Chapter 29
CHAPTER 29
W hat I Needed
Cameron
I turn from the conversation I’m having and head for the door to leave. I’m over this party. I’ve done nothing but party since breaking up with Kay.
I don’t know what I was expecting, but I haven’t found what I’m looking for. I feel hollow and alone. No different from how I felt in my relationship with Kay.
As I walk out onto the street, my thoughts go to the one person who makes me feel alive. Amina hasn’t been at a single one of these parties. It dawns on me that that’s what I’ve been waiting for.
I’ve been looking for her to walk through the door and light up the place with her presence. None of the girls who have approached me have brought that light with them. I’m longing for the one person who makes me feel.
I hop into my car and drive aimlessly. I don’t know how I end up at Amina’s front door with two cases of beer in my hands. However, as she opens the door and I see her sad eyes, I know there’s no other place I need to be.
“Cam?” she says with her brows knit.
“What’s wrong?” I ask before she can speak another word.
“Come inside. You have to see this one for yourself,” she says and takes a step back to allow me inside.
I breathe a sigh of relief. Part of me thought she was going to turn me away. I walk into the apartment and take a look around.
It’s nice. I’ve never been inside before. I’ve only ever walked her to the door and that has only been a few times.
Most times, I’ve only made it to the front door of the building. Now that I’m in her space, I feel like our relationship has just reached a new level.
“You can put those in the fridge if you plan to hang out for a while.” She gestures with her head for the kitchen. “What brings you here?”
“I can’t come check in on a friend?”
I walk over to the kitchen and place the beers inside the fridge. I grab two and walk back to the living room, where she’s now sitting with her head in her hands. It’s as I take in the scene fully that I notice the half empty bottle of tequila on the coffee table.
Next to it is a gift bag and tissue paper that looks like it was once inside the bag. I sit down beside her and place the beers on the table. I then place a hand on her back and begin to rub it.
“Talk to me, Mina. What’s going on?”
She looks up at me with tears in her eyes. When she opens her mouth, no words come out. She shrugs and points to the gift bag as her lips tremble.
I reach for the bag and look inside to see what has her like this. I take out what looks to be a card and read it first. It’s handwritten and signed by that asshole.
My Maribel,
Time is up. I thought it time you started to wear this. I will see you soon.
Your husband,
Dez
I have to fight not to crumble the card in my hand. I toss it down on the table and dig into the bag to pull out the box. When I open the box, I can’t help the low whistle that leaves my lips.
The guy didn’t cut any corners, although the princess-cut ring doesn’t say Amina. I would have gone for something totally different for her long, slender finger.
“Put it back in the bag. I don’t want to look at it,” she breathes beside me.
I close the box and toss it back into the bag. Once the bag is back on the coffee table, I pull her into my arms and hold her tight. I hate this for her.
“It just became real. I’m going to be married to some guy I don’t love and barely know beyond a few dates that I didn’t even know were dates in the first place. How is this happening?”
“Shh. I’ve got you. We’re going to get shit-faced and forget that thing ever arrived. Tonight, you get to be and do whatever you want without having to worry about that asshole,” I murmur into the top of her hair.
“What made you come here?” she sniffles.
“It felt like the right place to be. I was at a party, but something felt off. The girls there were …” I purse my lips and shake my head.
“Girls?” she snorts. “What were you doing worrying about girls?”
“Kay and I broke up a few weeks ago. I’m single. How do you not know this? Girls have been chasing me down since the night we broke up. I still don’t know how everyone found out.”
“Do you know how many times girls have tried to spread rumors about you being single or breaking up with your girlfriend? If I listened to half the rumors I’ve heard about you, we probably wouldn’t be friends.”
“I don’t think Kay is it for me. I want to see what’s out there before I commit myself to something I was told I should want.”
“Look at us. We’re a mess. You want some tequila? I might have started the party without you.”
I peck her cute little nose. I can tell she’s been drinking for a bit. Not only is the bottle half empty, but her nose is no longer brown.
