by L. P. Dover
That was for damn sure. “I didn’t think you’d care what happened to me.”
Lowering his head, he looked down at his hands and shrugged. “For a time, I wanted to pretend you didn’t exist. I hated you and I wanted to kill you for what you did to Ashleigh.” When he lifted his head, his jaw clenched but in his eyes there was great sadness. “I couldn’t understand what the fuck was wrong with you. Why you would hate me so much for being happy.”
I hurt him out of petty jealousy and nothing could erase those sins. All he ever did was be my brother, a protector. I nodded quickly, averting my gaze. “It’s because I wanted it too. Not Ashleigh, but what you both had. You had our friends, their loyalty. Even when we were the Twins of Terror, the fans wanted you more. I couldn’t understand what was wrong with me when we were both alike. I just felt so alone, and I pushed everyone away. I didn’t think I’d ever have what you had.”
“It’s because you never gave any of it a chance,” he snapped, getting to his feet. “But look what happened after you left. Mason hasn’t left your side, and neither have Gabby and Pax. Hell, you even got Brooklyn to fall in love with you. You fucked up royally, and yet they still care about you. I care about you, or I wouldn’t have spent every goddamned day worrying about you. You’re my brother and I love you. I can’t forget what you did, but I can move on from it if you’re willing to try. The choice is yours.”
“What about Ashleigh? She’s never going to forgive me, with good reason.”
As if she’d been summoned, she chose that moment to walk through the door. “And that’s what I’m here to talk about.” She marched the rest of the way into the room, her gaze hard.
“What are you doing?” Ryley asked, putting his arm around her shoulders.
She glanced up at him and then turned back to me. “I’d like to kick your ass myself, but after all you’ve been through, I guess it’s enough. Besides, you have a great girl in your corner and if she says you’ve changed, I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt.” Ryley smiled and squeezed her shoulder, but she held up her hand, clearly not done. “However . . . if you so much as screw up again, or mess with my family, I’ll give you a matching bullet hole in your ass. Are we clear?”
Ryley shrugged, trying hard to keep from laughing, but Ashleigh wasn’t backing down. I nodded my reply, appeasing her. “I think my brother rubbed off on you,” I laughed.
“That he has. But it’ll be good to see him completely happy again. Just don’t disappoint us.”
“So does this mean you forgive me?” I asked.
Smiling, she glanced up at Ryley and then turned back to me. “Only on one condition.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“All right,” she said with a wide grin. “I want you to be the best man at our wedding.”
Ryley chuckled. “How did I know you were going to ask that?”
She winked at him. “Because I know it’s important to you.”
“Didn’t you two already get married?” I asked.
“We did,” Ryley replied, “but it was just our parents that were there. We wanted to have one where all of our friends could celebrate with us. It’ll be this fall.”
“Also,” Ashleigh cut in, “our deal includes Brooklyn. She has to be there too. With that being said, you have four months until the wedding . . . so whatever you do, don’t mess things up with her.”
“Don’t worry. She’s not going anywhere.” I wasn’t going to let her.
Two Months Later
SO MANY THINGS had happened in the past two months it almost felt surreal. Once Camden’s case was closed, I quit my job at the department and officially moved to California. Blake was freed shortly after Gabe’s death and his life was now back on track. He visited me before I left North Carolina and thanked me for helping him.
Saying goodbye to everyone was bittersweet. I wanted to leave, to make a fresh start, but I sure was going to miss everyone; especially my brother. Camden and I tried convincing him he needed to move. It would be nice to have him close by, but unfortunately, he’s a country boy and didn’t want to leave North Carolina. Once Camden was able to travel, he flew with me home and helped me get my affairs in order. He even met my parents, who were happy for me. For once, it felt like my life was normal.
The news of his brother’s death hit Scar hard, but he had himself to blame for it, and the rest of his life to think about while rotting in jail. Putting all of Gabe’s secrets aside, I couldn’t deny I missed him. I grew to hate him because of his betrayal, but before I knew of his intentions, he was my friend. He’d never left my side when my sister died. I couldn’t help but wonder if all of that was all a lie. Unfortunately, it was too late to find out.
