“Ok,” she smiles. “Is there anything you need me to do first?”
“Nah,” I say. “I just have to call the girls, cancel a few orders, and ring the insurance company.”
“Alright, sure. Well, I’ll call the girls for you. One less thing for you to worry about. Keep me updated and let me know if you need a hand and I’ll be here before you know it.”
“Thank, Bec,” I smile. “You’re a life saver.”
With that, she gives me one more big hug. “I’m glad you’re ok,” she tells me before turning away and heading back towards her car.
I let out a breath and turn back to the store. I should have brought a notepad or something, at least that way I can start jotting things down. If only I could go in and get my handbag, at least then I could start making some calls and get my car keys so I don’t have to keep using Taxies.
“Cami,” I hear my name being yelled from down the street. I flick myself around and see my best friend, holding onto her protruding stomach as she attempts to run to me. My bottom lip instantly pouts out. The second she places herself before me, she grabs my shoulders and looks me up and down with her eyes roaming all over my body while pulling at my heartstrings. “Are you ok? Jace told me you were in a fire, I’ve been so worried.”
I place my hands over the top of hers. “I’m ok,” I tell Rylee. “It was too close for liking though.”
“I bet,” she says before looking across at the store while my eyes instinctively go down to her baby bump. “Oh, shit. He said it was bad, but I didn’t expect this.”
“I thought you didn’t want to talk to me anymore?” I question quietly.
“I’m not a complete bitch,” she defends with a scoff. “I tried to call, but you weren’t answering. You’re my best friend and I was so angry at you, but I’d never not be there for you. Especially with this shit.”
“Thank you,” I murmur. “I would have called you back, but my phone is in there,” I say, hooking my thumb towards the burnt mess.
“Oh,” she says, averting her eyes and appearing slightly awkward, though, out of every disagreement or fight we’ve ever had, she’s never appeared awkward. I guess that just goes to show how badly I’ve pushed her away this time.
I let out a breath and wait until her eyes meet mine. “I’m sorry, Rylee,” I tell her. “I’ve been so selfish.”
She just stands there, looking at me with a crushed soul. “I really needed you here. I wanted to share all this with you and I feel like you took that away from me. But I get it. You were hurting and you needed to do what was right for you.”
I nod my head and reach out to squeeze her hand. “I hate that I wasn’t here for you. I wasn’t ready to face reality and I was so scared that when I called, you’d ask why I left and that conversation was going to kill me. I wasn’t thinking about anyone except for myself, and I swear to you, Rylee, I’m going to make it up to you, over and over again.”
With that, tears spring to her eyes and I race forward. It’s like a general rule that Rylee does not cry. Not once in the years that I’ve known her has she ever cried. “Shit, Ry,” I say as I throw my arms around her. “Don’t cry.”
“I can’t help it,” she tells me as she squishes herself into me while desperately trying to get a hold of her emotions. “It’s these damn hormones.”
Her stomach starts to move and I gasp before jumping back. “Rylee,” I shriek. “It’s moving.”
“Yeah,” she chuckles as she wipes at her wet eyes. “He does that.”
My eyes stare down at her stomach when it really begins to hit me. This beautiful woman before me is bringing a life into this world. She’s going to have a baby to care for. A little creature who she’s going to love unconditionally and I couldn’t be happier. “You’re going to be a mommy,” I tell her. “You’re having a boy?”
She nods her head. “Yeah, he’s going to be a ratbag just like his daddy.” I can’t help but laugh when she reaches out and takes my hand. “Here,” she says. “Feel this.”
She places my hand on her stomach and we both wait patiently until this little version of Cole starts wriggling around. “Oh, my god,” I breathe as the emotions start to well up inside me. “He’s going to be perfect.”
At that, the tears spring to my eyes and we stand out the front of my burnt down store, crying like idiots over the little bun currently baking away in her guts.
“I’m scared,” she says once our estrogen fest is finished.
“Don’t be,” I tell her. “Just like everything else you’ve ever done, you’re going to be amazing. That little boy is going to be so loved that he’ll be sick of it.”
“You think?”
“I know,” I tell her.
She wipes the tears off her face and tries to bring back her tough exterior. “Ok, enough of this gooey shit,” she says before grabbing the police tape and tearing it in half. “Let’s get in there and check out the damage.”
“Shit, Rylee,” I gasp. “We can’t. We’ll get in trouble.”
“Bullshit,” she says. “This is your store and we can do whatever the hell we want. The police aren’t going to stop us.”
“No,” I say shaking my head. “Not trouble from the police, trouble from the boys. Cole will kill me if he found out you went in there.”
“What Cole doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Now, stop being a pussy and get your ass inside. I want to see just how fucked up this place is.” With that, she leads the way and I can’t help but follow her in. After all, if something were to happen, it would be best that she has someone with her, right?
“You’ve got insurance, right?” she questions.
“Sure do.”
“Excellent,” she grins. “I’ve been wanting to change that awful paint since you first put it up. What do you think about purple and black?”
An hour later, we walk out of Style me Crazy, covered in dirt but with a whole new plan of what this place is going to look like, and for the first time since being back a week ago, I feel excited. Things are finally starting to get back on track.
