Where We Meet Again

by Wilson, A. M.

  “Christ, Cami. You should have said something.”

  “I mean, I did… eventually,” I grind out. The room spins, stealing my words. I close my eyes and block out the sensation of her digging around and cleaning my wounds.

  “You won’t need stitches, but it’s going to take a while to heal. Not too deep, but it’s long.” She tapes down a gauze bandage. “When’s your next shift?” She asks as she washes her hands.

  “Tomorrow starts a five-shift rotation.” I roll to my back.

  She gives me a grimace from the computer where she’s logging orders. “There’s no way. I’m sorry. Hopefully, you have some sick time saved up. We’ll see what the x-ray says, and I’ll write a letter for you to give to H.R. The tech should be here in a minute to take you to radiology.”

  “Thanks, Luce.” I mutter while calculating how much sick leave I have banked and how long it can last. I only ever took time off to care of Evelyn, and that happens less as she grows up. Even when she had her tonsils out at age eleven, I scheduled it during my off week and didn’t miss a day of work. I should have at least two weeks of paid time, if not more. The emergency fund in the bank will come in handy, but it would take me a long time to replenish if I use too much.

  I groan and rub my temples, a headache lingering on the edge.

  “Hey, you okay?”

  “Yeah.” I exhale and tip my head back on the pillow. “The timing just sucks.”

  Nathan frowns and his eyes turn sympathetic. “If you need anything, you let me know. I’m only a phone call away.”

  A knock on the interrupts us. “I’m here to take you to x-ray.” A young man announces and jerks the curtain back.

  “I guess I’ll be back,” I say awkwardly. The moment to respond has passed. Also, how am I to tell him I probably won’t call even if I need something? This little adventure is an exception to my normal independence.

  Nathan helps me into the wheelchair, and I’m whisked to x-ray. Luce meets us there to speed my visit up. The scans don’t show a break. She has my ankle wrapped, discharge instructions in hand, and on crutches in record time. The x-ray technician wheels me back up to Nathan, and he takes over helping me hobble to the truck.

  We’re close to my house when Nathan turns down the radio. He stares straight out the windshield as if he’s alone. “If you give me your key, I can have your car brought to your house tomorrow.”

  Guilt tightens my chest. Through the squeeze, I force myself to look his way. “You don’t have to do that. I can take care of it.”

  He cuts me a sharp glance but returns his eyes to the road. “Consider me… please. I don’t want to come off as desperate, but I might not be above begging. That kiss–ˮ

  “Shouldn’t have happened.” I cut him off and finish with my thought. I don’t want to hear what he has to say. I can’t have him tell me how it made his pulse race and his stomach clench. And I definitely won’t listen to him if he says he wants to kiss me again. If he does… if I let him voice the things I feel, I might not be strong enough to turn him down again.

  Nathan’s fingers tighten reflexively on the steering wheel. “I don’t think you believe that,” he murmurs gently. “Is there someone else? You haven’t mentioned anyone.”

  “There’s nobody else.”

  The headlights of Nathan’s truck swing past my driveway as he slows around the bend, and my heart nearly jumps out of my chest.

  Law’s truck is parked halfway up my driveway.

  Nathan parks behind him, but since my driveway isn’t all that big, the tailgate nearly hangs in the road. I want to curse Law for being here, and for also being a dick to me. Now I have to hobble past that jerk while he forces me to listen to what he’s here to say.

  Law exits his cab before Nathan turns his truck off. The two unintentionally mirror one another, climbing out of their trucks and rounding the bed. The difference, besides their night and day appearances, is that Law stops to rest his ass against the back of his truck and cross his arms over his chest, and Nathan continues to my door to help me.

  I try not to look at Law. Really, I do. But I’ve always been hopeless where he’s concerned. His stare burns through the windshield, and like a magnet, my eyes find his. His jaw clenches and his eyes narrow, then he cracks his neck with a quick jerk in each direction. Whatever he’s doing here, he seems to gear up for a fight.

  My door clicks and swings open, and Nathan reaches around me to grab my crutches from the back.

  “No one else, huh?”