Camden and I had been living in an apartment while we searched for another house. After the accident, he refused to step foot in his old one, so he had everything packed up and put into storage until we could find our new place. Little did he know, I had a surprise for him. My house back in Charlotte sold for way more than my asking price and I’d decided not to tell him just yet.
“I can’t believe you’ve done all of this behind Cam’s back,” Gabriella laughed. “He’s going to shit bricks when he finds out what we’ve been up to. What do you think he’s going to say when he finds out you bought a place two houses from mine?”
“That I’m a genius?” I replied with a chuckle. “Think about it . . . we’re at your house every single day so he can train. The house is on the beach like he wanted and not to mention, you and Pax are our friends. I think it’s a win-win.”
“When are you going to bring him here?” she asked, glancing around the room. The house was gorgeous and completely different from the one he had in Malibu. This place was going to be a new beginning, one with new memories we could make together. While he’d been busy working out with Paxton every day, I’d managed to have some of his things brought out of storage and into the house, along with lots of other new things. The house was finally complete.
“I think I’m going to bring him here tonight,” I told her. “I don’t see the point in waiting.”
She started for the front door and opened it, the heat of the summer breeze blowing in. “He’ll love it, B. Let’s get back before the guys ask questions.”
Taking one last look around, I joined her at the door and locked it. “So you’re telling me you haven’t told Pax any of this?” I asked. From what I heard, she was terrible at keeping secrets. It wouldn’t surprise me if Camden already knew what was going on.
She snorted. “Believe it or not, I can keep secrets. This one happens to be one of them. It’s a good surprise for Cam and I know he deserves it.”
When we got to her house, Pax was sparring with Camden out in the grass and I couldn’t help but notice how much his fighting had changed. “He’s getting stronger,” I murmured.
Gabby nodded. “Yes, he is. I bet within three months he’ll be competing again.” She walked off to the garage while I stood there watching him in awe. His moves were powerful and fast, much better than when he’d fought before. I couldn’t wait to see him in the ring again.
“Heads up,” Gabby shouted. A set of gloves came barreling at my head. Luckily, I caught them instead of letting them smack me in the face.
“Please don’t tell me you want to get your ass kicked again,” I teased, slipping the gloves on and tightening them up.
She scoffed, “Oh, whatever. You were just lucky last time.”
“What about the time before that?” I asked innocently. “Have you forgotten who trained me?”
Slamming her hands together, she smirked and circled me like a hawk. “I admit, you’re pretty good. Is there some way I could talk you into fighting in the UFC?”
I loved the sport, but I had no desire to compete. Training and working out with Gabby was enough for me. She swung and I ducked, but at the same time I kicked her legs out from under her and she fell hard to the ground. I towered over her and winked. “Absolu
tely not. As your friend, I’d hate to see you get embarrassed on live television.”
An evil smile spread across her lips and she grabbed my legs. Twisting her body, she held on and I lost my balance, falling beside her with a hard thud. As soon as I could breathe, I burst out laughing and so did she.
She smacked me on the arm. “Smart ass. Now get up and show me that wicked move you used on me yesterday. I want to use it for my fight next week.” We both got to our feet.
“With pleasure.”
By the time Camden and Pax stopped sparring, he was high on adrenaline. I loved seeing him with so much energy. With his hands on my hips, he pushed me into the car and buried his nose in my neck, trailing his tongue across my skin.
“I think we need to go home so I can taste every inch of you,” he growled, cupping me with his palm. He bit the flesh behind my ear and gave me chills. “I watched you sparring with Gabby. You have no idea how fucking hard it made me.”
Giggling, I pushed him off and opened the door to my Jeep. He’d had Big Red shipped to California and presented it to me with a bow on top. It was my welcome home present, and I was about to give him his.
