by Toshia Slade
Two months of delirious happiness with Cam. I’ve always loved him like no other, but each and every day he does something that makes me fall harder. It hurt before, but now… Now I wouldn’t survive without him, he’s my whole world.
Speaking of my sexy man, he’s currently fighting through the crowded bar with Josh to get drinks for us, while Tiff and I sit at the table.
“I’m going to go dance. You want to go or are you going to wait for lover boy?”
“I’ll wait and save our seats. When they get back I’ll come out there with you.”
“See ya, hooker.”
I shake my head. Something is up with her tonight. I’m not sure what it is, but I think we need to have a girl’s day soon. Guilt hits me full force. I’m such a shitty friend. Being wrapped up in my life and happiness with Cam, I’ve been putting my friendship with Tiff on the back burner. I make a mental note to set up a day for us sometime this week.
Sitting and people watching I think back to Christmas. We spent it with our families. Our parents are thrilled that we are together. Or, as they put it, ‘finally got together’. That was mostly for Cam. I thought I hid my feelings pretty well, but apparently everyone knew and just let it be. Cam spoiled me, as always. He rented a cabin down in Gatlinburg for a week and got me an Amazon gift card to buy more of my naughty books. He says he likes to reap the benefits from them. Last week I wanted to rent a chair at a tattoo shop, after reading Razor’s Edge, but we improvised in the recliner. Sex with him just keeps getting better. Then, he topped it all off with a beautiful set of pink diamond earrings and a matching necklace.
Spending a week with Cam, all to myself, was pure and total bliss. We enjoyed the sights a couple of days went to a couple of dinner shows. One was a comedy and the other was a Dixie thing. The rest of the time we spent wrapped up in each other, enjoying the hot tub. I still can’t believe someone took our picture while we were enjoying the hot tub a little too much. That’s how it always is with Cam. I lose myself and forget my surroundings. Why can’t it be like in the books? I always get caught. Nothing like riding your man with water splashing and jets going, and then bam, a camera flash dumps cold water on you. I told Cam no more. When we have sex, it’ll be in a bedroom with the door locked.
The man says he doesn’t know how to do this, but I say I’m the luckiest woman on Earth. Fireflies dance in my stomach and I buzz with excitement. He’s all mine and I plan on holding onto him for dear life.
“Where the fuck is Tiffany?” Josh’s angry growl pulls me from my thoughts.
“Dancing.” I point out to the floor and see that she’s grinding her ass into a very attractive blond guy’s crotch.
“Fuck!” Josh’s eyebrows pinched together with a snarl on his face. He drains the rest of his beer and storms off.
What the hell was that all about? A ball of unease takes root in the pit of my stomach. I have a bad feeling about this. Everything has been going too good, something is getting ready to blow up.
“What the hell’s up with him?” Cam asks as he sits beside me and slides my drink in front of me.
“No clue, but I have a bad feeling about it.” I take a long pull off the Hurricane Punch. So good, but too many of these and you’ll be on your ass before you know it.
“Don’t worry about it, baby. He’ll figure it out.” He pulls my chair closer to his, wrapping his arm around me, and pulling me further into his heat.
I sigh and sag in complete and utter bliss, nothing compares to being in his arms, surrounded in his warmth, love, and his woodsy scent. We sit back and sip our drinks, people watching. There’s still no sign of Josh when our glasses are empty.
“Neon Lights” by Demi Lovato comes on and I gasp, jumping up from my chair. “I love this song. Come on, dance with me.”
A grin tugs at his lips as he stands from the stool. “Let’s go.”
I grab his hand and tug him through the crowd and onto the dance floor. I wrap my arms around his neck as he pulls me in closer and we start to sway our hips to the beat of the music. I sing the lyrics to Cam, as he runs his hands up and down my back.
With the lights down low and the bass moving through my body, pressed up against Cam, I can see the love pouring from his eyes. My heart swells to bursting. Never have I ever felt so beautiful, loved, cherished, and wanted. I’d do anything for this man, his touch, and his kisses.
