Pure Will

by Kristi Pelton

She knelt between my legs. “Would you prefer I not be here?”

  “No. I want you here. I was looking for you.” I noticed she picked up the warm bottle of Fireball.

  “Did you think I was in here? Is that where you were looking?” she said with a slight grin.

  After taking the drink from my hands, she kissed my still bruised knuckles. I didn’t want her to know what I’d done to Max. She might see it as an insecurity. There was no insecurity involved in that ass kicking. It was a one hundred percent retribution ass kicking. The thought of him touching Camden drove me fucking bat shit crazy.

  After kissing each knuckle, she stared up at me. The side of her mouth was swollen and scabbed. What the fuck? I adjusted my posture and dragged the back of my hand over her perfect face.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  Her sunken-in eyes closed tightly and she shook her head. Her soberness chilled me and I lifted her chin.

  “Camden. What happened to your face?”

  “I’m sorry for leaving. I was…confused and scared and…I don’t know what. But I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  None of her words answered my question. But I wondered if this meant she was back to stay.

  “Are you here to stay?” I asked, knowing that her answer would make or break me.

  “Will you take me back?”

  Dumbest question ever.

  “Absofuckinlutely!” I said.

  She released a held breath and smiled, then leaned forward until her head rested on my chest. I cautiously wrapped my arms around her and felt her protruding bones. It had only been a week…how could she have lost that much weight?

  “Oh Will,” she cried. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Shhhh. You’re here now baby. That’s all that matters.” That was one hundred percent truth too. Everything that mattered in my life lay nestled against me. With my finger, I traced down her neck until she flinched and I reared back and stared at her.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, then I saw her face again, the area near her lip. Somewhere between my fuzzy mind and her distracting me, and now she flinched. “Camden, what happened?” I demanded.

  Her eyes rounded and she covered her face. I was sobering up by the minute. After a deep breath, I lifted her hands from her face and fresh tears inched their way down.

  When she turned her head to wipe the tears on her sleeve, that’s when I saw it…the bite mark on her neck. Someone had bitten her. The only acceptable creature might have been Edward Cullen—only because he was possibly more of a man than I. But given that she didn’t have red eyes or wasn’t trying to kill me…one other name ricocheted to mind. Suddenly, I was like Mt. St. Helens on May 18, 1980…erupting! It took every ounce of restraint I had to maintain even a small amount of composure. Without hurting her, I secured her arms in my hands and lifted her till our eyes met.

  “Did you see him?”

  “Yes,” she cried, swallowing.

  Calmly, I stood, tugging on my hair—wanting to fucking rip it from my head. I stumbled then steadied myself as I moved to stare out the window. He had gotten to her again. Would this cause me to walk? I couldn’t…wouldn’t tolerate being cheated on. I couldn’t believe she would cheat. She said she loved me. I would always love her.

  “What made you do it?” I finally asked, staring at the tiny snowflakes starting to make their way to the ground.

  “Do what?” she asked.

  I wasn’t sure if the words would make it out. “B…be with him.”

  Her tiny hands touched my back. “I wasn’t with him, Will.” She sniffed. “He somehow followed me to Texas. He came to our house. Tracy and my dad are back together. Or were. Whatever. But he. He. He attacked me.”

  “Attacked you?” I growled.

  She nodded.

  “How?”

  She lowered her eyes.

  “He tried to rape me, Will.”

  Chapter—Camden

  I felt the blood invade my cheeks as I spoke, but it was when Will flinched away from my touch that my heart actually stopped beating. I should never have left. This was my fault…and now there was a chance that he wouldn’t take me back.

  I took a chance and looked at him. The grimace that hit his face was of pain? It looked as if someone was hurting him. His eyes didn’t find mind and I guided his face to where I could see his eyes.

  His chin quivered and I latched onto his chest like a baby monkey. He flinched to my touch, again. Tears lingered in my eyes. I wondered if Max hit him in the chest.

  “What happened?” he said with such indifference.

