Authors: Toshia Slade
I shove off Cam and stand up. “You can’t do this to me. I’m with Brandon.” He doesn’t need to know I’m going to end things. It’s the simple fact that he shouldn’t be able to decide he wants this and then get it. I’m the one that hurt and suffered all those years, not him!
“Do you love him?”
I stand there my mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. I don’t want to lie, because I don’t love Brandon. But I don’t want him to know how much power he still has over me. I can’t just forget about all the women and him turning me away when I put my heart on the line. “I’m with him, aren’t I?”
“That’s not what I asked.” He stands up and walks over to me. I step back and hold my hands up. “Has he ever made you feel the way I did?”
“You mean, do I think of you when he’s fucking me?” I wish I could take the words back as soon as they come out.
Cam’s jaw ticks and his fists ball up at his sides. “I know I hurt you, so I’ll let that slide. I gave you a lot to think about. Just know I’ll always be here. And when he hurts you, I’ll be here. Waiting.” He grabs me and squeezes me, kissing my forehead, and walks off.
I go back over to the swing and collapse. What the hell am I supposed to do now? Part of me wants to run after him and stay in his arms forever, but the other part of me wants to run, protect my heart. He’s hurt me so much already, can I ever move past that?
Chapter Seventeen
*Cam*
It seems like no sooner do I drift off, I hear voices in the kitchen and bags rustling. I stayed awake all night replaying Gabby’s words in my head. When she talked about fucking Brandon all the air left my lungs and my heart felt like it was being ripped from my chest. Is that how she felt watching me all those years with the endless amount of girls?
God, I’m an idiot. Why didn’t I figure everything out sooner? Then Gabby and I would be together and be happy.
When she finally came back in last night and gave me my blanket back, I felt like I had been sucker punched, and I was the lowest piece of scum on earth. Her eyes were red and puffy where she had been crying. I tried getting her to talk to me, but she just shook her head and walked off. I really hope that I didn’t fuck everything up and it’s already too late. I honestly don’t know what I would do without her in my life
.
I untangle from the blanket, climb to my feet, and fold it to be put back in the closet. I grab my pillow and head to my room to change clothes. Walking in, I stop dead in my tracks. Gabby is curled up on her side, one arm under her head and the other wrapped around a pillow, her face buried in it. I quietly walk over to the edge of the bed and move the hair from her face. I see her eyes are puffy. I hate that I did this to her. I’ll make it right, when she’s ready. It’ll be my life's mission to make her the happiest girl on earth.
I glance at her one more time and make my way over to my closet to get a pair of jeans and a shirt. I slip into the bathroom to brush my teeth and change clothes.
Coming out of the bathroom, I see that she’s still in the same position. I can’t resist. I walk over, bend down, and kiss her forehead, whispering, “I love you, Thumper.”
I think back to the day I met Gabby and why I call her that. It was her eleventh birthday.
Josh and I walked into Gabby’s bedroom and there were girls everywhere, watching some chick movie with dancing.
“You all want to watch this with us?” Josh asked, holding up The Ring DVD. I’d heard it was scary.
“Yes!” All of the girls yelled, bouncing.
A little ways into the movie Josh gets my attention and mouths for me to watch. He grabbed Gabby’s leg and screamed.
Gabby yelled, jumped up, and toppled over, and landed in my lap. Her arms were flailing in the air and one hit me, right in the face.
"Ow, shit," I yelled out, right before I wrapped my arms around her to keep her from falling on the floor. “Are you okay?” I asked.
She looked up at me with big green eyes. “Oh my god. I’m so sorry.” She scrambled out of my lap, going after Josh. “Josh, I’m going to kill you!”
I laugh thinking about how embarrassed she was. She’ll always be my Thumper.
Looking over my shoulder at the door, I soak her up one last time, in my bed.
Soon.
*Gabby*
I rolled out of the bed around noon. I was having an amazing dream, Cam had kissed my forehead and told me he loved me, I pulled him in bed with me, and we
—
Stop that, Gabby, don’t go there.
