a different way, and I like that.”
My heart stuttered in my chest. Bree was right. But didn’t I already know that? Camden Brooks just told me he loved me. Me. The girl who never dared to dream past getting a nursing degree and having a stable environment. I smiled the biggest smile I think my face had ever made, and he reciprocated. Somebody pinch me because I thought I was dreaming.
“No more not trusting, no more secrets, no more hiding. I promise to tell you everything, even the dirty ugly secrets about myself, but I want to know the same about you. To know everything there is to know about a person is a powerful thing.”
“Agreed.”
Sighing deeply I said, “I’m going to need your help with something.”
“Name it, you’ve got my undivided attention.”
“I need to go speak with my mom about Sarah, and I have a feeling it’s not going to be pretty. Come with me?”
He cupped my cheek while he held himself up with one arm. “Of course.”
My heart melted. “K. We’ll go tomorrow afternoon while Sarah is at a birthday party.”
“No problem, whenever.” He bit his lip, and I recognized that playful look in his eyes. “What sort of dark ugly secrets do you have? Share one right now. Aaaand go!”
I laughed. “Okay well, it’s not really a dirty secret, but I’m really strange about peanut M&M’s. I eat them in threes. One goes in each cheek to get warm and melted, while I suck on the third one to get the candy shell off. Then I just rotate them around as I eat them.”
“You are weird.” He poked me in the side, and I squirmed away.
“Stop it, I’m not that bad. What did you expect me to say, I like to chew my toenails off, and I keep them in a plastic baggy in my closet?”
His eyes got wide. “Shit, do you do that?”
“You don’t?”
He got quiet, and I busted out laughing. “Okay that’s a break-upable offense. Just saying. If your toenails have been in your mouth at any age past childhood, we’re going to have problems. I can’t kiss a girl who might have foot fungus on her tongue.”
I shoved his shoulder. “Shut up.”
He took hold of my wrist and pinned it above my head, causing him to lean over the top of me. The lightheartedness instantly heated up.
“You ever going to push me away again?”
“Probably, but it’s what I do.”
He gave me a half smirk. “Smart ass. Do you trust me?”
“Without a shadow of a doubt.” And I did.
He brought his lips to mine and kissed me reverently. I soaked it in like I was basking in the sun after a long harsh winter. He was my warmth, my comfort, my home. The way that he touched me while we took our time loving each other was a new experience. We weren’t just doing it out of greedy passion, it was because we’d moved to the next level together. I knew I’d love Camden until I no longer existed on this earth. No one would ever make me feel the way that he did.
I’d called my mom to let her know that we were coming to talk with her. She had agreed that some things needed to be resolved, so I was hoping that she had an open mind about all of this. When we pulled up, I took a moment to steel myself for whatever kind of shit storm I was about to walk in on. I figured Mom would be in a defensive mode, but that was okay, I was prepared to deal with it.
Camden got out of the car and came around to my side. Opening my door, I got out, and he placed both arms on either said of me, caging me in. “You good?”
I nodded my head.
“I’m telling you this right now, Keegan, if she so much as raises her voice at you, I’m going to step in and say something. No way will I be able to keep my mouth shut.”
Looking into his brown eyes, I could see he was serious. “Okay.”
“K.”
Dropping his arms we walked to the front door and I let us both in. It was weird that when I came back now, this house no longer felt like my home. It was just the place I used to live. Walking down the hallway I saw Mom sitting in the living room waiting for us.
“Hi Mom,” I said, walking to the couch to sit down and get comfortable.
She gave me a tight smile. “Keegan, Camden, I’m glad you both came. Would you like something to drink?”
Why was she being so formal? “No, I’m good Mom. I just want to talk and then we have some things to go do.” She tipped her chin down and waited. “Okay, so you already know how I feel about you leaving Sarah alone by herself, but I need you to look me in the eyes and tell me that you will be home with her when she’s here. She’s too young for you to leave her here so you can go to your boyfriend’s house.”
“I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“Well, whatever. I don’t really know where you go, but it needs to stop. If you need to leave, at least call me to see what I’m doing. It’s likely that Sarah could come over and hang out at the apartment until you pick her up.”
Her lips thinned. “I thought that’s why you moved out. So you could get some space from us.”