  “I went down to Texas. To Dad’s. He left the house because he didn’t want to upset Tracy.”

  His jaw was grinding and I wasn’t sure what upset him so. My words spilled out quickly.

  “So, it was just Joah and me. Joah is his assistant I’d told you about. And this morning morning, Max showed up. He met me in the hallway. I was in your t-shirt. He told me that you two had gotten in a fight and that you were in jail,” I cried. “He wanted your shirt off me and I said no. So he hit me then he ripped your shirt and my panties. He bit me. Then he tried…,” I sobbed unable to catch my breath.

  As if he was a tank of oxygen, he kissed me breathing his strength into me. Then he seemed to have collapsed, frantically gripping my knees in his arms.

  “Camden…please…help me,” he said, his voice breaking.

  I lowered myself to the ground and to my knees.

  “Help you what?”

  I’d never seen such desperation in his eyes.

  “Tell me what to do. I…I want…I want to kill him. I want to kill him. I want to end his fucking life.”

  With both hands, I cupped his face. “STOP! No, then we’d be apart again. They’d take you away. It didn’t happen. Will…please no!”

  “I don’t know how to exist knowing he is out there. I will never rest. I will never let you out of my sight. Ever.”

  I’m not sure how I managed to smile, but I had to change the subject.

  “That’s what your dad said,” I whispered with a slight smile.

  “My dad?”

  I exhaled simply remembering how it felt when he pinned Max to the wall.

  “What about my dad?” he asked again.

  “He stopped Max. He was there Will. With Joah.”

  Will gripped his head as if it was spinning and he was trying to stop it. Back stepping away from me with his mouth half open, he eyes held nothing but confusion.

  “What are you talking about?” he asked, sitting.

  “I don’t know all of it, Will. Your mom asked your dad to find me. He did and he couldn’t have had better timing. That’s the gist of it.”

  “OK. So my dad came to Texas to get you because my mother asked.”

  I shrugged, smiling. “Something like that.”

  “Is that why you came back? Because of her…of them?”

  I swatted him in the chest and he flinched again.

  “Sorry!” I said and decided to look at his chest. When I lifted his shirt, I found neither air nor words when I saw his chest…connecting with the ‘a’ in his Matty tattoo—was the name Camden in the same color of ink. Matty went horizontal. Camden vertical. A cross of sorts

  My eyes flashed up to his.

  “Answer me,” he said seriously.

  My heart swelled with emotion. No one had ever shown me such a gesture. “Will, I’m here because I love you and I was miserable without you. Every single second. I’m here because for the first time in a long time you make me feel a part of something I have wanted as long as I could remember.” As I spoke, his breaths became deeper. “I’m here because I need you. I need you to love me and protect me, Will.”

  Within a short second, I was yanked against the skin that read my name; feeling his warmth beneath my cheek was all I needed.

  He took hold of my upper arms and held me back, the distance almost excruciating.

  “Camden Landry Biggs. You are my forever. You are my on
e-way ticket…I never want to go back to the life I had before you. Hell, I could never go back.”

  “Well good effing thing because now you went and inked my name all over your body. Looks like I’m going to have to stay now simply because that would really be awkward for other girls.”

  Half his mouth pulled up into a smile. “There will never be another girl, baby. Just like there will never be another Matty. You both are once in a lifetimes. And I am the luckiest man in the world to have had the opportunity to love you both.”

  His phone rang but he ignored it as he took me into his arms in the most sincere and loving embrace.

  “I love you, Camden,” he whispered.

  “I love you, Will-i-am.”

  His phone rang for a third time. Growling, he broke free of me and picked it up.

  “Hi Mom,” he answered. “Yes. I know. She told me.” He stared at me as he spoke. “Arrested?” One of his eyebrows shot upward.

  I wasn’t sure how ready for sex I was, but I needed to show him how much I loved him…and damn he looked sexy as hell standing there with one hand in his jeans. Being goofy, I started crawling toward him on my knees. His grin widened.