He fists one of his hands in my hair, grabbing my ass with the other, molding me to his body. “You’re so fuckin’ sexy.” Then his lips are crashing down on mine. Fire blooms in my stomach, spreading out through my veins. I can’t suppress the moan that bubbles up my throat. He swallows it and deepens the kiss.
We stay wrapped in each other for what feels like an hour, but in reality, it’s just been a few songs. Dancing, grinding against each other, hands roaming, petting, squeezing, kissing, tongues tangling together, biting, and nipping. If it wasn’t for my mind being clouded by my Cam-induced lust coma, I would be embarrassed.
Someone comes up behind me and starts grinding into my ass. My eyes grow wide and my body freezes. I lock eyes with big blue laughing eyes. What the hell? Why isn’t he flipping his shit and ready to knock someone over?
“You all looked like you were having some hot, steamy fun. I wanted in on the action.”
I shake my head. Tiffany.
“Stay away from my man, biotch! Find your own.” I laugh.
Tiff runs her hands up my sides. “What if he’s not the one I want? Cam, you got a problem sharing your woman?”
“Get your damn hands off me, you perv.” I say, laughing at my best friend.
“Nope. I’ll just stand back and watch, though,” Cam says at the same time, stepping back, throwing his hands in the air.
“Hey!” I fake pout. “You’re supposed to say no.”
“What can I say? I’m a man.”
Tiff takes off dancing with the blond hottie again. Hooker.
“Well, you can make it up to me by getting me a drink while I go pee.” I stand on my tiptoes and kiss his full plump lips. I don’t give him a chance to answer, just turn on my heels, and head for the bathroom.
As expected, there is a line a mile long. I sigh and lean back against the wall to wait my turn. I look down at my watch, eleven thirty. Good. We’ll do the countdown, and then I can get out of here and go really bring in the New Year with Cam. Excitement blooms, spreading through my veins. Maybe I can talk him into leaving now. We can be home in less than twenty minutes. My core clenches at the thought of having Cam inside me.
“Having fun tonight?” A tall, slender blonde girl asks. She’s wearing a tight black dress, which by no means covers her ass or breasts. Why do girls think it’s okay to dress like this? If I ever have a girl and she tries dressing like some of these chicks, I’d ring her neck.
“Yeah, ready to drag my boyfriend out of here. It’s so packed tonight.” She doesn’t need to know the real reason I want out of here. I giggle.
“You’re here with Cam?”
Giggles gone. How the fuck does this girl know Cam? “Yeah. How do you know him?”
She puts her hand out for me to shake it. “Sara, I’m a bartender here. Well, we’ve spent a lot of nights talking and a few between the sheets.” She winks. “Boy, does he know how to burn them up.”
All of the blood drains from my face. Cam fucked this trash. I feel a crack in my heart.
“Wait. You’re the girl he was pissed at one night. I saw him kiss you on the dance floor and you left with your boyfriend. That night was the best fuck of my life. He dragged me out to his truck, not even ten minutes after you left. Where is your man by the way? The blond surfer look totally works for him.”
You have got to be fucking kidding me. Crack gone, heart now shattered and laying in millions of tiny pieces on the concrete floor.
“Cam is my boyfriend. We’ve been together for two months and have known each other for over ten years.”
She lets out a laugh. “You
better enjoy it while you can. A guy like him only fucks and runs.”
My body is icy cold and my eyes burn with unshed tears. I have to get out of here before this bitch sees me cry. How could he do that to me? She’s the damn bartender here. Why in the hell would he bring me here knowing there’s a good chance she would be here? He wouldn’t want Brandon thrown in his face. We would avoid places he could be at all cost. So why didn’t he? I know he was with other girls, but to have it staring me right in the face… I gotta get out of here. Now.
*Cam*
I’m standing at the bar talking to Josh, still waiting on our drinks, when Gabby goes running by the bar and heads for the front door. Shit. What the hell is wrong? Oh god, did something happen to her? Please let her be okay.
Josh must have seen her too because we both turn and run after her. Panic grips my heart and I fight and push through the crowd, just wanting to get to my girl and hold her, make sure she’s okay. “Move!” I push harder.
