Judged By You (Judge Me Series) (40 page)

Nicole's mother got sick a few days ago, so today I am taking her to the airport to fly home to them. Nicole was hesitant about going to start with, and I offered to go with her, but she wanted to go alone. Said she needed to face them and not be scared of her choices anymore. I have so much stuff to get organised before the renovations start, and not enough time.

“You almost ready Nic?” I stand in her door way watching her pack.

“Almost.
Hey do you know were my red dress is?” Nicole looks around.

“I think I saw it on the clothes line. Let me go check
.” I smile as I walk out.

I walk out the back to the clothes line. It's quite hot in the sun
today, as soon as I stepped out into the light my skin was feeling the heat. I found Nicole’s favourite red dress and turned back towards the house. As I starting to ascend the stairs Stephen, Derek and Cameron came sauntering out. They all smiled as I moved to the side of the stairs to allow them down. Well that’s until I saw Cameron……shirtless. My mouth flooded as my eyes followed his perfect, hard, sweaty and well chiselled chest.

“Pick your lip up Sweet Cheeks
.” Cameron teased snapping me out of my thoughts.

My eyes met his, and I shook my head with disgust in myself.
Did I seriously just do that? Cameron rubbed a thumb along my bottom lip with a smirk.

“Just wiping the drool off
.” He winked, then walked away laughing.

Oh my god.

My eyes followed his physique as he walked away to catch up to the other two men. He was seriously getting under my skin, and I didn’t like it what so ever. I turned and ran up the stairs and back into Nicole room as soon as I could.

Nicole took her dress off me and looked at me suspiciously. She was trying to read me, and I knew she would see straight through me.

“What did Cameron do this time?”

And there it was…….

“Nothing.” I said a little too quickly.

“Don’t bullshit me.
He has you all worked up.”

“I
'm not worked up.” I bit out.

“You are.
Stop letting him affect you like this. Your happy now and if you let him do this to you, he will take advantage of it and ruin you.” Nicole said with a mothering tone.

She hit the nail on the head with that one. I didn’t doubt my feeling for Damon, not one bit. I loved that man more and more every day. But what I doubted was my feeling for Cameron. And that wasn’t good, even I knew that.
He dented everything when I saw him, and since that I fight certain struggles. I try, and I'm trying to forgive him, so I mean it, but it’s not coming as easy as I would have liked.

“This
sucks, you know that right?” I hit my head against the wall as I speak.

“Yes it does. But don’t let it consume you. 
You’re tough.”

I watch as Nicole packs the rest of her bag, she is only supposed to be going for a few days, but she has packed for a month just in case.
We weren’t actually told what was going on with her mother, Nicole’s father just said that she was admitted to hospital for more testing, but was asking for her daughter.

“Okay,
I'm almost ready. Just need to pack my work stuff then we can go.” Nicole picks up a large pile of manila folders and places them into her laptop bag.

“Damon said you don’t have to work while you
’re away Nicole. I don’t know why you are taking them with you.”

“I don’t want to be bored. It will keep my mind off things
,” Nicole takes another look around. “Yep that’s all. Let's go before I'm late.”

I pick up Nicole suitcase a
walk  out of the room with her in tow. As I head through the lounge room, Damon walks in.

“Hey there you
.” I drop the suitcase and throw my arms around Damon’s neck.

“Hey Beautiful
.” Damon drops his lips to mine.

Nicole clears her throat behind us and we both laugh, but reluctantly let each other go.

“I am going to be late if you two don’t keep your hands of each other.” Nicole smiles when she speaks.

“I was coming to offer you a lift to the airport
.” Damon looked at Nicole than me.

“That’s exceptionally sweet of you
,” I looked up at Damon. “Thank you.”

Damon kissed the top of my head and picked up Nicole suitcase than took her laptop bag of her before gesturing for us to walk ahead of him out the door. Stephen, Derek and Cameron were at the bottom of the stairs
, waiting to say good bye.

One by one they hugged Nicole and told her to be safe and come home quickly because they knew I couldn’t cook. I slapped Derek when he made the comment which made everyone laugh. Cameron was the last to hug Nicole, and she tensed as he embraced her.

“Ew. Get your sweaty body off me!” She yelped smacking his arms.

“You love it
.” He teased her.

“
Ew. No, I don’t.” Nicole was blushing, we all could see it.

Cameron
’s eyes met mine, and I quickly looked away. Damon’s Aston Martin wasn’t exceptionally roomy in the back, so I offered to take the backseat giving Nicole the room she needed in the front. The doctor had given her the all clear to fly as she is doing exceedingly well so far. All the babies are all at the right size, and her body seems to be coping well. Her blood pressure is within normal ranges, so the heart isn’t working too hard.

On Nicole’s return
, we are finally going to find out the sex of her babies, and to be honest I can't wait! I have been looking online at clothes and debating on what colour schemes to use when I paint the nursery we are adding onto the house. I have ordered three cots, and a three seater pram that Nicole doesn’t know about yet I want to surprise her when our renovations are done and have the boys set up some baby stuff in the room. She will freak I am well aware of this, but I think she will also melt into it.

By the time we park and get inside Nicole was just on time to check in. I blamed her packing skills, and she blamed my not keeping my hands to myself when it comes to Damon. We decided since Nicole had half hour we would sit down and enjoy a coffee and some lunch from the airport cafe. Nicole and Damon talk about the work stuff while I sit and listen. I know what they are talking about, but I have no input and that’s fine, I don’t want mine and Damon relationship to be consumed by work subjects.