  My throat dries and my heart sinks. Again, proving how different the two are, Nathan doesn’t sound pissed. Disappointment colors his tone instead.

  I lean forward to grab the handle above the door and brace my other hand on his shoulder. He lifts his head and meets my eyes.

  “No. There’s nobody else. You know me enough to trust I’m telling you the truth.”

  “Then who’s he?”

  We both turn to survey Law, and I sigh. I turn back first, but Nathan keeps staring. Or glaring. I study his profile. The soft round curve of his nose, his sharp jawline that leads to his smoothly shaven neck. I squeeze his shoulder to regain his attention.

  “A memory. One I’d rather not relive at this moment.”

  He delivers a short, rigid nod. “Need me to get rid of him?”

  “Without being rude, I’d like to get rid of the both of you. I’m exhausted, and I haven’t eaten since this morning.” I smile to soften the words. I doubt the effect, because his brow creases and he frowns.

  “Shit. I’m a damn idiot,” he groans. “All my attempts to take you to dinner, and here you are starving because I forgot to feed you through all this.”

  “In that case, I’ll let you make it up to me Wednesday. Depending on how my foot feels. You should be off your work rotation by then, and hopefully, I’ll be healed. But it’s not a date. Officially. It’s two good friends hanging out with one another outside of work for the first time alone.”

  Nathan chuckles and rests his forehead to mine. His hands clutch my waist. “I want to kiss you, but I have a feeling that wouldn’t be appropriate.”

  My eyes grow wide with panic. “Please, don’t.”

  His fingers flex into my sides, and he pulls me down from the truck, careful to keep my injured foot from hitting anything on the way down. Releasing me with his left hand, he grabs my crutches one at a time, and holds me steady as I put them under my arms. “I won’t. Just thought I should make you aware that I want to.”

  He steps back to let me out and shuts my door.

  “Well, thanks for that.”

  We trek slowly to the front of his truck before Law gets a full glimpse of me. He pushes away from his truck bed and takes four angry strides in our direction.

  “What happened to you?” The question is for me, but his glare sears into Nathan, as if implying he has something to do with my injury.

  I need to shut this down fast. I have nothing more to say to Law after the tug o’ war game he’s played with me since the minute he showed up in town. There’s nothing he has to say that I want to hear. Not anymore.

  I speak over his question and address Nathan. “I’m good here. Thank you for helping me.”

  “Cami,” Law growls and turns his front into my side as if blocking Nathan from our conversation.

  I’m so close to crawling into bed, I can almost taste the sleep I’ll be having. With that in mind, I lean forward on my crutches, the taut line of my body conveying my annoyance. “What are you doing here?”

  “You’re hurt.”

  “That’s not why you’re here.”

  “What happened?”

  “Again, not why you’re here.”

  “Cam.” His voice cracks, and the resulting ache that spreads through me nearly pulls me under. Why does he have to act like he cares when I know three days from now his moods will flip again? The tone of his voice roots me to the spot, and my eyes flash to Nathan before returning to Law.

  “I�
��m okay. I fell while I was jogging. Twisted my ankle.” My instinct is to take a step closer to Law, but that’s hard with one foot and crutches. I try anyway, wanting to reassure him. One crutch doesn’t lift enough and catches on the asphalt, sending me into the ground. Both men move, but Nathan’s closer and catches me with his hands on my hips.

  Law doesn’t miss the possessive hold, and he rockets from whatever emotional dimension he’s in straight to pissed.

  “Who are you?” His rumble booms like thunder in the night.

  “I’m Nathan.”

  A beat of silence passes. One he should use to clarify he’s my co-worker or my friend. Nathan’s stating his intentions. He won’t be forced into some platonic box, especially not after I agreed to go on a date with him.

  “Is he your boyfriend?” Law turns his question on me.

  “Well, no. I mean, he’s my, uh, he’s my Nathan.”

  Law’s head dips in my direction. “He’s your… Nathan?” His voice is deceptively soft. That’s new from the Law I used to know, and it freaks me out. Beyond the fear is a hint of arousal. My nipples tingles beneath my sports bra, and I grip the crutch handles to keep from squeezing my thighs together at his growly rasp.