We bust through the doors and I see Gabby walking through the parking lot, heading to the road. Her arms are wrapped around her middle and her head is down.
“Gabby!” I take off at a dead run.
She picks up her pace and doesn’t turn her head. What the hell?
I catch up to her and wrap my hand around her arm, stopping her.
“Please let go of me.” Her voice is small and she hiccups. She’s crying?
“What the fuck is going on? Talk to me.”
“I don’t want to talk to you.” She jerks her arm free.
“Gabs, you need to tell us what’s going on. Did someone hurt you?” Josh stops beside me.
“Gabby, what the hell is going on? You went to the bathroom, and then you come running by us. And now you won’t talk to me? Tell me what happened. Did someone hurt you?”
She turns to me, face red with anger, black streams running down her cheeks. “I met Sara.” Her voice is dripping with sarcasm. “She also informed me of how well you can burn up the sheets. Oh, but that’s not all. No, she also told me that after you kissed me on the floor, not ten minutes later you were pulling her out to your truck. How did she say it? Oh yeah, where you gave her the best fuck of her life. Why the fuck would you bring me here Cam? Knowing she would be here!”
All the air leaves my lungs. Fuck! I knew this would come back to bite me in the ass. “I told you that I slept with other girls, Gabby. I’m sorry that you had to hear about it, but there is nothing I can do about it now. I would give anything to take it back, but I can’t.” I take a step and she steps back, holding her hands up.
“But after you kissed me, Cam. You said you hadn’t been with anyone since then.”
Shit. I drop my head between my shoulders. “I said I hadn’t been with anyone since I figured out that I couldn’t live without you. That was the next morning. When I wasn’t drunk and my mind was clear. I was pissed when I saw you leave with him.”
“I didn’t even fuck Brandon that night. Do you know what I did, Cam? Huh?” She steps closer, getting in my face. “I went home. Alone. And cried myself to sleep, while you were fucking some trashy bartender in your truck!”
I’m pissed that Sara is coming between us. Pissed at myself for sleeping with all the nameless girls. Pissed that our night is ruined. All because I was a scared little pussy and ran from the best thing in my life.
“And you didn’t fuck Brandon after that?” I regret the words as soon as they leave my mouth.
Gabby gasps and her mouth drops open. “Fuck you, Cam. Leave me the hell alone.”
I just fucked up. Big time. She walks to the end of the parking lot and hails a cab. I go to follow when a hand clamps down on my shoulder.
“Let her go, dude, and calm down. Then y’all can talk it out. She’s just hurt and upset. Needs a little time, that’s all. And you’re just going to fuck up more by saying the wrong thing, like you just did. Both of you cool down then y’all can work it out.” He squeezes my shoulder. “Come on, man. Let’s get a drink.”
“Fuck!” I grip my hair in both hands and yank. “What the fuck did I just do?” My stomach rolls and I feel like I’m going to puke. “What if I lose her, Josh? I can’t. That girl is my fuckin’ world.” For the first time in as long as I can remember I’m on the verge of crying. Just curling up in a ball and weeping like a pussy.
Chapter Thirty-Two
*Gabby*
I sit in the back of the cab curled into myself, weeping into my hands. I knew that Cam was with other girls, but to have it thrown in my face felt as if someone jabbed a hot iron straight through my heart. Searing pain ripping through my chest and not knowing how to act or handle it, I bolted.
The taxi pulls in front of my house and I peel myself out of the back seat after paying him. Heading inside, I go straight for the only thing I know that will help my broken heart tonight. Tomorrow…I’m fucked. But, for tonight, this bottle of Jack and I, we’ll forget, and try to pick up the pieces tomorrow.
I forgo the shot glass, unscrew the cap, tilt my head back, and take a big gulp.
Bang!
I ignore it and take another slug.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Fucking, Cam. Why can’t he just leave me alone?
I sling the door open with one hand, the bottle of Jack in the other.
“What part of—” The words die on my tongue and the bottle slips from my hands, shattering into a million pieces. Jack splashes all the way up my legs.
