“Shit,” Cam whispers. “Sorry, Ash.”
I know he picked the Ash up from Quinn, and for some reason it doesn’t bother me. Very few people shorten my name. In my world, everyone uses full names. It’s like shortening a name takes away some of the class or wealth or something crazy like that. I actually prefer the shortened version with close friends because it feels more intimate.
“Do you want me to give you the high level summary of the current situation so you can decide if you want more details on my family or the current issue?”
He takes a sip of his beer and shakes his head. “No. I already know I want the current situation. I know some asshole hurt you, and I just want to understand how that’s possible. Family is family, and we all know they have issues. Although I would love to hear about all of them I want to be here for you now. I want to make you realize this guy is a jerk and doesn’t deserve you anyhow.”
“How do you know a guy hurt me? What if I left him? Or what if it’s something completely different?”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I can read it in your eyes. I know someone betrayed you, and I just want to understand how and why.”
I sigh and lean back into the pillows. I curl my legs under me and pull my blanket tighter. “Do you want the short or long version?”
“I want whatever you want to tell me. I’m here to listen as your friend. Remember I’m here as Quinn, although I can’t possibly imagine how she could be better looking than me.”
His full smile is unnerving. It’s beautiful. No, not normally a word I would use to describe a man, but I swear he’s perfect, on the outside at least. Inside is yet to be determined—although he’s doing a pretty fantastic job so far.
“You have no idea how much Q appreciates you being here. She’s in Bora Bora, and even though it would take her almost a day to get to me, she was about to fly home just to listen to me bitch in person.”
His hand starts to move my direction but then he immediately pulls it back. Much like he did earlier when I hesitated for a second before shaking it. “I’m glad I can be here.”
“Thanks. So the short version is that I caught my fiancé—well, I guess ex-fiancé at this point, with another woman.”
Something crosses his eyes and he drops them momentarily. “I’m sorry.”
I take a sip of wine and wave my hand at him. “It’s okay. I just need a little bit of time to get over it. I’m not sure that I ever would have actually gone through with the wedding. I don’t think he’s the person I was meant to spend the rest of my life with, but it still hurts.”
He nods but doesn’t say anything. His pale blue eyes are so intense that he doesn’t have to say a word. They could pull information out of anyone.
“I’ve been with the jerk for ten years. It’s hard for me to accept that the last ten years of my life have been wasted on him. There’s no way I’ll ever go back. Even worse, I have to work with him, at least for now. He works for me, and seeing him every day is going to make me sick. Don’t worry, it gets even worse. Are you sure you still want to listen to me?”
“Yes.”
When I realize he’s not going to elaborate on his answer, I continue. “I caught him in bed in my house. It’s not even our house, but mine. Not that I didn’t want it to be ours, but when I found it, he wasn’t ready for that commitment. At least that’s what he said. Now I’m thinking it was so he could still have his own place to sleep with other whores. God, it makes me sick. Are you ready for the final fact?”
His eyes close for a moment and then he slowly nods like he’s ready but deep down he knows the final blow is painful, as in painful beyond the average person’s comprehension.
“The person in bed with him was my sister.” And there it is. I haven’t even admitted this out loud to Quinn yet. I was afraid if I told her while she was there in tropical heaven, she would’ve jumped on the first plane home.
“Shit.” He lets out a long breath and looks at me with eyes that aren’t just sympathetic but understanding. “I’m really sorry.”
“Quinn is going to go crazy when she finds out that part. She would be here right now if I had told her. She already dislikes both of them, and this is going to push her over the edge.” I manage a small laugh. I don’t know why it feels so much better telling him everything. But he just listens with no judgment and doesn’t even try to pretend like he can say something to make it better or easier. “What about you?”
“Me what?”
“Why do you need a friend right now?”
“Don’t worry about me. My job tonight is to make sure you’re okay.”
I shake my head adamantly. “Uh-uh. That’s not fair and you know it. I’m sharing my story and it would make me feel better if I can also be here to listen to you.”
I sit quietly and watch as he peels the label on his beer bottle. He doesn’t look away from it for at least a minute and for some reason the silence is not uncomfortable. Finally I see him swallow hard as he closes his eyes. When he opens them back up and looks at me the pain is unmistakable. That’s what my eyes must appear like to him. It’s seriously painful to see the hurt. No wonder why he stayed.
“I will also agree to only one story. Since we seem to have something in common, I will stick with that one. Fair?”
Fair? None of this shit is fair. If he’s been through what I have, then I know he’s hurting too. I nod my head. “Fair. But just to be clear, I’m saying fair to you only telling one story.” His mouth lifts slightly on one side but there’s no humor in his eyes. He understands my meaning. It’s crazy, but we seem to get each other without even trying.
“Two weeks ago I caught my fiancée, or as you said, my ex-fiancée in a very similar position. I give you a hell of a lot more credit than me. You’re much stronger than I ever will be. She cheated on me with one of my tea … ah, co-workers, and I have to see him every day. Everyone knows what happened, and they now see her with him. I’m not sure if your sister and ex plan on staying together, but if they do I would do anything to be able to give you the strength to handle it. It hurts more than anything.”