While it’s been a really shitty week, I now have my best friend right by my side and that’s all I could ever ask for. “I missed you,” I tell her.
“Oh, please,” she scoffs. “The time for that sappy bullshit was over an hour ago. It’s time to move on. How do you feel about picking up your shifts at The Dark Room again?”
I can’t help the grin that rips across my face. “I love you too.”
Chapter 9
Jace
“Fuck, man,” Cole murmurs beside me with a shit eating grin as he watches his very pregnant woman walking down the aisle towards him. “She’s so fucking beautiful.”
I stand between Caden and Cole at Xander’s wedding and I couldn’t be prouder of the mother fucker. He’s been waiting a lifetime for this day and it’s finally come.
I grin as I watch Rylee hobbling down the aisle. She’s nine months pregnant and it’s clear she should be sitting down. With this baby’s father being one of the tallest guys I know, it’s damn clear he’s going to take after him. I mean, Rylee looks as though she’s about to explode.
“Yeah,” I say from beside him, agreeing that she looks stunning, though, she doesn’t hold my attention for long as an angel appears at the top of the aisle, completely taking my breath away. “Fuck me,” I whisper under my breath as I struggle to tear my eyes away, though I don’t want to. Missing a second of this would be considered a crime.
I’ve never been so captivated in my life.
Cami stands before me and I swear, she’s an angel. The champagne colored gown flows down her beautiful body and hugs her in all the right places. She looks fucking perfect. She holds the bouquet of flowers before her and the second those eyes of hers come to mine, something pulls within me.
It’s almost as though I can picture her walking down the aisle to become my wife. The thought thrills me and has me wishing for a future I know can never happen.
; My chest aches with need as she makes her way down the aisle. She doesn’t take her eyes off me for even a second and I fucking love it, especially as a soft smile plays on her lips with her eyes sparkling.
A million messages pass between us and even though I know she’s hating on me right now, from the softness in her eyes, I can tell she’s putting it all aside just for today. She wants to be here and support our friends on their wedding day and I couldn’t be happier.
Those blue eyes of hers drop down and take in my suit and from the hunger reflected in them, she likes what she sees. As her eyes come back to mine, I can’t help the grin that rips across my face. I give her a flirty wink and a flush instantly creeps into her cheeks.
She holds back a grin by pressing her lips together and averts her eyes. She’s so fucking beautiful it kills me.
I can’t fucking wait to dance with her tonight. I haven’t seen her since the fire which was almost a month ago, and what a day to see her on. I mean, fuck. She’s my whole heart. I’ve had girlfriends in the past who I claim to have loved, but nothing like this. It makes it damn clear that what I had with those other girls was nothing at all, just something to pass the time, but this, Cameron Drew is the real fucking deal.
I’ve never craved a woman like the way I do with her. She’s my world. She’s my first thought in the morning and the person I wish to hold before going to sleep.
Cami comes to a stop at the end of the aisle and takes her position beside Rylee which is when I finally take my eyes off her and watch as Imogen walks down followed by Lexi. Both who get a very similar response out of Luke and Caden.
Zara follows down as Charli’s maid of honor and grins at Aaron, who’s Xander’s best friend before clearing the aisle and making way for the bride.
The music changes and all eyes fall to the back of the room.
Charli appears, looking as radiant as ever in her wedding dress and veil. Mickey stands by her side and I get the feels seeing him walking her down the aisle.
Mickey has inserted himself into Charli’s life as her father figure and has been her rock over the last few years.
I can’t help but look across to Xander and smile at the way he watches his bride. I swear, he looks as though he’s about to run up the aisle, scoop her into his arms and rush her down to the altar in his need to marry her.
After what feels like forever, Charli finally makes it to the altar and Mickey hands her over. Xander takes her hands in his and they look at each other with nothing but pure love in their eyes. I feel like I’m intruding on their moment as I watch them and should probably look away, so instead, I cast my eyes across to Cami and watch her watch them.
Cami wants this so bad and I know she wants it with me, it’s clear with how she watches Charli and Xander. I feel like a bastard for not being able to give that to her and I realize that it’s about time I let her in on the secret. It’s not fair to her to always be wondering why. She needs to know why I’m not falling at her feet, begging for her to forgive me.
The ceremony commences and we all do our parts as it progresses. Aaron passes over the rings and the girls make that ‘aw, how romantic’ look when they finally kiss.
They’re announced as man and wife before making their way back up the aisle, though instead of the traditional hand in hand walk up the aisle, Xander scoops her up and practically skips until he’s pushing through the doors at the opposite end.
One by one, we partner up with the girls and follow them up the aisle. I walk towards Cami and offer her my arm. She gives me a beaming smile that has my stomach clenching and my heart skipping as she slips her hand around my arm and allows me to lead her up the aisle.
“You look fucking radiant,” I murmur for only her ears.
She keeps her eyes fixed on the door at the opposite end of the church and refuses to meet mine, but the bounce in her step tells me she’s more than delighted by my comment. “Keep it in your pants, Mr. King.”