“Then get in and let’s go,” I commanded.
As soon as he was in, I pulled out of the driveway and drove less than twenty seconds to the new house. Furrowing his brows, Camden looked around, confused. “Why’d you stop? Did you forget something?”
I shut off the Jeep and got out, racing up the pathway to our new house. He slowly got out of the car and looked around, confused. I unlocked the front door and stood just inside the doorway. My heart pounded relentlessly as I waited for him to hesitantly make his way inside. As soon as he spotted his furniture, his eyes went wide.
“What is this?”
I glanced around the house and grinned. “Our home. I bought it for us.”
“You what? How?” Mesmerized, he strolled through the living room and then to the kitchen. I had it fully stocked with meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as plenty of chocolate for me.
“My house sold for way more than I was asking. I tried to argue that it wasn’t necessary, but the buyer wanted to pay it. I felt bad taking the money, but I didn’t know what else to do. And then when this house went on the market, I knew I couldn’t pass it up. It’s perfect.”
With his back to me, he chuckled and looked out the window to the ocean in our backyard. “You’ve been busy, haven’t you? Now I know what kept taking you and Gabby so long to get back every day.”
“Do you like it?”
“Do you?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder.
“Of course. Don’t get me wrong, I’m going to miss my pond and taking strolls in the woods, but I’ll be happy here with you. I love the beach.”
Smirking, he bit his lip and stalked over to me. “Well, I guess this was destined to be the night of surprises.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean,” he said, wrapping his arms around my waist, “I have a surprise for you too. Are you ready?” Excitedly, I nodded and bounced on my feet. He placed his hands on my face and kissed me gently. “I’m the one who bought your land, buttercup. It’s still yours.”
I quickly pulled away and searched his face. “Fuck me in the ass. Are you serious right now?”
“Yes,” he laughed. “It’s yours . . . well, mine actually since it’s in my name now, but I was planning on changing the names once you found out. We can go there anytime you want.”
Tears streamed down my cheeks and I jumped in his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist. “Oh my God, I don’t know what to say. Why would you spend all of that money? The land wasn’t worth that much.”
“It was to you,” he murmured. “You didn’t want to sell it and I knew that. I just wanted to make you happy.”
“You did,” I cried. “More than anything. But now I don’t know how to repay you.” I smacked him playfully and shook my head.
With a sly smile, he carried me over to the kitchen table and set me down. “I may have some ideas.”
“I like the way you think, Mr. Jameson.”
Two Months Later
FOR THE LAST week, Camden and I had spent time in the mountains with his family, preparing for Ryley and Ash’s wedding. I met everyone, including his mother, who was overjoyed to have her son back. With his history, I never expected him to have such a normal family, but surprisingly they were. His mamaw was my favorite, and her homemade biscuits were simply to die for. I think I gained ten pounds eating them and it showed by how snug my pants started to get.
Ryley and Ashleigh had a joint bachelor and bachelorette party where all of their friends and family got together for a bonfire and tons of food. I ate so much I got sick and threw up; it was embarrassing as hell. Luckily, only Camden witnessed the whole deal.
The day had finally come for the wedding and it was a crisp, autumn day without a single cloud in the sky. There were rows and rows of white seats out in the meadow with a small gazebo and arch. The flowers were beautiful and stationed at each row of chairs. It was perfect. Unfortunately, I couldn’t say the same for my dress. Ashleigh had asked me to be a bridesmaid a couple of months ago and I happily accepted. The only problem was that I didn’t know if it was going to zip.
“Shit, shit, holy hell shit,” I hissed.
Ashleigh and Gabby both laughed. “Having trouble?” Gabby quipped, sauntering to my side. We both had our hair down with the sides pulled back and a crown of vines. Ashleigh was serious when she said she wanted her wedding like the one in that Robin Hood movie. Our crowns had vines and berries, but hers was larger and intertwined with flowers. The dress I was supposed to wear was a silky, one shoulder ordeal in a deep red. Gabby looked great in hers.