I shake my head at him and hold my hand up. “No. No way they will be together. For so many reasons they won’t, but really because my sister has never stayed with any man. She bounces from one to another. I think it’s the last thing that will happen, so don’t worry about me. But I don’t think that makes you weak if it hurts you to see them together, especially with everyone aware of the situation.”
“You’re right. That part doesn’t make me weak. The part that does is that if she came back to me tomorrow I would take her back. She is, or was, the love of my life. She was my high school sweetheart. My first everything. We broke up when I first got … ah, started my first job. When I moved away, she said she couldn’t do the long distance thing. About two years ago, she decided she wanted to try again. I’d never gotten over her and took her back with no hesitation or questions. Are you starting to see why I’m weak and pathetic?”
He laughs half-heartedly and I immediately hate the sound. I want to hear his genuine laugh that I heard earlier. I’m starting to realize that we really are two peas, albeit pathetic ones, in a pod.
“Cam.” I reach out and gently place my hand on his thigh. His eyes jump to mine and I pull my hand back. “I don’t think you’re pathetic in the least. I think it sucks that the person you love betrayed you, but you can’t help how you feel.”
“Yeah. Well, seeing her with the other guy is killing me. I want to strangle him when I see them, but then I stop myself because I don’t want to hurt her. If she’s happy with him, then I want her to be with him. Even if I can’t be the guy that still makes her happy, I don’t want her to lose that happiness. I hate that I still worry about her feelings, but I can’t help it. I would give anything to become immune to her.”
“Do you want another beer? Or perhaps something stronger?”
Another half-smile forms and this time there’s amusement in h
is eyes. “That’s probably a good idea.”
A few beers, shots and hours later I realize it’s after three in the morning. Even though I’ve hardly slept since Thursday night, I don’t feel exhausted. Cam looks tired and I know he said he has to work today. I’m hoping it’s nothing too intense because he’s not going to be in good shape.
He must read my mind because he pulls his phone out. “No watch.” He shrugs, glancing quickly at the screen. “Shit. I’m sorry but I really have to go. I need to leave here in an hour, and I have to finish packing.”
“No problem. I hope you staying here with me all night doesn’t put you behind this week. You should have been sleeping, not listening to me.”
“Don’t worry about it. There’s nothing I would have rather done.” He smiles, and it’s absolutely genuine. As he moves to get up off the couch, I throw my blanket to the side to get up too. “Just make sure you tell Quinn that I hung with you all night and didn’t leave until I was sure you were okay.” He winks, and I melt.
“She will be very happy to hear that you took care of me all night.” I smile and feel the warm flush across my cheeks. “Seriously though, you’re a great listener. Thank you for being here.”
“You’re welcome, Ash.” He leans in and wraps his arms around me. The comfort I feel by being in there almost breaks me again because I don’t think Charlie ever hugged me with this much care. Cam holds me tight. He doesn’t expect anything. He doesn’t push me for anything. He just holds me, and for this moment I feel safe and cared for. Somehow, I manage to keep my tears in. “Until we meet again.”
I nod as he pulls back from me. Something about knowing we would not see each other again made it so much easier to share our problems. We talked about anything and everything for hours and it felt like talking to a male version of Quinn. “See ya around.” I manage a small smile.
I watch him walk down the stairs and back across the beach to the house next door. I instantly feel alone and head in to try and get at least a few hours of sleep.
Chapter 5
Cam
“Wills.” Perez slaps me on the back when I come around the corner. When he catches my eyes, his features drop. “Shit. You look like hell. What happened?”
“Don’t worry about it man. I’ll be fine.”
“Wills!” The sound of the kid’s voice makes me groan today. “Hey man, great to have you back. Hope you got everything done the last two days.” As he catches up to us the same look crosses his face. “Wow, you look like shit.”
“Fuck off.”
Fonz throws his hands up. “Whoa, sorry man, but you do.”
“Yeah, I get it. Enough about how I look. Last time I checked that’s not relevant to how I play.”
“I’m just sayin’. If you’re gonna be pitching today, I’m afraid we might be in trouble.”
“King will be ready to go and if not, I’ll do what I always do.” I toss my bag at him. “Get this loaded. Then get your ass on the plane and shut up about how I look.”
“You got it, Cap.” The dumbass actually has the nerve to salute me, and it takes the rest of my self-control not to smack him across the face.
“Damn rookies.”
“Hey, he doesn’t mean any harm. He just doesn’t know any better yet.” Perez lowers his voice. “Seriously though, you all right man? Anything I can do?”
Johnny P is my best friend on the team. I know he means well, but today I’m just not in the mood for anything, including him treating me like a freakin’ baby. “I’m fine. Just let it go.”
“All right. Shit. I hope King is good to go.”
