Only You
Copyright© 2014
Kaleigh James
Kindle Edition
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Epilogue
About the Author
Coming Soon from Kaleigh James
Chapter 1
Three years ago
Camden Shepherd had been in love exactly one time. It was a love that was fierce and pure and true. She had known since she was ten years old that her heart would always belong to one boy - a boy who had grown into a handsome man. For eight years, she had waited for the perfect moment to admit her feelings to him.
There had been complications, as there always are in the path to true love. Shane Hunt was her brother Brody's best friend, and therefore forbidden. There were also the two years he and Brody had spent in Afghanistan, fighting for their country. She had missed Shane terribly during that interlude, but she had kept in contact, sending the boys care packages filled with goodies and carefully constructed letters that did NOT indicate her burning love for Shane. In fact, Camden was quite proud of her ability to hide her feelings from Shane. She was certain he had no idea that she had been carrying a torch for him.
Tonight, though, all that would change. It was finally time to tell him of her unshakeable love. Shane and Brody had both come home in time to attend her high school graduation. They had cheered boisterously as she crossed the stage to receive her diploma. It had felt wonderful having the people she loved most in the world supporting her on such a momentous occasion; but in Camden's heart, tonight would be even more momentous. Her parents were throwing her a huge graduation party, and finally, after years of waiting, she was going to tell Shane how she felt.
***
Shane Hunt was well on his way to being drunk. Camden's graduation party roared around him, the bass of some terrible top 40 song vibrating beneath his feet. He had tried to get out of coming, but he had known Camden would be disappointed, and he couldn't do anything to hurt her. She'd been under his skin for years. Shane stumbled as he made his way out the front door. He was definitely feeling buzzed, and he was headed towards total drunkenness. He had come outside because he didn't think it would go over well if he got sick on the Shepherd's carpet. Once is forgivable, but a second occurrence was shameful...especially since he wasn't a rebellious fifteen year old anymore.
Outside, the wind rustled the leaves, and Shane could hear the muted melody of the music, but it was much more peaceful. He made his way straight to the wooden swing, his favorite place on the wrap around porch. He settled into the swing and took a long pull from his beer as the seat began to sway. He closed his eyes and laid his head against the back of the swing, dreaming of what tonight should have been like...a night where he was stone cold sober and would absolutely NOT be sleeping alone.
"I thought I might find you here," a warm, sexy voice interrupted his musings. Shane jerked his head upright, staring at Camden. His head began pounding from the movement, but he couldn't tear his eyes from her. She looked beautiful. Her long blonde hair lay in waves around her shoulders, and her bright green eyes hypnotized him. Her golden skin shimmered against her pale yellow dress, and even in the darkness of night, Shane could see her worried expression.
"Are you okay?" She sounded concerned, but of course he wouldn't be able to hide anything from her. They'd known each other since they were children.
"Just drank too much," he grumbled.
Camden thought Shane looked a little dark and morose that evening. His dark hair was in disarray, and his blue eyes had darkened to almost black. Something was going on that he wasn't happy about. She wondered whether she should proceed with her plan, as she looked at him sullenly pouting on the porch swing. She chewed her lower lip, a habit her mother loathed, as she waivered in her decision. No, she thought. There is no backing out of this. It is now or never.
"Shane?" she began timidly. "Can we go for a walk? I want to talk to you about something."
Shane's eyebrows scrunched together, as if he was preparing himself for terrible news, but he nodded slowly. Surprised that Camden would want to leave her party, he began to wonder what she wanted to talk to him about. And why couldn't they talk about it here on the front porch? Shane's heart began to race, as he thought through all the reasons Camden would reach out to him away from Brody or her parents. Was she in trouble? He hadn't been home in a year. Had something bad happened while he was gone? Shane's head began pounding as he thought of what he would do to anyone who had hurt Camden. Hell, anyone who had touched her. He ground his teeth together to stop himself from demanding answers as he stood and followed Camden down the front steps.
Camden could feel the heat of Shane's body at her side, and butterflies erupted in her stomach. She couldn't believe she was about to risk everything by telling him the truth, but if he felt a fraction of what she did, she knew that they could face her family and a life together. As they reached a street light just a couple of houses away, Camden paused, wanting to see Shane's face as she bore her heart to him. She placed her hand on his forearm, stopping him in his tracks.
Shane's deep blue eyes peered at her from beneath lashes so thick, any girl would be envious. Camden wondered at the hesitant look in his eyes. She squeezed her hands together, and her mind went totally blank. She had rehearsed what she was going to say a million times, and nothing came to mind. Her speech had been eloquently composed, romantic even. Camden's heart fluttered as she began to panic. Shane's expression became concerned, and he gently grabbed her hand.