Coming up behind me, Gabby grabbed the zipper and started to zip me up; it got stuck halfway. “Girl, don’t you have a girdle or something? What have you been eating? We work out every single day so I know you’re not sitting on your ass.”
“She could be pregnant,” Ashleigh chimed in nonchalantly. At that moment, Gabby and I froze and turned to Ashleigh who was putting on her earrings, laughing. When she saw us, her eyes went wide. “I was kidding. Geez, lighten up.” Then it all hit and a silence took over the room.
Gabby quickly turned me around and Ashleigh rushed over. They both inspected me like they’d be able to tell by just looking at me. “You have looked a little pale for a couple of weeks,” Gabby admitted. She then slapped a hand to her mouth and closed her eyes. “Oh my God, B. What if you’re pregnant? We’ve been sparring every day. What if I hurt the baby?”
Ashleigh put a hand on her shoulder and Gabby opened her eyes looking distressed. “Gabby, it’s okay. If she’s pregnant I’m sure she’s fine. You’ll just lose your sparring partner for a while.”
Gabby shook her head, all motherly. “Damn, what is it with you two. Why can’t you do things the right way and get engaged, then get married, and then get pregnant. I swear I’m the only responsible one here.”
“I’m not pregnant,” I said not too convincingly. Thinking back, I couldn’t even remember when I had my last period.
“When was your last monthly?” Ashleigh asked.
“I don’t remember. I take the pills and only have it four times a year. So much has happened, I haven’t even paid attention. I missed taking them a couple of times, but I always doubled up like I was supposed to.”
“Hmm . . . let me see.” Picking up the hem of her dress she hurried off to her bathroom and fumbled around, dropping things left and right. “Ah-ha,” she exclaimed. “I got one.” She came out of the bathroom with a pregnancy test in her hand. “Take this now. In the meantime, I’ll find you a pair of control top panty hose to hold you in. Your dress is long enough to where no one will be able to tell.” I took the stick from her and stared at it. Could this really be happening? “And you did get sick the other night during the bonfire. I saw you throw up in the bushes.”
I groaned. “I didn’t think
anyone saw that other than Camden.”
“And he didn’t question why you got sick?”
“I just told him I ate too much.”
Gabby unzipped my dress and I stepped out, wearing only a strapless bra and underwear. “Go take the test, B. We’ll be out here waiting for you. If you are pregnant, Camden’s going to freak. Did you see his face when Ryley asked him to hold Emma?”
Ashleigh slapped her on the arm. “Gabby, shut the hell up, you’re not helping. He did well with Emma . . . maybe a little stiff, but still father material. You should’ve seen Ryley when he changed their first dirty diapers. Now that was a sight.”
Clutching my stomach, I leaned against the door frame and swallowed hard. It felt like I was going to throw up. “Guys, he’s not ready for this. What if he freaks out?”
“Enough of that,” Ashleigh snapped. “Things happen for a reason. Maybe this is what Camden needs. He loves you, Brooklyn.”
A knock sounded on the door and I gasped. Gabby grabbed Ashleigh’s robe out of the bathroom and threw it over me so she could go to the door. As soon as I had it tied at my waist, she nodded at me and opened the door. “Camden,” she shrieked. “Oh my goodness, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with Ryley?”
“Yeah, but we have thirty minutes before show time. I wanted to see how Brooklyn’s doing. She didn’t look like she felt well this morning.”
With the pregnancy test in my hand, I held it tight and stood there frozen in place. Ashleigh hugged me and rubbed a hand soothingly up and down my back. “This is your chance to talk to him. You can do it. Ryley surprised me too and has turned into the best man I know. I’m sure Camden can be the same for you. I’ll put a pair of panty hose in the bathroom so you can slip them on after you get done.” She found a pair and set them on the bathroom counter.
Winking at me, she joined Gabby at the door. “Let’s go,” she said, opening the door wide. “I think they need some privacy.”