My forehead wrinkled. “What? No! I left because I needed to separate myself from you, from this house, from everything. Being here was hindering my progress at school.”
“So you did want to get away from us.”
“No, not us mom, you.”
She gaped at me. Camden took hold of my hand and laced his fingers with mine. It was his silent way to let me know he was here.
“And what did I do that was so terrible that you felt the need to run away.”
I rolled my eyes and growled in frustration. “Are you even listening to me? Mom, I left because you were relying on me to be the parent. I was the one who made dinner every night, I was the one who made sure she did her homework, and I was the one who tucked her in at night. Where were you? Oh that’s right, you were having another late evening at work. It was too much for me. My schoolwork was suffering, and you knew how important this degree was to me. Sarah has a mother… it isn’t me. Be the parent.” Wow that felt good to say.
Sitting back she crossed her arms. “How come you are just now telling me this?”
“I’m not. I’ve told you plenty of times, you just never listened. But after this latest incident with Sarah running away, I’m done with it. Something needs to give here or I’m going to have to do something drastic.” I didn’t know what, but I figured I’d throw it out there.
“I don’t know what you want from me.”
“It’s simple.” I leaned forward and started ticking off my fingers one by one. “Be home when Sarah’s home. Make sure that she is ready for school the next day. Feed and clothe her. And let her know that you love her. Children aren’t complicated creatures Mom, if she knows that you love her and that you want to spend time with her, she will forgive you for everything that’s already happened. It’s just the kind of kid she is.”
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she closed her mouth. I hoped that I was getting through to her. She had to have known that this wasn’t acceptable behavior for a responsible parent. After some time she finally responded with, “Okay.”
Blowing out a breath I didn’t think that was what I expected to hear, but either way, I was good. “Also, I’m not telling you that you can’t go out, or that you don’t deserve to go out. But please, let me know. I’ll rearrange things in my schedule, and she can come over.”
“Okay.”
Feeling as though things needed to end here before something else came up and caused us to backpedal, I stood up and walked over to her. Bending down I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and hugged her as best I could. “I love you, Mom. I know that having kids changed your life, but we’re here.” I felt her nod against my hair, and I pulled back. She gave me a small smile, and I took that as my cue to leave. Looking at Camden he stood from the couch. When Mom followed us to the front door, my dark and broody man couldn’t help himself. He turned around and addressed my mother.
“Rowan, I know that you love your girls because well, who wouldn’t. But I’m going to tell you this once, and I hope you take it to heart. Keegan has given you simple guidelines to help keep her sister safe. If at any time you can’t stick to them, you should know that we will be coming to get Sarah, and she will be living with us from now on.”
Mom’s mouth dropped open. I think mine did too. He nodded his head at her before he put his hand on my lower back and led me out to the car. Oh Camden, you are full of surprises. But I couldn’t have been more in love with him for standing up for me, and the most important person in my life. Getting in the car I grinned at him.
“You are a ballsy son of a bitch, you know that right?”
“Yep.”
“Did you mean it?”
“Every word.” He gave me the weight of his russet eyes and winked at me before we pulled out of the driveway.
God he made me happy.
Epilogue
One year later…
“Alexis Peabody.” Clapping
“Miranda Pearl.” Clapping
“Keegan Phillips.” Clapping
I GOT UP FROM MY CHAIR and made my way across the short stage that was set up outside. Shaking the Dean’s hand, he passed me my diploma. When I turned to face the audience I saw my whole family waving their signs and snapping photographs. Everyone that I loved was here, Camden’s whole family, my mom, my sister, and Macie. I’d finally done it. After four years of intense work, over one hundred hours of clinicals, and a lot of lost sleep, I had finally received my Bachelor’s in Nursing. This had to be one of the most proud moments of my life. I sought Camden out in the crowd. He was standing with his hands in his pockets, and he looked downright delectable in a pair of cargo shorts and white button-down shirt. But the look on his face was priceless; it oozed pride, admiration, and love. He didn’t need to clap or cheer for me. No, that look said it all. He knew what I’d gone through to accomplish this, he’d been with me through the worst parts. I caught him winking before I went to take my seat and wait out the rest of the ceremony.