"You can tell me anything, Cam," he urged supportively, although he wasn't sure how true that was. Even now, he was using every ounce of self-control to keep from demanding who had caused her this level of distress.
Camden stared at Shane, her mouth hanging open. When the words she had rehearsed still wouldn't come to mind, she blurted, "I'm in love with you. I always have been, at least since I've known that boys were worth liking. I know you are Brody's
best friend, so it's kind of off-limits, but I love you too much to not say anything." Camden took a deep breath and barreled on. "I know that if you feel something towards me, we can make it work, no matter what Brody and my parents think. I'm eighteen now, so it's legal. Plus, I'm an adult and can make my own decisions, and I choose you."
She paused, and looked at Shane's stricken face. "I choose you," she whispered, dropping her hand from his. It was obvious that he was not expecting her outburst. In shock, Shane was unable to formulate an immediate reply. He had expected her to confess she was in some sort of trouble. It wouldn't have been the first time she had sought him to help her out of a tight spot. Brody was crazy overprotective, so Shane helped out from time to time to keep Camden from Brody's brotherly rants.
"Camden," Shane croaked. He stared at her in disbelief, and Camden knew he was about to break her heart. Her eyes filled with tears, and Shane sobered completely. He hated to hurt her. He always had. "Camden, I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice faltering slightly at the end. "You....you're like a little sister to me. I've never thought of you that way."
A single tear trickled down her cheek, and Camden knew she couldn't stand to look at the man she loved while he broke her heart, no matter how gently he did so. Before she could think better of it, she turned and ran back to the house.
"Camden!" Shane yelled after her. "Cam!" But she kept running down the sidewalk. She stumbled up the porch steps, holding back the sobs that wanted to break free. The music blasted as she opened the front door. Her guests were too busy reveling to notice her as she made her way upstairs, unlocked her bedroom and stepped inside. She had just enough control to remember to bolt her door behind her. She would be even more humiliated if someone saw her lose it.
As soon as the door was locked, Camden's knees buckled, and she sank to the floor sobbing. Heart-wrenching cries were hidden by the music and party sounds downstairs. No one knew the pain she suffered, save the quiet boy who had followed her into the house and up the stairs.
Shane's stomach turned as he listened to Camden cry. He raised his hand to knock on the door, but stopped, knowing he was the last person that she would want to see. He touched his fingers to the fuzzy pink sign bearing her name and two single tears raced from his eyes. He had never heard her sob like this before. She was crushed, and he had been the person to destroy her. Shane turned slowly, wiped his eyes, and headed to the kitchen to get wasted.
***
Camden wasn't sure how much time had passed, but her tears had finally dried. Her breathing was still unsteady, so she focused on steadying her breaths as she went into her bathroom to clean the mascara streaks off her face. She stared at her red puffy eyes in the mirror. She knew that Shane would see the evidence of her tears, but if she covered it well with her makeup, everyone would just assume her eyes were red from drinking.
After fifteen minutes fixing her face, Camden went into her closet. She had dressed in a cute, pale yellow sundress with strappy tan sandals. Shane had always called her "Sunshine" when she wore yellow, and she knew the soft, creamy color looked great against her golden skin and sparkling green eyes. She couldn't get the dress off fast enough. As she began tossing her wardrobe on the floor of her closet, she noticed a red mini-dress that Jennifer had left a few weeks before. It was a little slutty for Camden's taste, but she had made a decision. She had wasted years...YEARS...waiting for Shane, and he hadn't given her even a thought. He said she was like his little sister. Well, she'd be damned if she was going to wait for him to notice her any longer.
She choked back another sob. Her family loved Shane like he was part of the family, and even though Camden was going to force herself to move on, she knew she couldn't bear to see him whenever she came home for holidays or summer break. She had always been told not to make rash decisions when she was upset, but tonight she was going to make two, and she couldn't care less if either was wrong. First, she was not going to be the only freshman in college with her v-card. She'd been saving it for Shane, but what was the point of saving her virginity for her true love if her love was unrequited? She was going give that v-card to the first acceptable bidder, as early as tonight, if she could swing it. Second, she was not going to stay in her hometown to see Shane fall in love with someone else. She was salutatorian, so she had been accepted to most of the schools to which she applied, but she didn't care about that. She was going to drive until she found a town she liked, and then she was going to get a job and enroll in community college. It would probably take her a week to arrange everything so that she could leave, but she had decided, and once Camden made a decision, she was a force with which to be reckoned.