“He will be. I talked to Coach last night after he talked to him. He’s ready.”
We continue in silence to the plane. I’m dreading stepping onto it. As soon as I see the prick, my blood will boil. I’ve tried to tell myself he’s just a sorry excuse for a man, but it doesn’t matter. He took my girl, and no matter how hard I try to look the other way I want to hurt him. He doesn’t deserve her. Obviously I don’t either, but he is a worthless piece of shit.
“I’m glad you’re back. The team needs you. Without you here, they fall apart.”
I know he’s just trying to be nice, but he’s partially right. I’m responsible for keeping them all unified and it makes me feel guilty for taking two days away. Although I needed to do it for family, I still felt like shit about it. Then spending six hours talking to a girl rather than sleeping was selfish. If I have to pitch today, the team is going to suffer because of my need to have a friend for a few hours. But shit, it’s been so long since I’ve had someone I could just sit and talk to. It felt great.
“Thanks, man. I’m back. My head will be in the game the rest of the season. Sorry I had to bail.”
“Don’t you dare fucking apologize. You’ve been through more in a month than most people can withstand in a decade.”
I nod my head at him and continue on to board the plane. Most guys nod as I make my way down the aisle to the back. A few put out their fist and I give them the obligatory bump. I’m not in the mood to chat with anyone, and although I typically sit in the front in case Coach needs to review anything, I head to the back today.
Unfortunately I see him about halfway down the aisle. He looks away as soon as he knows I’ve seen him. This is the shit that really pisses me off. He’s not even man enough to stand up for himself and my girl. He cowers in the corner, and it makes me think that he doesn’t really want her.
When I sit, I barely resist the urge to punch the back of the seat in front of me. The last thing I need is to injure my throwing hand. If I have to pitch, at least my arm can be physically ready to go even if my head isn’t fully in the game. I pull out my phone, go to my music and plug in my earphones. I’m sure Coach will want me to sit with him for a while to catch up, but right now I just want to put on music and try to get some sleep.
Coach designated me captain of the team five seasons ago. It’s unofficial as far as being recognized by the league, but I take my responsibility to heart. The guys all look to me for leadership and direction. We’ve been in the playoffs three of the last four seasons since I’ve been in the position.
We’re on track to make it again this year, and we should go all the way. No one is tougher than us, and it’s my job to make sure we win. Even though I wasn’t on the schedule to pitch the last couple of days, not being in the dugout for two of the games was almost impossible for me to bear. Especially because I had to miss two additional games a month ago.
I know helping my family is number one, but this team is my family too and they need me here. Even though I’ve had the worst year of my life personally, I can’t let that get in the way of my responsibility to these guys. I’m all in for the rest of the season and need to put my personal shit to the side.
I buckle my seatbelt and lean my head back against the headrest. I let the pounding of the music distract my mind from everything else, and my lids drift shut.
Chapter 6
Ashley
The last month has been awful. As if walking in on Charlie and Amber hadn’t been bad enough, everything has continued to go down hill since then. The only peaceful moment I’ve had was with Cam. He did such an excellent job filling in for Quinn that I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I really hadn’t needed her that evening. She’s been great the last few weeks, though, since she got back.
Of course she broke up with Francis the day after she got home. I would love to say it surprised me, but it didn’t. She can’t commit to a man. At least I don’t have to worry about needing to console her after each break-up because she’s never with them long enough to get attached. Although she claims they can’t keep her attention, I know part of it is because she doesn’t want to get hurt. Plus she works almost as much as I do, and that can be a hindrance in any relationship.
Immediately following the death of my father, I was named president and CEO of Hughes & Donnelly Advertising. My dad started the company fresh out of college,
and it’s grown to become one of the top advertising and public relations firms in the country. My dad worked hard early on, gaining traction faster than any other company. I have worked here since high school, so even though I’m young I’ve been in the business for fifteen years.
I did attend college but continued to work part-time for the firm even while I was at Stanford. That’s where I met Quinn. She was in a similar position although the difference is that her family is fairly normal and they love her. She works with her dad at his law firm and whenever I’m around them the pride in his eyes is unmistakable. Quinn does love vacation and men. Addicted may be more accurate, but when she’s in work mode, she’s one hundred percent dedicated and a force to be reckoned with. I’m happy to work with her and glad that I never have to be on the other side.
She has a meeting here this afternoon, and I plan on joining for a bit. She represents an up-and-coming coffee brand that we have assisted with branding, print advertising, web design and SEO. Our firm has done extensive market research for the company, and they’re gaining market share. I know from speaking with my project manager that the company is significantly increasing their advertising and marketing budget, and they’re sitting with our creative team this afternoon to work on fresh ideas.
Quinn is coming over to meet with our legal team to ensure the new contract is up to her standards. Of course I expect our team to have it in order or I will have concerns. I have an excellent legal team, but I still go to Quinn once in a while to be sure my team is up to my high standards. I completely trust her, and she’s happy to look at my contracts when needed.
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