Last year I decided to enroll in an accelerated program that had nearly doubled my workload but would help me graduate in half the time. It was something new that the college was doing, and we were sort of the guinea pig class. I’d gone back and forth with doing it, because I knew I would have to quit my job, and going out would no longer be an option. My whole life would revolve around school. Camden was the deciding factor for me. He had sat me down after I’d been accepted into the program, and he said that I needed to do something for myself, to prove to myself that I was capable of bigger things. Naturally I fought him on it because…well, it was what I did. And of course, he won as per usual. I wasn’t happy about no longer paying for my portion of the rent, but Camden assured me that he didn’t mind and that I could pay him back in other ways. I didn’t quite know what he meant until later that night he showed me exactly what he was talking about. Talk about unforgettable.
When the final speech was given and the ceremony ended, I made my way through the crowd to my man. As soon as I met Camden’s eyes he started moving toward me, plowing through groups of people that were keeping me from him. It was like he was making a path for me to walk. People saw him coming and got out of his way. I leapt into his waiting arms, and he lifted me off the ground in a crushing hug. Even just the smell of him, that clean soapy scent of his skin, made me feel like I was home and gave me comfort. Lifting my head I placed my forehead against his.
“Congratulations Blue.”
“Thank you.” I smiled.
He held me in the air, my feet dangling for some time as people walked around us. We were having a moment and nobody was going to interrupt it. He kissed me on my nose, then tenderly on my lips. It was a sweet lingering one that made me all melty.
“You finally have your degree that you’ve worked so hard for, what are you going to do now?”
I pulled my head back and put my finger on my chin. “Hmmm…join the circus?”
He chuckled. “Always the wise ass.”
“Always.” I grinned at him. Kissing him quickly I squirmed for him to set me down when I noticed the rest of the family was coming to greet me.
When I was placed on my feet, I was quickly lifted back up in another suffocating hug by Dodger… and then another by Turner. Poor Wrigley didn’t stand a chance when Camden stepped in front of him and simply stated, “No.” I giggled and slapped his arm.
Macie shouldered her way through all of the boys like a boss. “Move it y’all, she was my friend first.” We embraced, and I soaked in every ounce of love and support I was being given. Seriously, could a girl get any luckier?
“Oh man, I’ve gotta stop or I’m going to cry.” I spoke into her hair.
“Suck it up ya big baby!” She slapped my ass, and I heard Wrigley give a whoop. “I’m proud of you Keegan. You deserved this.”
Sniffling I said, “Thank you. Love you Mace.”
“Love you too.”
The rest of the family came up, giving me words of wisdom and expressing how amazing they thought I was. Just when I thought my heart would explode from happiness, my mom approached me. We have, for the most part, worked out our differences. Sarah was content and getting the attention that she deserved, and that was all that really mattered to me. The strain on our relationship was slowly diminishing, and I could see that she was making a genuine effort to make things right. I didn’t know if it had been my words, or Camden’s that gave her the wake-up call that she needed, but I was just pleased that she was trying. Looking at her now, I knew that everything would be alright. We would be alright.
Mom cupped my face in her hands and smiled at me. It was the same smile that was my own. “You did well baby girl. I can’t believe that I was blessed to have a daughter like you.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “You’ve grown into a beautiful young lady, Keegan. I’m proud of you.”
The dam was opened, and my eyes shed tears. “Love you Mom. It’s always you and me, always.” I hugged her, knowing that I would remember this moment for the rest of my life.
Camden placed his hand on the small of my back indicating that it was time to go. We were heading over to his parent’s house for a lunch celebration and then play a round of baseball. What would a gathering at the Brooks’ house be if there wasn’t baseball? I walked over to one of my classmates that I’d grown closer to throughout the year, and let her know we were leaving. I’d found out that Annabelle Keaton was a loner. Not that she didn’t have friends. In fact she had a lot of friends, but halfway through the semester she told me that her parents had passed away in a car accident and that she’d been on her own since she was sixteen years old. Maybe that was why we got along so well. We both had to be independent long before a child should have to be. Either way, I wanted us to celebrate our day together, with a family that I knew would welcome her. Annabelle told me that she was going to grab her bag, and she would follow all of us over in her own car. I nodded, and we left for the house.
Donna had food all ready to go by the time we got there, so we loaded up our plates and sat down to eat. Chit chat was in full swing, and we were all having fun talking and teasing each other just like we normally did. I smiled that Annabelle was chatting away with everyone like she’d never missed a meal with this group.