Camden finished shimmying into the barely there red dress, pulled on her highest heels (the shiny black ones Jennifer said made her ass look fabulous), and unlocked her door. Here goes nothing, she thought. Slowly she made her way downstairs and headed to the kitchen for fortification. After downing three tequila shots, she scanned the crowd in the living room. Shane was nowhere to be seen, so Camden headed straight towards Rob Harris, captain of the football team, class president, and the boy who had chased her all four years of high school. Rob was quite the ladies' man, so she knew he was just looking for a new conquest, but she had been saving herself for "he who shall not be named". Screw that, she thought, then giggled. No, I'll screw Rob.
Camden schooled her expression to look as seductive as possible, but Rob had already noticed her, and he was definitely not looking at her face. Rob mumbled something to the group of football players and cheerleaders standing around him, and they suddenly scattered. He continued to stare at Camden, his mouth hanging open.
"Cat got your tongue?" she cooed, as she gently gripped his chin and closed his mouth.
"You look a-amazing!" he stammered. Camden ran her fingers down his muscular arm.
"Want to get out of here and celebrate?" she whispered. By now, Rob the lothario had recovered.
"Absolutely. Let me tell the guys I'm out," he smirked. "Meet you at my truck?" His eyebrows were raised in challenge. Obviously, he didn't think she would follow through, but Camden knew she would. She would love Shane Hunt for the rest of her life, but why save something for him that he obviously didn't want?
"See you there, hot stuff," she teased. Rob grinned, and hurried to no doubt tell his buddies about his good fortune. Camden turned towards the front hallway, only to lock eyes across the room with Brody. He glared when he noticed her dress, and Camden knew it would be seconds before he started to head toward her, so she hurried towards the front door, losing sight of Brody in the crowd.
She opened the door, and the cool night breeze caused her to shiver. She heard the giggle instantly as she headed onto the porch. Great, she thought sarcastically. Someone was fooling around on the front porch. Gross. Camden tried to slip across the porch and down the steps unsuspected when she heard Heather Davis' high pitched whine.
"Please, Shane," the girl giggled. "This party blows, and you know I'll give you a good time."
Camden's eyes jerked up involuntarily, only to see Heather wrapped around Shane as he stood drinking a beer. His hand rested just above the curve of her ass, and she looked totally comfortable nibbling his ear. Camden felt her face heat, and anger surged within her. Not only did that bastard reject her tonight, but he had the audacity to hook up with someone on her front porch during her party. Who the hell did he think he was? Forgetting her attempts at silence, Camden stomped her way down the steps and across the driveway. She felt Shane's eyes burning the back of her, and she let herself look just once. For a moment, it looked as if he was clenching his jaw, fury filling his eyes, but just as quickly, he looked calm, drunk, and possible horny. Good for him, because Heather was easy. She could help him with that. Camden, on the other hand, was going to get lucky tonight, too. Her heart squeezed at the thought, and she forced her sadness aside. She needed to do this. She needed to start moving on from Shane. She turned and began walking down the sidewalk towards Rob's truck
at the end of the road.
***
Chapter 2
Present Day
"Shock to the heart, and you're too late. You give looove a bad name." Camden held her hairbrush in her hand as she crooned along with her iPod. Eric glared at her across the console.
"Uncle!" he yelled. "I call uncle. And if you're going to puncture my eardrums, at least get the lyrics right." He let out a little sigh. "We can stop at the next exit, IF, and only if you promise no more stops before we get there." Eric gave Camden his best stern expression, but she broke into a fit of giggles. She would never take that look seriously. His blue-gray eyes danced with too much mischief. Not to mention his usually well styled hair was a mess. They'd woken up late, and he was sporting a serious (as in seriously sexy) case of bedhead. Camden's hand was itching to brush his dirty blonde locks off his face. Completing the picture was his devilish smirk, a secret joke hiding behind it. Nope. Camden would never take his stern look at face value.
"I can't promise that. Road trips are made for enjoying the trip." Camden made a peace sign and said in her best stoner voice, "It's about the journey, not the destination, man."
Eric rolled his eyes, and switched lanes so Camden could have her way. Before he had even rolled to a complete stop in the parking lot, Camden was out of the car and skipping (yes, skipping) into the gas station. Eric turned off the car and followed her inside.
"Ooooh, look!" she called. "They have that flavor of energy drink you like so much."
"Why exactly do I need energy drinks on this camping trip?" He smirked at Camden. She was acting like a kid on Christmas morning, complete with wavy blonde pigtails, but he knew that she was nervous. She thought she could hide it from him, but by now, he knew all her tells. For instance, overloading on junk food and acting like she was on speed.
"You need it to stay awake on the drive, silly." She quickly pressed a kiss to his cheek, and headed down the snack aisle. "They have the pizza flavored combos! The cracker kind, not the pretzel. I don't even know why they make the pretzel kind."
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