I flip the covers off me and head to the bathroom to brush my teeth. Reaching for the toothpaste my hand brushes against Cam’s toothbrush, wet.
He was in here? Did he really kiss me or was that just a dream?
I finish brushing my teeth and pull out a fresh washcloth, running it under cold water. I hold it to my eyes. I stayed in bed until the wee hours this morning, crying silently into a pillow, not wanting to wake Tiff. I know she would have sat up for hours talking to me, as long as I needed her to, but I’m not ready yet. I want to get my thoughts all figured out before I go to anyone else.
I’m not going to torture myself with all of that today. I’ll wait until I get home and try to sort it all out, and then figure out what I need to do. Right now, I need to get out there and get these decorations up.
Walking into the kitchen, heads turn in my direction.
“It’s about time, sleepy head. We were getting ready to start without you.” Josh says, and then points to the coffee pot. “It’s still hot if you want some.”
Avoiding Cam’s eyes, I head for the coffee pot. There’s already a mug sitting on the counter for me, so I pour in my three teaspoons of sugar and three more of creamer. I like my coffee sweet and creamy when I drink it.
I turn and lean back against the counter, blowing on the coffee to cool it enough to drink. “If you two can handle the outside, Tiff and I can do the inside.” And I can work without seeing Cam. Avoid. That’s what I need right now.
“We can do that. Mike just dropped off the hay I asked for. So, we’re all set,” Josh says, walking to the sink to rinse his mug. “Everything you all need is already set out on the living room floor.” He kisses my cheek. “If you need anything, just holler.”
Cam comes over to the sink to clean his mug. He goes to open his mouth and I turn my head, looking out the window. I hear him sigh, and walk out of the kitchen.
Once I hear the door close, I take a sip of my coffee. I can feel Tiffany staring at me. “You ready to get started?”
“Not until you tell me what that was all about.”
“I will, I promise. Just not right now, okay?” I plead with my eyes for her to just drop it. All I need is for the waterworks to start again.
“Okay. Finish up and we’ll get started.” She nods to the steaming mug in my hands.
I down it, welcoming the burn on my tongue and all the way down my throat into my gut. Anything to take my mind off the sinking feeling in my stomach. I have a bad feeling about tonight.
The day passes with me avoiding Cam at all cost. We got the decorations up, only taking a break to eat a sandwich and chips for lunch. The whole time during lunch Cam was quiet and after the guys were done, they went back outside.
When we finally finish around five, I stand back and look at the job we did. I think it looks really good. We had to take some knickknacks and pictures down, only to be replaced by a decoration of some kind. We have green and orange streams of lights draped over the fireplace and around the doors. We twisted black and orange streamers together and have them swooping from the ceiling. There are skeletons and skull heads placed here and there. Spiders dangle from the ceiling and we hid the fog machine behind a skeleton by the door.
Josh pokes his head into the living room. “Wow. Looks good, girls. Y’all about done? Just pulled the burgers off the grill.”
The guys finished outside about an hour ago and started cooking us something for dinner. They have snacks for the party, but not actual food. “Yup, just finished.”
“Come eat then.” He smacks the wall and turns back out.
We head into the kitchen and they already have everything set out. I make my cheeseburger and sit down at the table. When I go to get back up, remembering something to drink, a bottle of water is set in front of me.
“Thanks.” I drop my eyes from Cam down to my plate.
“You’re welcome, Thumper.”
I love you, Thumper.
The words play again in my head. I shift in my seat, as heat spreads through my body, rubbing my legs together trying to ease the ache that’s starting to throb between my thighs. Memories flash in my mind of the things Cam did to me in that same dream.
I try to think of something else. Anything. “After we eat I need to make the cupcakes and cheese dip. Then, I’m done.”
Yeah, keep your mind on the task ahead and away, far away, from dreams of Cam.