“I can see that. Your nose looks like a little cherry. I didn’t think that was possible.”
“I guess you don’t think I can blush either.” Her words dropping with sarcasm.
“I know you can blush. I’ve seen it plenty of times. I’m the cause of it most of the time.”
She rolls her eyes and goes to stand. I reach for her hand to stop her. She looks back at me and lifts a brow.
“Where are you going?”
“We’re going to need another bottle of tequila. I have a stash. Make yourself comfortable.”
I release her hand and allow her to go. My eyes drop to her round ass as she walks away. She has on a pair of gray short shorts that are made of sweatpants material. The tiny shorts are just barely covering the bottoms of her butt cheeks.
I bite my lip and pull a hand down my face. Those legs are sexy on their own. Add to them her nice plump ass—fuck—I’m hard just looking at her.
“Keep it together, Cam. That’s never going to happen,” I mutter to myself.
Maribel
I race into my bedroom and close the door behind me. I do have another bottle of tequila in here, but I also needed a second to pull myself together.
“Come on, girl. Pull it together. Please,” I whimper as I lean with my back against my bedroom door.
I was devastated when the carrier arrived with that package for me. Never in a million years did I think it was an engagement ring from Dez. I started drinking as the panic set in.
“Suck it up, Maribel. This is your life. You’re getting married whether you like it or not,” I scold myself.
I swipe at the tears that begin to spill. I hadn’t expected Cam to show up at my door. However, I was happy to see him.
I feel so cold and alone inside. The best idea I’ve come up with to get out of all of this has been to fake my death and hope to God Dez never finds me. I would never get to see my family or my mom again.
“I can’t do that to her. She tried to save me from this, I can’t break her heart now,” I murmur to myself.
My thoughts go to Cam and his idea to run to Paris. I wonder if he’d still consider that option. Hearing that he and Kay have broken up would have made me excited if I didn’t have to return home to marry someone else.
I would have finally been able to tell him how I feel. However, now, tonight, the knowledge of their breakup feels suffocating.
Pushing off the door, I move to the mirror and groan. I look like a mess. My nose is red at the tip, and I have on an old, faded T-shirt with sweat shorts.
At least my legs are shaved and look silky from my bath and the cream I slathered all over them. I palm my forehead as I notice I’m not wearing a bra either. In my defense, I had no idea Cam was on the other side of my front door when I answered.
I hurry to put a bra on and grab the bottle of tequila to get back out there. I don’t change my clothes because I don’t want to look as desperate as I feel to have him look at me as more than a friend.
I take one more glance in the mirror as I clench the bottle of alcohol to my chest, then I huff. Reaching up, I release my hair from the ponytail and comb my hand through it.
A groan leaves my lips as I’ve only managed to make it frizzy. My curls have recoiled from washing my hair this morning. I haven’t had a chance to blow it out.
Giving up on trying to look presentable, I head back out to the living room where Cam is waiting. I find him with his shoes and socks kicked off. He’s in his jeans, but his button-down is thrown on the back of my couch and he’s in a sleeveless T-shirt sitting on the floor in front of the sofa.
I stand admiring the view. A grin comes to my lips as I see he has emptied the tequila bottle I left behind. He holds it up and gives me a smile when he sees me.
“I thought I’d catch up. Come on. I figured your TV out. Let’s find something to watch. Food is on the way.”
I laugh and go to sit on the couch beside where he’s sitting on the floor. He leans his head against my leg and wraps his arm around my calf. I think we both release a contented sigh at the same time.
“This is what I needed,” he murmurs softly.
I bite my lip and keep silent. He’s talking about the tequila, not me. Even if his words were meant for me, nothing can come of these feelings.
As I have the thought, I look to the coffee table, but the bag is no longer there. My heart swells. This is why I love him.
He always takes care of me and never asks for anything in return. It would have been so amazing if I would have had a chance to explore things between the two of us. I hate Dez.