Where the Lies Hide

by Renee Roman

  Cam had no choice. Like it or not, she was at Sarah’s mercy and there was nothing she could do about it.

  Chapter Nine

  Sarah pressed the accelerator, and the car lurched onto the road.

  “Sorry. I’m not used to a car with this much power.”

  “It’s okay. I should have warned you, but if you can avoid any sudden moves you’ll spare me a mess to clean up.”

  She shot Cam a quick look. “Got it.”

  The GPS got her to the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in less than five minutes. She parked in the unloading zone and put the four-ways on.

  “In the console. My credit card.”

  Sarah was touched that Cam wanted to take care of the charges, but it was the least of her concerns at the moment. She reached in the back and snagged her wallet from her bag.

  “We’ll settle up later.”

  She sprinted inside and explained why she was in such a hurry. A couple of minutes later, the accommodating clerk provided two key cards. He offered to have the car parked and to bring in their luggage, but she thought better of it. She had no idea what Cam had in her vehicle. She reassured him she’d be okay and quickly walked to the car. She opened the passenger door, and Cam stirred. She reached across and released the seat belt.

  “Cam, can you get out?”

  Cam’s eyes opened. Her pupils were dilated and her eyes glassy. “Drugs.” In slow motion, she slid her legs around and hung on to the grip bar. “Might need help.”

  “I’m right here.”

  Sarah got Cam’s arm around her shoulder and hung on to her wrist. After Cam managed to stand, she swayed and nearly fell, and Sarah tightened her grip. Cam’s height had her at a disadvantage. She moved out of the way so she could shut the door with her hip, then engaged the lock.

  Cam fought to keep upright. “Elevator?”

  “First floor. Not too far.”

  “Good. That’s good.”

  The walk down the hallway probably seemed like miles for Cam since she took small steps and her eyes were barely open. Sarah guided her to one of the queen beds in room 102 and kept her voice low.

  “Lie down, Cam.”

  Once she was settled, Sarah glanced around. The room was clean, if sparse and impersonal, but it would serve the purpose.

  “Lights, Sarah. Please…” Cam murmured.

  She had forgotten that some people were light sensitive during headaches and probably more so with a migraine. After turning on the bathroom vanity light so she could still see her way around the room, she switched off the others.

  “I’m going to go get our things and move the car. Will you be okay by yourself for a few?”

  “I won’t move an inch. Promise,” Cam said with a hint of humor.

  Sarah let out a relieved breath. Cam’s voice no longer held the edge of pain. Whether it was from the medication or the dark space she didn’t care.

  On her way to the car, Sarah questioned how easily she’d accepted spending the night with Cam. Even though they’d be in separate beds, she couldn’t let go of the fact sharing a hotel room wasn’t what she had in mind when they took off this morning. After moving the car and grabbing their things, she slipped the key through the mechanism to their room as quietly as possible. The resounding beep made her wince. Cam was on the bed exactly as she’d left her, and she hoped she was sleeping.

  “Sarah,” Cam whispered.

  “I’m here.”

  “Thank you.”

  She covered Cam’s hand with hers. It was cold to the touch. “You don’t have to thank me. Do you need anything?”

  “To feel human?”

  Sarah chuckled from nerves. Even in her current state, Cam oozed sex appeal.

  “You’re quite human.”

  “Glad you noticed.”

  Thankfully, the room was dark. Cam couldn’t see her embarrassment for blurting out the comment, and she reluctantly pulled her hand away. She found an extra blanket in the closet and covered Cam after removing her shoes.

  “I put your pills and the water on the stand.” Sarah looked around. It was only six o’clock. She couldn’t imagine being able to sleep this early. Maybe if she took a nice hot shower and turned on the TV without sound, Cam wouldn’t mind.

  “Do you need to use the bathroom?”

  “Not right now. You go ahead. When you come out, would you bring a damp washcloth with you?”

  “I’ll get it right now.” Sarah had no idea if it was supposed to be cold or warm, so she opted for somewhere in the middle. “Where do you want it?” She bit her lower lip.