“Hello, Gabby. Did you miss me?”
Brandon!
Panic grips me in a vice. My mouth is dry and moving up and down, but no sound comes out. His eyes are rimmed in dark circles and his pupils are no bigger than pin drops. And I know he’s on something.
“You that glad to see me?”
I shake my head no, my body finally snapping out of it. I try to slam the door.
He shoves his foot in the way, stopping me from getting it all the way closed.
“You need to leave!” I can’t help the shake in my voice. He’s going to know how scared I am.
“I don’t think so, bitch.” He slams the door back.
Searing pain blasts through my right eye and I’m knocked back, right onto the glass from the bottle. Pain radiates through both hands as the glass cuts into me when I try to crawl backwards, away from him. I just need to get to a room and lock the door, and then I can call the cops. My phone. It’s in my pocket. I grab my phone out of my pocket as I jump up and run for the hall bathroom.
“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”
“Ahhhh!” I cry out, yanked back by my hair. “Please, just let me go.” A sob erupts from my throat. There was no holding it back.
The back of his hand comes flying and lands across the side of my face, sending a blast of pain through my jaw and me to the floor.
Oh god, what is he going to do to me? I should have never run off and left Cam. What if he kills me and I never see Cam again? What have I done?
“I told you I was sorry, but you wouldn’t listen.” He yanks my head back, hard. He’s going to scalp me with his bare hands. His hot breath at my ear, along with the pain he’s inflicting rolls my stomach. “You. Are. Mine.”
Has he completely lost his mind? He fists my hair in his hands and I feel the follicles ripping out. I let out a sob. This is it. All that goes through my head is that the last thing I said to Cam was “fuck you”.
“What do you want from me, Brandon?” I barely get the words out through my cries.
He lets out a sardonic laugh. “I want what’s mine. That sweet pussy. And I’m going to have it.”
There’s pure evil shining in his eyes. I whimper and fear grips me in a chokehold. I’ll never it make it out of this alive. And if he touches me, I’m not too sure I would want to live. I close my eyes and send up a silent prayer, Cam, please save me.
*Cam*
Man, Josh was hounding me all night, felt like I was being babysat. I’m not ten; I can handle this thing with G
abby. No matter what, we’ll work it out. She can be pissed all she wants, but she’ll do it with my arms around her. Ever since I watched her get into the cab there’s been a sick feeling in my gut. At least with her in my arms I’ll know she’s safe. Everything else we can figure out later.
After I pay the cab driver, I bolt up to her door and I hear a man’s voice inside, shouting. I stop cold in my tracks. A chill races up my spine. What the fuck?
“Stop fighting me, bitch.”
White-hot fury, mixed with shear panic, crashes into me. I yank out my cell and dial nine-one-one.
“Nine-one-one, state your emergency.”
“I just got to my girlfriend’s house. There’s a man shouting inside. I haven’t gone in yet, but I’m pretty sure it’s her ex-boyfriend. I need an ambulance and cops.” I’m not going to take a chance on her being hurt and help not being here. I give them Gabby’s address and hang up.
Not wasting another minute I try the doorknob, not locked. I slam the door open and the sight that greets me makes my blood run cold and a rage like I’ve never felt before takes over my body.
Brandon jumps up from the floor in front of the couch and spins around to face me. Gabby is laid out on the couch with a handkerchief tied around her mouth. Her hands must be tied behind her back, because she’s laying on them. Her button-up shirt is ripped open showing her bra, and her pants are nowhere to be seen, lying only in her panties. Her right eye is swollen and blood is coming from a cut above her brow. Black streams down her face from her crying. Her left cheek is red and she has a split lip. There is shattered glass covering the floor and the smell of whiskey is strong. The asshole is standing at the bottom of the couch.
“You’re dead, motherfucker!” I roar and take off at a run, tackling him to the floor. Never in my life have I felt the need to kill… until now. I rain punches down on his face. He puts his arms up trying to block me, just like the pussy he is for beating a woman. My fury flies as I deliver each punishing blow. The crunch of bone and wetness beneath my fist is far from satisfying.