  “She’s doing OK,” he said into the phone as I unzipped his britches. It only took a few seconds for him to bulge in his pants. I unbuttoned them setting him free.

  “Mom, can I call you back?” he asked before I was able to get my mouth around him. He semi turned away from me, but I captured him in my hand and quickly moved with him…taking him fully.

  From my knees, I watched as his head fell back.

  “Mom, please. Yes, we will come by later if Cam…mmm…Camden can.”

  I giggled, and he laughed, then I picked up my pace.

  “No, Mom. Of course she can. I just meant, I’m sure she’s tired.” He ran his fingers through my hair. “Yes, I’ll take care of her mom.”

  His body swayed as he caught his balance, and I gripped his thighs.

  “OK. I’ll call you. Bye.”

  The phone hit the leather sofa as a hiss escaped his lips.

  “Oh my naughty, hot angel…paybacks are hell,” he whispered.

  CHAPTER—Will

  The relief on Mom’s face when Camden walked through the door made me speechless. There was no feasible way she could love her like I do, but I knew she loved her all the same. This would make for an easy life for me knowing that my wife and my mother would get along someday.

  Camden and I couldn’t keep our hands off each other, and I knew if I wasn’t careful, I would embarrass her in front of my mother.

  “Where’s dad?”

  “He took a quick shower.”

  Mom hugged Camden.

  “I’m sorry sweet girl for what you went through,” she whispered to her.

  Camden smiled and nodded. “Thank you. I’m sorry for leaving. I won’t leave again.”

  “Cam. You must know that we would never let you go. Unless, that’s truly what you wanted.”

  “I know that now. But you needed him. For Matty.”

  Mom shook her head. “No! Matty lives here and here.” Mom pointed to her heart then to her head.

  “You…my girl…are with us. You’ve experienced these Denton men, and let me tell you, they won’t go down without a fight.”

  They both smiled at each other, and this made me smile.

  I took Camden’s hand and dropped kisses on the back of it.

  “William. May I speak to her alone?” Mom asked.

  But…I couldn’t do it. I’d just gotten her back. Maybe tomorrow. I pulled her closer and shook my head.

  “Seriously?” My mother asked.

  I nodded while Camden shook her head and smiled.

  “It’s ok,” Cam whispered to me.

  She didn’t understand. How could she possibly?

  “Not today,” I whispered back and kissed her temple.

  Mom let out an exasperated breath and rolled her eyes. This mattered naught to me. I didn’t want to be here anyway. I wanted Camden tucked away in my bed.

  “Please sit then. BOTH of you,” she said sarcastically.

  We did.

  “I want to ask Camden a question. And it will be a difficult one.”

  I shifted my posture sliding my arm around her waist.

  “I’m not that fragile,” Cam said, elbowing me in the side.

  Mom took hold of her hands.

  “Camden, when you think of your mother, what do you think of?”

  Cam’s brow shot up. Clearly this wasn’t what she was expecting. She closed her eyes.

  “Well, I see her braiding this mess of hair. I see her fixing homemade waffles in the kitchen. I see her hands turning the pages of books she would read to me. I didn’t like her kissing me when I got on the school bus, so I watched from the window of the bus, she’d rub her cheek where she used to kiss me and I knew what that meant. I can see her doing that. There are so many things. She was such a good mom.”

  When Camden opened her eyes, she was surprised to see tears trickling down Mom’s face.

  “That’s perfect. You know. If it were me that was in heaven rather than Matty, I’d want someone here with William and Matty who would do the things that I couldn’t do. I’d want someone to comb their hair, or mend their clothes, or hold them when they hurt. I’d want someone to fix William his French toast, or Matty his whip cream waffles or fix them Kool-aid with extra sugar. No mother,” Mom wept. “No mother wants to miss those things. But any mother would change places with her kiddo in a half second. I can’t imagine the grief your mother felt leaving you. It’s unbearable to my heart. But knowing you and knowing what kind of wonderful woman created you…it makes me feel a little bit better to think that Matty has found your mother up there, and she is taking care of him right now,” she cried.