“So Annabelle, what sort of nursing are you interested in?” Turner asked.
She looked up at him as if she were confused. He hadn’t spoken a word to her since I introduced them, and his sudden interest took her by surprise. Clearing her throat she said, “Possibly sports medicine, or labor and delivery.”
“Those two couldn’t be any more different ends of the spectrum. Which one are you leaning toward?”
For some reason she looked over at me before she answered. “Uh, I’m not too sure actually. I was kind of hoping to apply wherever Keegan was.”
The side of his mouth tilted up, and for the first time since knowing Turner, his eyes sparkled. “It’s not like two girls getting up and going to the bathroom together. You don’t have to work in pairs, so tell me which one would be a better fit?”
Annabelle frowned at him, obviously frustrated by his question. “Well if you’re going to hold a gun to my head and tell me which one to choose I’d say sports medicine. But I’ve heard there will be several openings in L&D so that’s likely where I’ll go.”
“Hmmm,” was all he said in return.
The two of them stared at each other a few short beats before Turner looked away and joined in the conversation down the table. Annabella seemed whole-heartedly confused. She sought me out to see how I took that whole exchange, but I simply shrugged. I had no idea what to think of it. I briefly wondered if Turner was interested but quickly threw that out the window. Turner was a serial dater, and Annabelle was definitely not his type. She was a total stunner in the looks department, but she was sweet; never one to lay her cards out on the table too soon, which was what he’d expect from her.
“Time to hit up the field ladies and gents!” Wrigley announced as he stood up from his seat and cracked his knuckles.
“You’re not driving the golf cart, Wrig. I know that’s what you’re after.” Paul interjected. “You and your friends screwed up something with the motor, and I swear it’s going to cost a couple hundred dollars to get it fixed. What were y’all doing? Racing?”
He stared at his dad like it was obvious. “Well, yeah.”
“You’re going to work that off, boy.”
“Yes sir,” Wrigley said. All the boys chuckling at their youngest brother’s idiocy.
Once we were all out on the field we picked teams. As it turned out, it ended up being a boys versus girl game. Might not seem fair to some, but the way I looked at it, the girls were smaller and faster, and I conveniently left out smarter too. Didn’t want to start an all-out war by stating the obvious. The game got started, and we were on our second inning. The boys were up by two, and I could tell Macie was getting pissed. I was pitching, as per usual, when Dodger stepped up to the plate. Macie was acting as catcher, and I knew she was going to start up with the distraction.
Readying himself, Dodger stood in position, and I was just tossing the ball when Macie said, “Did you know that when a girl first looks at a man, her eyes automatically go to their crotch?” Dodger swung too low, and he missed the ball. “Strike one,” she said with a smirk.
He looked down at her with a glare. Unfortunately shortly after Camden and I worked out our issues, Macie and Dodger broke up. He wasn’t moving as fast as she’d liked, and he wasn’t willing to bend to her rules. It’s been pretty ugly between them, but the sexual tension could drown a person if they got too close.
I underhanded the second ball, and Macie spoke loudly. “A man’s lips are also apparently the same color as his tip.” I snorted at her blatant attempt to make him miss…which was actually working. “Strike two.”
“Macie, I swear to God, if you don’t shut up…”
He looked away before he saw her devilish smile spread across her face. I shook out my shoulders to prepare myself for the third pitch. “You know, I’ve worn out the batteries on my vibrator for the second time in a month. Maybe I need to go find a replacement. Like an actual dick.” The bat whooshed through the air as he swung for the third time and struck out. Macie stood up and dusted off her knees. As she walked past him, she bumped his shoulder. “Better luck next time, champ.”
If looks could kill, I would suspect that Dodger would have loved to throttle her right about now. Chunking the bat into the fence, he stormed off the field to go take a walk. Oh man, those two were going to need to settle some of their shit before we got together like this again. The family shouldn’t have to deal with their drama when we’re trying to have a good time.
“Mace, come on!” I scolded.
“What?” She decided to act innocent. I just shook my head, and we went on with the game.