  “Just put it across my eyes. That way you won’t have to worry if you want the light or TV on.”

  With the washcloth draped over her, Cam looked more vulnerable than before. All her earlier preconceptions began to fade one by one. Cam hadn’t done anything to deserve mistrust. It was Sarah’s self-preservation instincts that had clouded her judgment.

  “I won’t be long.”

  * * *

  Cam wished she were anywhere else except lying incapacitated in a strange bed. Sarah had been so thoughtful and caring, she was hard-pressed to find a reason not to like her more than she already did. When the shower turned on, she sighed softly. The thought of Sarah being nude and just beyond the wall separating them teased her imagination. She tried to swallow, but her mouth was so dry she coughed instead. Covers tossed aside, she swiped at the washcloth, letting it fall beside her head, and then reached out for the nightstand in search of the water. Her hand hit it and send it flying, along with the bottle of pills.

  “Son of a bitch.”

  She didn’t have a choice. She had to move before her parched throat sent her into a coughing fit, exacerbating her throbbing head. She swung her legs out and sat up too quickly, the stab of pain blinding her. Cam grasped the sides of her head as she leaned her elbows on her knees. She pressed and waited for it to subside.

  “Here.” Sarah took her hand and placed the bottle in it. “The cap’s off.”

  She hadn’t heard the bathroom door open. Sarah was quickly earning a spot in Cam’s miniscule heavenly deity list. An angel when she needed one most. She took a swallow, then another before she attempted to talk.

  “How long since I took a pill?” To her, it seemed like hours.

  Sarah sat beside her, one arm protectively around her back. “I’m not sure. About forty-five minutes. Maybe an hour at most.”

  “Christ.” Cam opened her eyes. This time she set the bottle on the stand without missing it. “Feels a lot longer.” She looked around on the floor. Her pills must have rolled under one of the beds. She would need to take another dose soon if this kept up.

  Sarah must have guessed what had happened and knelt, reaching under the bed. When she straightened she produced the bottle of pills. “Do you need more?”

  “If it doesn’t let up in a few minutes I will.” She hated asking, but she needed caffeine. It might be enough to ratchet down the throbbing. “Would you mind going for coffee? I’d do it myself, but I’d probably make a mess.” She tried sharing a grin. It felt awkward and stiff. Like her neck. Her head felt twice its normal size.

  “What do you want in it?” Sarah asked as she rummaged through her bag, then pulled on a zippered hoodie. It was then that Cam noticed she was wearing lounge pants and a T-shirt, minus a bra. The stir low in her belly would have led to arousal if she wasn’t fighting just to keep upright.

  “Black.” She thought about how strong the coffee might be if it had been sitting for a while. “If you don’t mind grabbing a couple sugars and creamers in case it’s horrible, that would be great.” Cam stood and her world tilted on end. The wad of money she produced from her front pocket and shoved in Sarah’s direction felt more like a payoff than an offering. She winced at the cliché. A beautiful woman in a hotel room and a handful of cash. Could she be any more pathetic?

  “The coffee in the reception area is free,” Sarah said while helping her sit.

  “Snacks. Or f
ood. If I have to medicate again I need food.” Sarah hadn’t signed up for this when they headed out today. “On second thought, I’ll go. What’s the worst that can happen?”

  Sarah stood with her hands on her hips, her brows knitted. “Oh, I don’t know. You fall and need stitches? You vomit in the nearest trash can…or not?”

  Cam snickered. “Well, there is that.” She made eye contact through the haze of pain. “You’ve been more than attentive. I’m supposed to be working for you, not the other way around.”

  “Did you plan this little episode to make me your nursemaid?” Sarah waved dramatically.

  “No, but…”

  “Cam.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Shut up.” Sarah picked a couple of bills out of the pile she held and dropped the rest on the stand.

  Once she was out the door, Cam chuckled through the pounding thud at the back of her head. “Yep. She’s a spitfire.”