  I look to my shoe and the open toes of my other foot. “I mean, he’s my co-worker.”

  “It doesn’t matter to you who I am.” Nathan steps in, and I want to slap my forehead. We’re going to be here all night. “What matters is Cami’s exhausted and needs to lie down.”

  “Is that so, baby?” Law mocks us both. “You need to lie down? Should I get you some of that soup I bought you?”

  “Hey, man, I’m not messing around. Leave her alone.” Under the street lamps, Nathan’s jaw turns to stone.

  “Neither am I.”

  They turn to one another, and I swear they’re seconds away from throwing punches. I’m so enraptured by the scene unfolding in front of me that when fingers encircle my wrist, I jump.

  I follow the arm with my gaze and look up at Nathan. My brow furrows with unasked questions. Once he has my attention, he strokes my inner forearm with his index finger.

  “It’s cool. I’m going to get out of here. Car key, please.” He holds his palm up.

  I shove the hand he isn’t holding beneath his open fleece jacket and unzip the front pocket of my sweatshirt. The single key to my car is stashed inside. My fingers curl around the cold metal, and I withdraw it, removing his jacket at the same time. His fingers squeeze around my wrist.

  “Keep it on until you get inside. I’ll get it tomorrow.”

  I drop the key into his palm. “Okay. Thanks again. I’ll see you before your shift.”

  Nathan leans in to kiss my cheek, and for some unknown reason, I swing my gaze to Law. He presses his lips together before releasing them and sinks his teeth into his full bottom lip.

  Just as Nathan’s breath warms my cheek, the door to my house flies open with a bang.

  “Mom!”

  Three adults jump, and all eyes swing in that direction. Evelyn stands on the porch in a pair of fuzzy gray sweats and a purple tank top. Her hair is a mess on the top of her head, and she isn’t wearing any socks or shoes. Panic creases her forehead.

  “You haven’t been answering your phone for hours, and I needed you!” She bursts into tears, and the screen door slams shut as she runs back into the house.

  My stomach drops to my toes. Guilt and fear override any other emotion as I switch to mom mode. I try to run but trip, having forgotten my injury. “Ugh damn crutches!” I chuck them one at a time to the ground. Three solid hops are all I manage before someone scoops me into their arms and break into a job. Twice in one day someone’s picked me up against my will. Not a streak I want to keep breaking.

  My foot aches with every bounce, but I grit my teeth through it. Evelyn is my sole focus. Her emotions rarely swing to the point of a breakdown. The outburst fills me with concern.

  “Get your daughter and figure out what’s wrong.” Law rumbles in my ear.

  I wiggle in his grip. “Stop playing these goddamned games and put me down!”

  He shifts my weight higher and climbs the steps of my porch. Once there, he jiggles the handle to my front door, opening it with ease. He sets me down just inside the foyer.

  I’m torn between hobbling after Evelyn and asking Law to wait. The brighter light coming from my house highlights the bags under his eyes and the deeper creases in his forehead. His face is weary and tired, and that reminds me he had a reason for waiting in my driveway.

  “Why are you here?” I ask a second too late. He’s already jogging back down the steps. He strides over to where we were standing, and my heart climbs into my throat.

  Please don’t be stupid. Please don’t punch Nathan, I chant in my head.

  I can’t see Law’s face from my position, but I can see Nathan’s. His eyes hold a challenge I’m sure reflects the other man’s. I should leave the big boys to figure it out themselves and go inside, but something tells me to wait.

  Law bends down to pick up my crutches. Without a word, he darts back to the house.

  Thank God. We’ve had enough emotions and injuries for one day.

  Once I settle the crutches beneath my arms, he continues to puncture the bubble I built for myself in Arrow Creek.

  “Got news I lost my dad. I’ll be gone for a few days, heading back to Logansville for the service.” He directs his gaze behind me, into my house, but by the haziness in his eyes, I can tell he’s lost in his thoughts.

  My stomach twists into knots, and bile immediately rushes into my throat. Those aren’t words I ever expected Law to say to me, and the effect of them has me fighting the urge to double over. Sweat beads and trickles down my spine.