On our last inning, it was the girls up to bat. Annabelle was at home plate readying herself to hit the ball. On the first pitch, she landed a solid hit. It went low to the ground between second and third base to the outfield. She took off running while we all shouted and cheered. We needed her to score to tie up the game. Paul was throwing the ball back when she rounded herself out to third base. Unable to stop her momentum, her foot caught on the lip of the base, and she tripped and fell forward. Landing hard, she immediately grabbed a hold of her ankle and was wincing in pain. I went around the fence to get to my friend, but Turner was running up to her side to see what he could do. What Annabelle didn’t know was that Turner was finishing up medical school, and he was a practicing doctor at UGA Medical for sports medicine. He was kneeling by her as I jogged up to see if I could help.
“Can you roll it this way?” he asked as he watched her attempt to move it.
The grimace on her face said that it hurt too much. “Oh my gosh, how embarrassing! I’m so sorry for ruining the game.”
“Hush. You didn’t ruin anything. Accidents happen all the time, plus you’re wearing flip flops, so that didn’t help at all.”
“Turner, lecturing her isn’t helping anyone. Can you at least tell if it’s broken?” I argued.
His jaw clenched, and I watched as he reached down and gently picked up her foot like it was a bird with a broken wing. Tenderly he felt her dainty foot before he said, “Doesn’t feel like there’s anything broken, but you’re going to have to sit out the rest of the game. In fact I think you need to go back to the house and get some ice on that before it starts swelling.”
She swallowed and nodded at him. “Keegan, I apologize, I’m not normally this clumsy.”
I shook my head. “No worries. I just hope that you’re okay.” Looking at Camden I asked him, “Can you come pick her up so she doesn’t have to walk, and we’ll get her loaded on the golf cart to take her back in?”
He was just coming over when Turner took it upon himself to lift her in his arms and make the trek to the vehicle. “I’ve got her,” was all he said to me. Well okay then. The two of them took off, and I made note to ask him later why he was acting so strange. After Annabelle’s spill, we decided to call it quits before anything else major could happen. Donna wanted to go see if she could help get Annabelle home, Wrigley had a party to go to, Mom and Sarah were headed home because it was getting late, and Macie and Dodger needed to get some space before one of them buried the other in the backyard.
I was ready to head in as well since it had been a really long day, and I wanted to put my feet up for a bit. Everyone had left, and it was just me and Camden. Meeting him out on the pitcher’s mound, he pulled me into his arms and wrapped me up in his embrace. The strength of this man never failed to astound me. There was no safer place than right here in his arms. He kissed my forehead, and I leaned my head back to look at him. The warm chocolate of his eyes sucked me in like a strong undertow, and I was drowning in a sea of him. This was my favorite place to be.
“Did you have a good day?” he asked.
“I had a great day. I just can’t believe I’m done. Now on to the next part of my life… being a grown-up.”
He chuckled. “What about me, am I anywhere in those plans?”
“Not sure.”
“Keegan,” he said in warning.
“I mean, you are sort of bossy, and you leave your sweaty gym socks in the middle of the floor for me to pick up.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
I crinkled my nose. “Are you kidding? Have you ever smelled your own socks?”
“Sure I have.”
“Okay, I was kind of kidding, and ew!” I said on a laugh.
“You like it.”
“If you think so…”
“What about the rest of your life? What are you doing for the rest of your life?”
His question took me by surprise. “I don’t really know. Obviously I’ll be applying at UGA Medical, and I think I want to work in L&D, but we’ll see where the hospital can put me. I don’t think I’m in any position to be picky about place— ”
Camden cut me off. “No, I mean what are you doing, for the rest of your life?”
I cocked my head to the side, and I felt him brush his fingers through my long blond waves. I tried to understand what he was telling me but then it hit me. All of the air was sucked out of my lungs and I could tell he was reading me like a book and saw the realization in my eyes. Camden let go of me with one of his arms and reached into his pocket. He dug around and eventually pulled out a ring that was to die for gorgeous. It was cushion cut with diamonds surrounding the full carat in the center. The band was petite and feminine. As tears sprung to my eyes, Camden took ahold of my left hand and held it up to his chest. I could feel the steady rhythm of his heart as he started to speak.