Fuck me, the way she says my name has all sorts of things happening to me, mainly in my lower region.
We make it to the end of the aisle after a walk that’s way too short for my liking and slip out the front doors where the rest of the bridal party is waiting. The second she can, she pulls her hand away and I want nothing more than to reach out and put it straight back where it belongs.
The guests start piling out of the doors and make their way over to congratulate Charli and Xander while their photographer goes nuts.
We all hover around the bride and groom, smiling for the photographer and I find myself gravitating towards Cami as much as humanly possible. I can’t help but place my hand on her lower back as she stands beside me which is where I should have stopped. Instead, my fingers slip under the fabric of her backless dress in my desperation to claim as much of her skin as possible.
My fingers spread and I don’t miss the way she turns into me or how her skin prickles with goosebumps at my touch. In this moment, it’s almost as though we can pretend that we’re something more than what we are, and honestly, it’s kind of thrilling.
Soon enough, the guests get ushered off and we pile into the limousine before pulling up at the location Charli had chosen to have all her photos taken. The girls seem to absolutely love the whole posing for photo’s thing while us boys are barely getting by, though, we’re saved when drinks finally get pulled out.
Cami smiles a beautiful smile as she sips on her champagne and I constantly find my eyes on her. I mean, she’s so fucking beautiful. The way her hair is up with a few loose strands falling down in perfect ringlets, showing off her neckline every time she tilts her head to the side. She’s just… I’m speechless.
She’s my whole heart and I want nothing more than to give it to her.
The photographer asks for couple photos and I grin to myself, knowing that I’ll have another chance to wrap my arms around her. As we wait for the others to have their turn, Cami walks over to join me.
She rests her head on my shoulder as she watches Xander and Charli in awe. She lets out a sigh and I can’t help but look down at her. This whole moment feels so damn right with her. It reminds me of how things used to be, before I ruined it by sleeping with her. “Those two have it all,” she tells me.
I couldn’t agree more. “So will you,” I tell her as my hand finds it’s spot on her lower back.
“No,” she says with a sadness in her tone. “I won’t, but it’s ok. I’m starting to get used to the idea of it just being me.”
“Babe,” I say with a heavy heart, knowing she’s referring to the fact that I refuse to be with her. “You’re not going to be alone. There’s someone out there who’s going to make you the happiest woman in the world, and when you find him, I’m going to kick his ass.”
She shakes her head ever so gently, probably finding it hard to imagine herself being with anyone else. I mean, you can’t just love somebody like the way she loves me and then simply move on. “You’re an idiot,” she says, choosing not to linger on the heaviness of the topic, after all, she’s on her second champagne and today is supposed to be carefree and fun. And I must say, the thought of her being with another man is kind of killing my buzz.
“Where would you do all this shit?” I ask her as my thumb rubs back and forth over the skin of her hip.
“You mean get married?” she questions.
“Mmhmm.”
“Honestly, I don’t really care,” she tells me. “I’d be happy to get married at McDonald's if it were with the right guy.”
By the way she says ‘the right guy’, I know she means me, but I skip right past it. “You’re telling me you’re happy to get McMarried?” I grin down at her.
Her eyes fill with laughter as she looks up at me. “Yeah,” she chuckles. “I’d love to get McMarried. It’d be the cheapest wedding known to man, but it would have to be one of those McDonald’s that have the play equipment, otherwise, I’m out.”
Fuck me, I’d love to McMarry her. In a perfect world, I’d
McDate her, have McKids with her, hell, I’d make a whole McFuckingLife with her.
“Geez,” I laugh. “And you’re the one calling me an idiot.”
“Why?” she grins. “Where the hell are you getting married?”
Anywhere you are, baby.
“I don’t know,” I tell her. “I can’t really say that I’ve put any thought into it.”
“That’d be right,” she says with a roll of her eyes. “Though, I’d bet it would be at Rebels.”
I can’t help but grin. This woman knows me better than I know myself. “I’d dare say you were right.”
She gives me a smug as fuck grin before letting out a laugh that wraps right around me. “I’m always right, Jace.”
I can’t help but pull her in tighter and press a kiss to her cheek while every single one of the boys give me a knowing look. Naturally, I ignore every single one of the fuckers and give all my attention to my girl.
I’m about to remind her just how beautiful she is when the photographer calls us over to have our turn. Excitement practically overwhelms me as she takes my hand and laces her fingers through mine before dragging me over to have our photo taken.
I groan, but we all know deep down that I really love it. I mean, any excuse to get my hands on her, right?
The second we’re done with the photographer, I take her over and get her a new glass of champagne before celebrating with the rest of the group.
Before we know it, the photographer is calling a wrap on the session, leaving us to do nothing but enjoy the rest of the night.
Chapter 10
Cami
This whole day has been amazing. It’s exactly what I’ve been needing after the last few weeks I’ve been having. I mean, I’ve seriously been having a really shitty time since I got back, but I must admit, having Rylee back in my life has been a godsend. She has managed to pull me out of this dull haze and bring me back to life, even with my store and the twisted way things are between me and Jace.
Jace: Rebels Advocate (Book 4) Page 7