  “I’ve been fucked up a long time, Cami. Working through that has been a lot harder than I thought. I’ve been pissed for a lot of years and dealt with that anger by being a dick. It’s not right to throw my issues at you repeatedly. I’m sorry for that.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Was going to ask if you were up to coming with, but I can see now you’re all taken care of here.” He shifts his body to throw a glance at Nathan.

  “Law… I… The timing…” I glance down the hall to where I know Evelyn waits, upset about something that needs my attention. And right now, I think seeing her will bring more comfort to me than her.

  He jerks his head. “She needs you. Take care of yourself, and maybe we’ll run into one another when I’m back in town.”

  Seconds tick by as I hesitate in the doorway, balancing on crutches with one hand on the doorknob. Law removes the final decision for me when he jogs back down my steps.

  “Goodbye, Law,” I whisper to myself as the front door closes with a concluding bang. Then I shuffle to the living room, where I know my daughter waits buried beneath a mountain of blankets.

  12

  Everything hurts. From my head to my toes, I’m a cramped, achy mess. Evelyn and I have laughed and cried so many times I’ve lost count. Law’s news conjured every emotion in the book. Sadness, anger, hurt, pain, relief, fear, weariness. And when I look at my daughter, the tears well up all over again.

  While I was getting my foot checked out, my poor child experienced her first taste of that all-consuming heartbreak when someone leaves.

  Or in the case of a fourteen-year-old, her first real crush breaking her heart.

  I thought I wasn’t ready for this, dealing with my daughter and boys. Maybe it’s Law’s reappearance or the fact I’m normally an emotional mess, but I found talking about love and boys with her to be ridiculously cathartic.

  I text both Law and Nathan as soon as appropriate to tell them all is well in our world. The way Evelyn screamed into the night would have scared most into believing something horrible had happened. I don’t know where I stand with either of these men, but I don’t want them thinking the worst.

  Law responds with good to hear. Nathan says, appreciate you letting me know you girls are all right. Get some ice
on that foot and go to sleep. See you tomorrow.

  Night. And. Day.

  A giant scoop of salted caramel gelato balances on my spoon in front of my mouth. Evelyn and I are eating it straight from the carton. Teaching her to eat her emotions isn’t the best idea, but when she wouldn’t stop crying about this Dean boy I hadn’t heard of before today, I panicked.

  “So, when you go to school tomorrow, don’t even give Dean a second of your attention.” I circle the spoon wide between us, and the ice cream slides across my spoon. “I mean, don’t even look at him. Be cool. No, wait. What I mean is be yourself. Don’t make a big scene.”

  Don’t do exactly what I did when Law broke my heart. I wish I could tell her that in detail. Someday, I’ll tell her everything. When she hears my story, she’ll have to hear all the gory details, including the identity of her actual father. I can hardly admit it to myself.

  “Mom.” She sighs and drops her spoon with a thud into the carton. “Dean’s not even the reason I’m so upset. I mean, he is since he said yes to being my boyfriend but then dumped me the next day. But he’s not the whole reason. It’s that Casey betrayed me. How can my best friend leave me for the boy she knew I had a crush on?” Her face crumbles as she goes on, and my heart damn near breaks all over again.

  “I thought Maggie was your best friend?”

  “No, I haven’t been best friends with Maggie since the summer ended and she started hanging out with Kate.” The attitude I know so well peeks out.

  “Ah, I remember now.” I shove another spoonful in my mouth. So, maybe I’m not so good at this stuff. Good or not, it feels great to have this conversation with my daughter. With it being just the two of us, I’ve made it my mission to be as open and honest with her as I can be, and to keep her open and honest with me.

  I swallow the cold deliciousness, and after licking my spoon clean, I set it on the coffee table. Leaning forward, I take each of Evelyn’s hands in mine.

  “I know it sucks, baby. Even more so because it’s a part of life. You’re going to encounter many people who only care about themselves and will push others out of the way to get what they want. It doesn’t sound like Casey was thinking about your friendship very much, and for that, I’m sorry. I hope the next time someone lets you down so deeply, it doesn’t hurt as bad as this.”