The announcement for Nicole’s plane to board comes over the speakers, and we all stand to bit Nicole goodbye.

“I will miss you Sav, take care and be good,” Nicole hugs me tight. “Stay out of trouble and remember I am just a phone call away if you need me.”

“I will. And I will miss you too.
Ring me when you land.” I kiss her cheek as I pull away.

Damon and Nicole give each other an awkward hug before Nicole walks away.
We stand at the gate holding hands until Nicole is out of sight. I miss her already, I've never had Nicole gone for long amounts of time before.

“I have to go back to work for a few hours. Will you be okay at home or would y
ou like to come to work with me?” Damon takes my hand as we head to the parking lot.

“I will go home. I don’t want to interrupt your work
.” I squeeze his hands for reassurance.

As much as I don’t want to go home, I don’t want Damon to feel like he has to babysit me. I know he means well, but to be honest the time to
myself will be good for me. I plan to catch up on some much needed sleep until Damon finishes work. Once we got to bed of a night time, there is never much sleeping, I don’t know how Damon functions on so little sleep, seriously.

“I will drop you off at home, and I will head over after work
.” He plants a soft kiss on my lips before opening the car door.

I drop into the seat putting my belt on. I really like this
Aston, I rub my hands along the dash in.

“What
are you thinking?” Damon asks. His eyes following my hands.

“How much I like this car.
But also how much I love you.” I turn to look at him.

He grins before leaning over taking my mouth with his. I stoke his tongue with mine, enjoying the feel of him.
As I seriously start to turn the kiss into pure bliss, he pulls away slightly.

“I have to get back to work. And you
’re teasing me.” He whispers on my lips.

I groan in protest as he pulls away altogether. Damon laughs at my childish behaviour as I continue to pout. I have never been a person that thinks about when my next episode of hot and heavy sheet rolling is, but with Damon I do. I love being consumed by him, and I love consuming him myself.

Damon dropped me home to a lonely house.
No one was here but me. The boys left a short note stating they had something to organise and would be back later and not to worry about dinner for them.

“I won’t
.” I said aloud.

I
lay on the couch for several moments before I realised I would never be able to sleep. Deciding that I needed to do something, I took to cleaning the house. I started with the kitchen and worked my way through the living areas. The couch cushions smelt like stale beer and smoke, so I stripped them and put them through the wash before hanging them on the line. I also hand washed the curtains, I remember putting white one up years ago but now they were a brown colour.

I picked up several empty
potato chip bags off the floor. The boys had fun watching NASCAR a few days ago, and never cleaned up after, which was a normal thing mind you. When I moved the lounge chair to pick up a magazine, when I noticed an envelope with Cameron’s name on it. Now, I normally wouldn’t even think about opening it, but the hand writing looked so much like my brothers, and I was almost certain it was. I flipped it over in my palm and noticed the envelope was sealed closed so even if I wanted to look I couldn’t. I put it in my back pocket of my jeans and continued to clean, thinking mainly about what would be inside the mystery case.

It was almost five
when I finally stopped cleaning. I have been at it for five hours and the house finally smelt and felt clean. I managed to pack a few boxes, dismantle standing shelves and take all the photos off the wall in the process. I'm in need of a drink, and decide that since Damon is coming here tonight I will have a beer. I open the fridge and grab out a bottle. I twist the cap off and take guzzle down the bitter fluid. It’s refreshing and going down too easy. Within five, minutes, the beer is gone, so I grab another before heading outside to the porch.

As I grab the handle on the door
, but it flew open knocking me on my arse. I land with a thud as my elbows and butt take most of the force of my fall. My beer shatters on the floor next to me sending glass shards flying, and frothy liquid all over the floor.

“Holy shit sorry Savannah
.” Cameron stands shocked over me.

H
e extends his hand, and I take it.

“Are you right just busting in here like that
.” I shout, dusting myself off.

“I
'm sorry, I didn’t think I had to knock.” Cameron looked pissed at my comment.

“Well you do when Stephen’s no there
,” I twisted my elbow slightly and notice the blood. “Shit.”

“Here, let me help you
.” Cameron walks past me, stepping over the contents of beer on the floor to the kitchen.

I turn around the do the same following him into the kitchen. I walk around the counter and prop myself up onto the bench top as Cameron finds a tea towel and wet the end.
He walks over and pulls my elbow lightly so he can place the towel on the gash.

“Ouch
.”

“It will sting a little, but I need to make sure it doesn’t need stitches
,” Cameron looks at the wound. “It’s only a small cut it will be okay. I will clean it and wrap it up for you.”

“I can do it
.” I say, I don’t need him attending to my needs right now.

“It
’s ok. I did do this, let me help you please.” He looks lost, the look in his eyes tells me this is a terrible idea, but I have to get over this.

“Okay
.” I agree.

Cameron cleans the small cut, than walks over to the cupboard above the fridge to find the first aid kit. I went to tell him where it was, but he already knew
that. I have to keep reminding myself that he know this house and my life just as well as I do. He was such as a big part of my life all those years ago, then suddenly he wasn’t, but he never forgot. I wondered if he ever tried to forget, just like it did.

“Just relax your arm,
I'm going to put some cream on it first then I will put the band aid over the top.” He looked to be concentrating when he did this.

He stuck his tongue out the side of his mouth, furrowed his brow and hummed. He always did this when he was deep in thought.
The giggles were starting to rise in my throat, and I tried to hold them down. But they escaped me. Cameron smiled and shook his head at my response.