  * * *

  Sarah couldn’t conceive the level of pain Cam was in. Headaches were rare, but she hated even minor ones. What did it feel like to have one bad enough to make someone sick to their stomach, to not be able to handle light or motion? She didn’t want to think about it.

  Lucky for her, the kitchen was still open and she ordered a couple of sandwiches to go. The vending machines were well stocked and she got a variety, not knowing what Cam liked. She gathered their goods and headed back to the room.

  “I didn’t know what…” Sarah took one look at Cam and quickly shut the door before setting everything down on the small table. “Just what in hell are you doing?”

  Cam sat in the easy chair, her head resting in her hands. One leg was bare, her pants pooled around the other. Her shirt was unbuttoned, revealing a sports bra.

  “Trying to go to the restroom?” Cam mumbled.

  Even in her current state, Cam’s voice held some levity. She couldn’t help the small grin she was glad Cam couldn’t see. “How’s that working for you?”

  “Not very well.”

  Sarah knelt and finished removing Cam’s pants, pressing them flat and draping them over the back of the desk chair. She did everything she could to focus on the material and not the hard muscles of Cam’s thighs. “Do you want to stand?”

  “That’s the goal,” Cam said, finally looking up and sporting a grin of her own.

  She managed to get Cam into the bathroom, leaving the door ajar should she need her. On her instructions, Sarah rummaged in Cam’s bag and pulled out a light pair of sweat pants and a soft, well-worn T-shirt. She leaned against the doorframe.

  “I found them.”

  Cam opened the door all the way and took the clothes, assuring Sarah she could get them on by herself. A few minutes later, Cam reappeared. Her face was drawn and there were dark circles under her eyes, but she no longer looked to be in such excruciating pain. She made it to the table under her own power and dropped onto a chair. Sarah watched her take the lid off a cup and dump a creamer into it, not bothering to stir. She blew across the surface, then took a tentative sip.

  “Not bad,” Cam said.

  She studied her a little longer before speaking. “Glad it meets your approval.” She nodded to the cup. “You drink a lot of coffee.”

  Cam winced. “Sometimes it helps keep them at bay.” She lightly tapped her temple. “Other times it helps counter the effects of the meds.”

  She sat across from her, then reached into one bag and pulled out a diet soda, popping the top and slurping the foam. “I ordered a couple of sandwiches.” Two huge wax paper wrapped sandwiches came from another bag before Sarah dumped the contents of a third in the remaining space.

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah, about that. I’m a list kinda gal. Otherwise I go willy-nilly and grab everything I see.”

  Cam was tempted to touch her, suddenly aware of where they were and how close Sarah was.

  “I’m much better now. After we eat we can head out so you can get home. I’m sure you have better things to do than play nurse.”

  Sarah’s face fell and she looked hurt. “No.” Sarah started to unwrap a sandwich. “I mean, I don’t mind.” She shrugged. “I took care of my mom when she was going through radiation.” The sandwich flopped down on the paper with a thud. Sarah picked around the edges. “Cancer sucks.”

  The weight of Sarah’s statement tore her heart. Here she was complaining about a headache. While the pain was intense at times, she wouldn’t die from it. She must think I’m a crybaby.

  “I’m sorry you and your mom had to go through that.”

  “It’s okay. She’s not in pain anymore and she’s with Dad. They’re happy together again.” Sarah swiped at her eye and blinked.

  Cam started to wrap up her sandwich. “Let’s get you home.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re in no shape to drive, and I’m not driving that beast in the dark, so you’re stuck with me for the night.” Her eyebrows moved up and down suggestively.

  Cam laughed in spite of her body’s reaction. She’d been having less than honorable thoughts about Sarah, and she hoped Sarah hadn’t actually caught on. To hide her unease, Cam snagged a bag of chips, opened it, and picked one out before shoving it in her mouth.

  “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t give you an out.”

  Sarah sat back. “Duly noted.”

  She glanced at the clock on the stand. The LED numbers flashed seven eighteen.

  “Shit.”

  Sarah bit into the sandwich, then tipped her head in question.

  “I need to call Maggie.”