“I can’t tell you how proud I am of you, Blue. You’ve accomplished your goals and achieved the first of many dreams. You inspire me every day to strive for more and do better. Not only in my own life, but in our lives.” His chocolate colored eyes dazzled with humor and love. “I’ve been waiting for this moment I think since you first walked into my apartment. You were the girl, the one who made me see everything differently. You’ve been defiant, stubborn, difficult, and an all-around giant pain in the ass.” I giggled and wiped my tear filled eyes. “But…you’ve also been challenging, beautiful, open, and the most amazing person I’ve ever met. You were made me for Blue. You’re my person. Marry me, let me show you how you should be loved for the rest of your life.”
Oh my God was this real? Camden Brooks just proposed to me, and I felt like I was living in some alternate universe. Things like this just didn’t happen to me. Nodding my head vigorously, I did the only thing that I knew I could. I screamed at the top of my lungs and said, “YES! Oh my gosh a thousand times, yes!”
Sliding the ring on my finger, Camden picked me up and spun me in a circle. His face was buried in my hair, and I was laughing with unrequited joy. Never in my life did I ever think that answering an ad for a roommate was going to lead me to the rest of my life. Camden filled me, every day, he showed me love, compassion, and humility. Over a year ago, I thought my purpose in life was going to be to help raise my sister, try and graduate with my class, and attempt to find happiness on my own. I’ve been blessed to find a man who selflessly supported me in every adventure I took on. It’d been quite the ride with Camden. Oh yes, he’d been full of surprises, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Crushing his lips to mine, he pushed his tongue into my mouth and swallowed a low moan that seeped out. His fingers threaded into my hair, and I stood on my tippy toes, allowing him to consume me in every way possible. I smiled against his mouth as he kissed me, and he grinned as well. Pecking my nose in the way that he always did, he looked down at me.
“I love you.”
“I love you too. So very much,” I said.
“Good I’m glad.”
“Hmmm…” I said contentedly. “Now what?”
“Well, now it looks like we have a wedding to plan.”
“Yes, looks like.”
The End
Be on the lookout for Turner’s book, Slider, releasing in early summer 2014.
Acknowledgements
To my family. You know my usual spiel by now. I love you all, and thank you for putting up with my usual crap!
To my editor Jenny, who dealt with my whining and extended deadlines, I think I scored big with you. You proved to me that you know your stuff, and this book is best I’ve ever written, and I definitely think that’s because of you. Thank you for helping me bring this book to the next level. I couldn’t have done it without you.
Shawn, you waltzed into my life like a tornado and blew me away with everything that is you. You helped make this book what it is, and I hope I did you proud. It still blows my mind that I found someone that fit the character I’d thought up in my head before I even knew who you were. You shaped and molded Camden for me as I went. Thank you for being so incredible, for giving me up-lifting words when I wanted to quit, for being a support that I never expected from a cover model. You were a huge surprise and one that I hope I have in my life for years to come. You’re special Mr.! I love you to pieces!
Bayli, gah…there aren’t words for what you mean to me. Your friendship is so important to me as I’ve travelled through the indie world, and outside of it. You critiqued this book and helped me remember to stay on point when I’d start to stray. I love that you loved my characters as much as I did. Best friends, critique partners, and table partners for life.
To my beta readers…you know, all 6 of you. Thank you for taking time away from your families and reading as I went along. Some of you got Bender in chapters, some of you got the book when it was done. I appreciate every single one of your kind words and pointing out things that I couldn’t see when writing. Beta readers are the back bones of my books, and I adore every single one of you.
To Golden, you mad genius you. I love the way we work together. All 3 times we have come together, you’ve taken my ideas and ran with them. I appreciate that you have let me come into your space and make little adjustments with the models as something new hit me. Your brilliance has given me some of the best photos that I, as an author, could ask for. You’re the very best in this business, and I can't wait to see what else we can come up with together.
To Kassi, you ma’am are the mastermind of my teasers. What an incredible person you are to have in my corner. Not only do you deal with my demands of being creative for me, you also format my books, created a cover for me for my other novels, and I tortured you with looking at my photos of my models. lol *winkie face* Seriously though, I’m so happy that I finally got to meet you, and you are just as sweet in person as you have been to me online. Here’s to more work together.
To the bloggers & readers that gave Bender a chance and helped me advertise it. THANK YOU! I am one person and I can only reach so far. Without your help, Bender might only end up in the hands of like…10 people. Lol. Your continued support is always appreciated.