12. Cam
Tabs rushes toward me with her arms waving wildly. She’s using her outside voice, shouting, “No, no, no, no!”
The crowd is abuzz. Everyone”s suddenly talking over each other, and at least a dozen phones are trained on us, recording the whole thing.
I hate the attention, but I”ll do anything for Tabs.
She practically throws herself at me and reaches up to cup my face in her hands. She pulls me down, but instead of the kiss I crave, her warm breath grazes my ear. “Don’t do this, Cam. Let’s get out of here and talk. Please.”
In all the ways I envisioned this playing out, having Tabs stop me was not a possibility I’d ever considered. She hates secrets. I’d been sure she’d want me to tell the truth.
“Tabs, I—” I stare down at the woman I’ve loved since I was an awkward teen.
I’m still awkward as hell, and a historical romance author to boot. One who completely screwed up and lost the only woman he’s ever imagined building a future with.
Telling the truth is the only way I stand a chance of getting Tabs back in my life. “I have to, Tabs,” I whisper softly.
“You can’t. You just can’t. And you don’t have to.”
“Yes, I do. Tabs, the last two weeks without you have been torture. I can’t stand thinking of a life without you. I check my phone every two minutes, hoping you’ll text me. I haven’t been able to sleep. And Fridays were hell, Tabs. I need you. I need you.”
“Oh, Cam.” Her eyes fill with tears.
I cup her face and kiss her. Right in the middle of the library with everyone watching. The only saving grace is that Jane isn’t recording, so it won’t end up in front of millions of fans.
People around us gasp, and a few awww, but I don’t care. And neither does Tabs. She wraps her arms around my neck and holds on for dear life.
This is the only thing I need in my life. I don’t need my career. How could I ever write again without her sitting on my couch, quietly flipping pages as she reads the latest in an endless stream of library books?
I haven’t written a word since the last time we spoke—so what does it even matter if I lose my contract? Maybe I’ll get an actual tech support job. Not that I need the money. But I’d rather do that and have Tabs at my side than continue writing books without the love of my life to share my days and nights with.
And kissing Tabs—it makes everything worth it.
“Get a room!” Ruthanne shouts. I know she’s just teasing, but it bursts the illusion of privacy that Tabs and I have had up until this moment.
Tabs starts to pull away, but I can’t let go of her. Not yet. I force my lips to leave hers, but I keep her hooked in my arm. Keep her close, where I can smell the crazy book-scented perfume on her neck. Feel the soft skin of her bare arm against mine.
She smiles up at me, and my broken heart is suddenly made whole again. ”Forgive me, Tabs?” I whisper, my eyes pleading. ”I can”t live without you. You”re my everything.”
”Of course I forgive you. You”re my everything, too.”
I pull her tightly against my chest, vowing never to let go.
“So what’s this big secret?” Sylvie calls out.
So much for that.
Everyone starts talking all at once again until Ruthanne’s voice carries over the chatter. “We’ve brought you here to make an announcement.” I spot her amidst the crowd, and she nods and mouths, Trust me. “I’ve known Cam’s secret for years.”
Ruthanne nudges her way to the front to face the crowd. I have no idea where she’s going with this, but I do trust her.
Tabs’s body goes stiff against mine.
“It’s okay,” I whisper to her. “Whatever Ruthanne is going to say, it’ll be okay. The fact that you’re in my arms right now is the only thing I care about.”
Tabs leans into me, tears well in her eyes. “But what about?—”
“You, Tabs. You are all that matters,” I repeat firmly. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” She wraps her arms tightly around my waist.
Ruthanne turns to face the crowd. “Has anyone ever thought it was curious that the very popular romance author, Abigail Cameron, has a name that sounds an awful lot like our dear Cam’s? If you aren’t aware, his full name is Cameron Albert Gail. Coincidence? I think not!”
“What are you getting at?” Sylvie demands.
I kiss Tabs, ignore the building sense of dread, and step forward to introduce myself as the author. Ruthanne elbows me to stay behind her.
“Our dear Cam is the namesake and a close relative,” she emphasizes the words and turns to me with raised eyebrows, “of Abigail Cameron. Our little town has the great honor of being only one step removed from this most beloved author who has brought so much joy to romance readers around the world.”
Tabs hugs me so hard I yelp.
“Can you invite her to come to book club?” Sylvie asks. The entire crowd seems to agree.
Tabs shoots me a quick glance, but we keep the fact that Abigail Cameron has been to book club to ourselves.
Once everyone settles down, Ruthanne hangs her head and says mournfully, “Sadly, Abigail Cameron passed last week.”
What?If anyone had been looking at me they’d have seen the shock in my eyes.
A hush falls over the crowd.
“H-how?” Sylvie’s voice shakes. It’s the most emotion—aside from outrage—that I’ve ever seen from her. “H-how did she die?”
I feel a wave of guilt and step forward, ready to reveal the truth, but Ruthanne doesn’t miss a beat. “She went as any great romance author would want to—tangled in the sheets with her true love.”
I choke back a laugh.
“You’re a real comedian, Ruthanne.” Sylvie takes the magazine she’s holding and slaps her friend on the arm. When she raises it again, Tabs tenses.
“Please be careful with library material, Sylvie,” she cries.
Sylvie straightens the magazine in question and rolls her eyes at Ruthanne. “I almost fell for your little skit, you know.”
The teenage girl who said I was Batman pipes up, “So Abigail Cameron isn’t really dead?”
I didn’t peg her for a historical romance reader, but I’m well aware that some of my Abigail Cameron fans are quite young. And I can’t let them, or anyone else, think Abigail Cameron is dead.
I step forward again, sure my publisher would prefer to reveal I’m the face behind Abigail Cameron’s name rather than announce that she’s dead.
“Abigail Cameron is very much alive,” I announce, “and she will be hosting her book launch for The Duke’s Prize right here at Maple Valley Library.”
Tabs gasps. So does half the crowd. Then everyone erupts in applause.
At least that buys me some time.
And with my woman back in my arms, the world suddenly seems to make sense again. All I care about is that Tabs and I are together. I can face any challenge as long as she’s by my side—and that includes revealing my secret identity.
I take her hand in mine, lead her away from the crowd, and pull her in for another kiss. At the other end of the library, Jane begins the latest episode of Book Talk with Byron, but I drown out her words as I focus on the woman in my arms.
This moment, right here, is all that matters. And it is a thousand times better than the happy ending I wrote for The Duke”s Prize, which is pretty epic, if I do say so myself.