“Cam and I have to run to town and grab ice and a few things we forgot” Josh says, oblivious to the mental struggle I’m having on my own.
We finish dinner and the guys take off. Tiff and I set about cleaning the kitchen up and making the snacks for tonight. The whole time my thoughts are consumed with Cam, the talk, Brandon, and what I’m going to say to him. And I can’t shake the feeling that everything is going to blow up in my face.
Chapter Eighteen
*Cam*
When we get back to the house, the girls are locked in my room getting dressed. Josh heads into his room to get a shower and start getting dressed while I take care of the ice.
Thirty minutes later Josh is out and already dressed, but the girls are still in my room. “I’m going to go see if they’re almost done.”
“Tell them to hurry the hell up. People are going to start getting here in an hour. I wanna have a couple drinks before they do.”
I head to my room and knock on the door. “Hey, are y’all almost done? I need my costume and a shower.”
Tiff cracks the door. “Where’s it at?”
“It’s all over. I have things I bought and some stuff I had. Just let me come in and get it. I’ll shower in the other room.” My heart pounds at the thought of seeing Gabby in her outfit.
“Hang on, let us go in the bathroom. We’re still finishing hair and makeup.”
I wait a few minutes and crack the door. “Is it safe?”
“Yeah,” comes the shout from the other side of the bathroom door.
There’s makeup scattered all over my floor and clothes thrown all over my bed. I shake my head. I’ll never understand why they need all of this shit. I grab what I need and before walking out the door, I yell to let them know it’s safe. “Done. All yours again. And make sure you clean all of that shit up when you’re done.” Last thing I want is one of us drunk stumbling in here, tripping over clothes and makeup.
Twenty minutes later, I’m out of the shower and dressed.
Coming in the kitchen, I stumble over my own feet. Gabby and Tiffany are standing at the counter with their backs to me. I can’t pull my eyes from Gabby. She has on black, high-heeled boots that come half way up her calves. The navy blue suit she has on is skin tight, clinging to all of her curves and ends right below her delectable ass. Her dark brown hair falls in waves down her back, with a police hat on top of her head. My jeans, that are already tight, start to get tighter.
Josh comes up behind me and smacks me in the back of the head. “Stop eye-fucking my sister,” he whispers in my ear. Coming up to the side of me, he shoots me a glare.
“Dude, did you see that? How can I not?”
“Easy, fucker,” he spits out under his breath, his jaw tight and eyebrows raised.
“Okay.” I hold up my hands. I know he doesn’t want to look at his sister, but I know he’s checking Tiffany out. Those costumes are fucking hot. What I wouldn’t give to peel Gabby out of hers tonight.
The girls must have heard us and turn around.
Holy shit.
My breath hitches. Gabby has on bright red lipstick and a pair of mirror navigator sunglasses. The front of her suit comes so low that is doesn’t leave much to the imagination. A pair of handcuffs is clipped to a belt around her waist and a club dangles in her hand. She can beat me, hand cuff me, whatever she wants to do.
“I’ll be right back. I forgot something.” I turn and head for my room. I need to resituate the hard-on I’m going to have all night.
*Gabby*
I turn and see Cam standing with Josh in the doorway. My breath leaves me. I’ve always drooled over cowboys, but Cam is on a whole level of his own. Starting with a cowboy hat on his head. The stubble he left on his cheeks gives him a sexy, rugged look. My mouth waters. A red bandanna is tied around his neck. A brown vest with no shirt shows off his broad shoulders and delicious arms. Tight jeans, that do things to me that should be illegal, and a big belt buckle. He has a gun hanging off the side, a whip in hand, and his cowboy boots on. My panties dampen and a throbbing pulsation starts between my thighs.
Never in my life have I wanted to jump a man like I do right now. My eyes scan him up and down and I can’t help but notice the bulge in his jeans.
Did I cause that?
My heart rate picks up, and swarms of fireflies dance in my stomach.