  “Do you have a curfew?” Sarah asked after swallowing.

  Cam felt her stomach drop in a much different way. Maggie wasn’t her idea of a mother, although she did dote on her. If anyone was even close to being a mother figure, it was Liv, but even she had encouraged Cam to be her own person.

  “Maggie’s a good friend. She’ll worry.”

  “Totally none of my business.” Sarah looked chagrined. “It could explain why she doesn’t like me though.”

  “What could?”

  “I get the distinct feeling she’d rather I didn’t contact you so much. Maybe she’s jealous.”

  “Of you?” The more she thought about Maggie’s recent behavior, the less crazy it sounded. It really was past time for that talk. The distant ache in her head notched up. She needed to stay calm and keep the tension out of her shoulders.

  “You don’t have to be so defensive.” Sarah’s smile was gentle. “It was just an observation, and I could be wrong.”

  Cam took a breath. Sarah was right. “Sorry. I’ll just text her.” Even though she felt somewhat human, she still had to move slowly. After a few careful steps to retrieve her phone, she sent off the message then silenced it, knowing Maggie more than likely would have questions. Ones she didn’t want to answer.

  * * *

  “What?” Cam asked as she struggled to sit up and get as far away as she could.

  “You had a bad dream. You were shouting.”

  Cam cringed. She had no idea what she’d said, but the edges of her dream were still vivid. Her stepfather was after her. He would make her do things she didn’t want to do, then he would fuck her. His wife had turned her back, glad his attention was elsewhere. Cam had to know how much she’d revealed to Sarah.

  “What did I say?”

  “I think you were trying to get away from someone. After you yelled you said, ‘Please, please’ like you were begging to be left alone.”

  “Oh.” Maybe she could worm her way out of telling Sarah the truth. She hadn’t told anyone besides Liv about the sexual abuse she’d suffered. With any luck, Sarah wouldn’t ask for more.

  “Was it just a dream?”

  She laughed to cover her nerves and hoped it sounded convincing. “I was tormented as a kid. I was a bit chunky.” Both statements were true, even if they had nothing to do with the nightmare. “Just a memory of one of many days.” She didn’t really want to think about those times.
She’d had a feeling this case would open old wounds.

  “Why now?”

  Cam’s brain was sluggish, but revealing the truth terrified her, and she was glad to be able to come up with a plausible reason for her nightmare. “It happens when I’m stressed. I’m sorry you’re stuck here, with me, and having to deal with all my issues.”

  “I’m not. I’m glad you aren’t alone.” Sarah went to the small refrigerator and produced two bottles of water, handing one to her. “Do you think you can go back to sleep now?”

  After finishing off half the water, Cam shrugged. It was only a little after two. Way too early to get on the road. “I’m going to try.”

  Chapter Ten

  Sarah stood next to her car. They’d gotten on the road right after breakfast, and it was still early. She should be grateful. There were only a few times she’d shared a hotel room with a virtual stranger, and they’d all been for meaningless sex. It wasn’t like Cam would have had the ability to do anything, even if the thought had crossed Sarah’s mind. Stop. That’s not what she wanted. Not at all.

  “I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done. I hope I haven’t ruined your weekend plans,” Cam said.

  Sarah snorted. It had been more than a year since she’d had “plans” for anything besides work, taking care of her parents, and her art. She supposed now that her schedule had thinned out there would be time for socializing. At the moment, it seemed like too much effort to even think about it.

  “Not hardly.”

  Cam tipped her head in question.

  “I was a bit preoccupied the last year or so. There wasn’t much time for anything else. I haven’t quite gotten around to having a life again yet.”

  Cam nodded as though she understood. “Life sometimes gets in the way of life.”

  Exactly. Too bad Cam exhibited such a cocky attitude when she was working. She was much different in casual settings. Perhaps it had been the migraine that knocked her down a peg and made her more pleasant to be around. Or seeing how vulnerable she was after her night terror. She still didn’t think Cam had been totally honest about what that was about, but it wasn’t really any of her business. Still, she felt like she knew her a little better.