by Tonya Clark
“I love you guys.” I turn and head back to my truck. I know where I am going this time and what I want to say.
This is the first time in a while my chest feels lighter. Funny how people can come into our life, be it for five minutes, a few months or a lifetime, and change everything you are looking at to be clearer. Fighting and loss is never going to be easy, but neither is loving and gain. Learning something from all of it is what it is all about.
Chapter 28
Jayden
I have to admit, talking to Charliee and getting everything out helps a lot. I need my best friend. Why I thought to keep her in the dark about all of this was beyond me. Plus, she always knows how to tell me when I’m wrong. When I tell her, I am going home to change and grab something to eat, she tells me not to come back without Cameron. That is her way of telling me to go and apologize, and to not come back until I do.
Reaching the front entrance is when I realize I don’t have a car. It is still at Charliee’s house. I guess I’m not going anywhere. My phone goes off in my pocket. I am hoping it is one of the boys with some news. Nope, it is my mom.
“Hi, Mom.”
“How is Charliee and Travis doing? Would this be a good time to come by? I wanted to give their families room.”
“Mom, you are Charliee’s family, too, you don’t have to wait to come down. Charliee is doing all right. Broken leg, stitches, but not admitted which is good. Travis is in a room but hasn’t regained consciousness yet. They are still waiting on some test results. Charliee won’t leave his side. She was falling back to sleep when I was leaving.”
“I’ll wait a little longer then to come down and visit. I’m sure she is exhausted.”
I walk outside, the air feels really nice. It has cooled down for the evening. “Actually, Mom, I need a favor.”
“Sure, honey.”
Looking around, that’s when I notice the truck. It looks just like Cameron’s. Is he still here? It is pretty dark in the parking lot.
“Honey, are you still there?” My mom’s voice reminds me she is still on the phone with me.
“Sorry, Mom. Yeah, I’m here. Can I call you back in a minute?”
“Is everything all right?”
I notice the writing on the side of his father’s work truck. The driver side door opens and Cameron steps out.
“Everything is fine, Mom. I just need to talk to someone real quick. I’ll call you back in a few minutes.”
“Okay, if you are sure everything is alright.”
“Yep, everything is fine. I’ll talk to you soon. Love you. Bye.” I hang up my phone before my mom can say anything else.
Walking over to the truck, I stop a couple feet away. “You are still here!” It isn’t a question, more of a surprised fact.
“Actually, I just pulled back in.”
He doesn’t move toward me and he isn’t saying much. I can’t read his expression. My heart falls a little. This isn’t going to be an easy conversation, I have a feeling.
“Charliee may be asleep right now, but I’m sure she would be happy to see you.”
Nothing, he isn’t moving or saying anything. I am going to say what I need to say and then call my mom back to come and pick me up.
“Cameron, I…” Before another word can come out of my mouth, he is right on me, his lips devouring mine. What the heck just happened?
His lips are soft on mine. Nothing demanding about this kiss. It isn’t the kind of kiss that makes me want to climb up his body, but the kind that makes me want to melt at his feet.
He pulls away just enough to look into my eyes. “Jayden, I love you.”
What? Did I hear him right? I pull back a little more so that I can see his whole face, but he isn’t allowing me to go too far.
“What did you just say?” I can’t have heard what I think he just said.
He smiles one of the sexiest smiles I have ever seen down at me. “I said I love you.”
Something is different about him. He looks relaxed, calm. Two things that I just realized I have never seen with him before.
“Where were you?”
Cameron laughs. I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard him really laugh like this before. What is going on? He hasn’t been drinking, I think I would have tasted that when we kissed.
“Let’s just say I had an eye-opening conversation. I met someone I needed to meet,” he kind of explains, I guess.
Something inside of me tells me to just go with it. I don’t need to ask questions. Well, maybe just one question.
“Does this mean you forgive me?”
“Jay, we have both said things and reacted to things we wish we hadn’t. I know the last few months I haven’t been the easiest guy to be around and get to know. We have both had a trying few months. I’m not saying I’m going to change overnight. I’m sure I’ll still open my mouth and say things I shouldn’t and overreact to situations without thinking first. I will be fully expecting you to tell me where to go when I do and put me back in my place. But, I’ll love you deeply through all of it. You are like no one I’ve ever had in my life and I want to keep you in my life and just to warn you, I’m not letting you decide any other way.”
Tears, damn it! I am crying. Cameron runs his thumbs over my cheeks to catch them as they roll down.
“Are these happy tears?” he asks.
I nod yes. They are very happy tears, I think to myself. For the first time in my life, I find myself speechless.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. My mom and her timing. “I have to answer this, sorry.”
I pull it out of my pocket, but make sure I don’t pull out of Cameron’s arms. “Sorry, Mom.”
“Are you alright, honey?”
“I’m fine,” is all I say as I stare up at the man I love in front of me. I am much better than fine, but don’t want to get into that with my mom at the moment.
“Are you sure? I’m not very convinced.”
I laugh. “Mom, can I call you back later? I’m kind of in the middle of something.”
“All right, if you are sure you are all right. I’ll talk to you later.”
I shove my phone back in my pocket. Looking up at Cameron, I say, “You should have let me talk first. I had a great apology all figured out. I may have even groveled a little.”
He kisses me again. “We both have things to apologize for, but I think we need to move past all of it and move forward.”
“You know when I was up there talking to Charliee, she told me I had to find you, apologize and tell you how I feel about you before I was allowed to come back. Then she informed me I wasn’t allowed to come back without you.”
One eyebrow shoots up. “So how do you feel about me?”
“Somehow between the arguments and sarcasm, I fell very much in love with you.”
“Really, only the arguments and the sarcasm?”
I shrug my shoulders. “Well, I guess we had a couple of fun times in between there, too.”
“Sarcasm, you’re one to talk.” He pulls me in close.
“I love you, Cameron.”
“I love you, Jay.”