  Camden threw her arms around Mom’s neck and they both sobbed.

  “I hope so!” Cam whimpered. “She would run a close second to you, I just know it.”

  “And Camden, I hope to run a close second to her,” Mom finished and they hugged again.

  I wiped my own tears that had pooled when Dad walked through the door in a towel.

  “Didn’t realize we had…why is your mother crying?” he asked with concern in his tone.

  “Girl stuff,” I said as my favorite two girls pulled apart.

  When my dad turned around to walk out of the room, Camden’s mouth fell open.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, pulling her into my side.

  “First of all, your dad has an Abby tattoo on his chest. That is so sweet.”

  Chuckling, I kissed her forehead, but her hair tickled my nose. “I’m glad you think so. What’s second?”

  “I forgot to tell you that your dad saw me naked…” she said biting down on her lip.

  I pulled that cute little lip free. “Looks like he and I are gonna have to throw hands…” I said with a wink.

  Epilogue—Will

  A lot had happened in the two years Camden had brought me out of the darkness. Most importantly her father, Dave, had become a regular in our lives and in a positive way. This lit her eyes in a way I didn’t know was possible, but also completed her and healed those old wounds.

  Max, well he only served fourteen months for the attempted rape but walked out with a court order to not be within five hundred yards of her. I’d prefer not the same state, but I’d watch for him. This is the one thing that scared me most; I knew if Max Woodward and I ever came face to face again, I’d kill him. I had no doubt. This would take me away from my girl forever, and I couldn’t let that happen. So, dad had men watching Max…simply monitoring if he left Texas.

  Kate, hmmm. Kate’s a funny story. For as long as I could remember, Kate went after only hot guys. Who did she end up with, you ask? A goofy little accountant named Noah. Yes, my best bud. Noah, like I said, was goofier than shit. But, that guy worshiped the ground she walked on and that is exactly what Kate needed. They moved to Newport, Oregon where Noah’
s family lived and where he secured a great accounting job. Cam and Kate Skype and do all sorts of this instagraming shit. And I know Cam misses her, but Kate’s baby is due in seven months and that means I’m losing my girl for two weeks to that wee one. That would be the test of all tests for me. Being away from my new bride.

  Today…was our wedding day, and as I sit and wait for her to come out of the bedroom, I finally pulled out the gift mom had given me to give to her. I was in the dark too so this would be interesting. She insisted that I give it to Cam on our wedding night, and well…this was it. I’d been sporting a boner all day…especially when that saxophone started playing and her father escorted her to me. Her freakishly-awesome, ginger-mess of fuck-me-hair flowing around the most beautiful, angelic face I’d ever seen. Not that I was a connoisseur of wedding dresses, but I’d never seen one like what she wore… I felt like an undeserved pauper marrying the princess in a fairytale.

  I, would have married her two years ago….but she wanted to graduate and she wanted me to graduate with my masters. For us to get settled a bit. She also refused to move in with me during that time, which really pissed me off. But more than that…she forbid sex for the past 2months. ALL KINDS!!! This was agonizing bullshit. I was suffering from an excruciating case of blue balls! Why you ask?? Because I am so fucking in love with this girl that I, in my right mind, promised her I would not freaking get myself off either. So, bottom line is, this is going to be the worst instance of wedding night sex in history. At this point, I worried I wouldn’t get it in.

  The door to our cabin bedroom opened, and my junk instantly stood at attention. Shit! She stood shyly with a black lacy corset, a damn garter belt and black stockings. I almost shot a load in my pants.

  She giggled. “What’s that?” She asked, referring to the box on my lap.

  I set it aside. We could do that later!

  “A little something from my mom.”

  “What is it?” she asked as if she was standing there in a turtleneck and jeans.

  “Who cares? I want to be inside you this instant,” I said, lifting her in my arms.