CHAPTER 15
When pasts come a calling,
maybe send them to voicemail.
“SOMEONE HAS BEEN ASKING about Camden,” Alice told me, and I went very, very still. So did Cam.
“Who?” I asked after a few long, tense moments.
“Dunno. Some guy; I didn’t get a good look at his face,” she said. “I overheard him talking in the store when I was grabbing some groceries.”
“What did he say?” My words were filled with false calm, but I could feel my nerves bleeding through. “How do you know they were asking about my Cam?”
Cam squeezed my hand, expression going liquid soft at how I called him mine.
“Because they said they’d heard he’d been in a bad accident.
” Cam and I shared a look as Alice continued, “But then they said these two ladies... Well, I can’t remember their names.
I think they both rhymed? Anyway, they told this guy that they’d seen him just the other day at their diner and he was alive and well with a handsome young boyfriend with curly brown hair.
Well,” she scoffed, “I could only assume it was you two. But the handsome part...”
When she went quiet, I ignored the jibe and prodded, “What else?”
“What do you mean what else? He left.”
“Why didn’t you follow him?” I demanded.
She snorted, “What am I, some stalker? I’m not as crazy as you.”
I rested my phone on my lap and rubbed my creasing forehead, unwilling to release Cam’s hand.
“You didn’t catch the guy’s name or anything?” I asked.
“Sorry, no dice.”
“Thank you for letting us know, Alice,” Cam said in his deep, soft voice.
“Awe, Cam, you’re so welcome!” she crooned sweetly, completely at odds from how she spoke to me. “I’m just looking out for you boys. I don’t know if it’s important or not, but I figured you’d want to know. Might need to be more careful from here on out.”
“Yeah, thanks Ali Cat.”
With that, she hung up and Cam and I were left in quiet once more. I loosed a long sigh, the warm air puffing in front of my face in a small cloud of white with the night’s growing cold.
“Who do you think it could be?” I wondered aloud.
I couldn’t help but think back on the story Cam had told me.
The story of his past. He’d said the guy who basically got his entire family killed was in prison, along with the others, but how could he be certain he was still there? What if he was free and wanted revenge?
The worry must have been apparent on my face as Cam read me like an open book.
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” he assured me, even though I could see a hint of his own concern pinching his brow tight. Though, he did his best to hide it. Cam chuckled, despite the worry clearly making his shoulders tense.
“What?” I asked, confused.
“Dolly and Delia. Their names don’t rhyme.”
I huffed a disbelieving laugh, “You’re so cute, Cam.”
We made our way back to our hotel slowly, both of us trying to enjoy what remained of our peaceful night.
It was clear we were both worried about what Alice had told us, and we were just trying our best not to think too much on it.
There was no point in letting the news ruin our night, but it was hard to ignore the cloud of uncertainty lingering above us.
We didn’t have sex. It was a different intimacy we both needed from each other.
One that had Cam holding me tight. Cam was naturally clingy, but he hadn’t parted from my side even as we got ready for bed and climbed beneath the covers together. I held him right back until we both fell asleep.
But I had a sinking feeling that it took Cam much longer to fall asleep than it did me.
***
As we passed the Welcome to Briarwood sign, Cam and I were both wound tight with anxious nerves.
We had agreed we couldn’t leave this worry unresolved.
The only way to face it was head-on, and our sole clue was the sweet old couple at the diner.
We didn’t even go home to unpack before we were heading straight there.
Cam’s thumb rubbed over the back of my hand as he drove us down the familiar two-lane roads.
Back and forth it swiped until we were parking outside of the small building.
When he didn’t immediately get out of the car, I reached over and cupped Cam’s chin, forcing his gaze to meet mine. I gave him a reassuring smile,
“It’s going to be alright. But even if it is the piece of shit who hurt you, I’m ready.”
I patted my hand over my coat pocket, feeling the contents jostling a little.
Within was a variety of my more dangerous spells I rarely used that I’d had stashed in my glove compartment.
For emergencies. Not that I expected to find whoever was looking for Cam here or destroy the couple’s diner.
I was certain if I did that, Delia would crack my skull with that spoon of hers.
Cam turned his face so that his cheek was nestling in my palm. When I leaned across the console to press our foreheads together, he inhaled deeply, breathing me into his lungs. I did the same then leaned in for a kiss. I kept it chaste and pulled back a few seconds later.
“Alright.” Cam let out an unsteady breath. “Let’s go.”
The diner was rather busy, more than half of the tables and booths filled with people chatting away over their coffee and meals.
A few pairs of eyes drifted to Cam and I, appreciation in their gazes when they spotted Cam. I squeezed his hand tighter as we entered and scanned the room.
“So, if it is that guy, what does he look like?” I asked Cam quietly as we found an empty table.
He slid into the seat across from me as we picked up our menus to feign looking over the options. Cam didn’t get to respond before a waitress strode over, smiling kindly. Once we’d both ordered our drinks, Cam asked her,
“Excuse me, could you please tell Dolly or Delia that Cam is here to see them?”
Her eyes brightened. “Cam? Wow! So, you’re the one they’ve been gushing about for the past few days. Nice to put a face to the name!”
Cam and I exchanged a look. So, they had been talking about Cam. As heartwarming as it was that the women seemed to care for him like a son, it also meant that it was very possible the wrong person could have heard about Cam’s presence here. And his very-much-aliveness.
Cam returned her smile, but it was tight.
“Dolly is in the back,” she told him. “I’ll go fetch her for you.”
Once she was gone, Cam leaned back in his seat with a heavy thump. I reached across the table and grabbed his hand, lacing our fingers together.
Even though the surrounding chatter would drown out my words, I lowered my voice to a whisper, “Remember the alley incident on our first date?”
Cam blinked before a playful smile took front and center, blue eyes twinkling with amusement.
“How could I possibly forget?”
“Well, we should probably make a game plan if it is that piece of shit.” I glanced around suspiciously, unsure if said shithead was loitering among the crowds of people watching us like some cliche villain.
I didn’t spot anyone sitting in a corner with a newspaper held up to their face with eyeholes cut out either, but one couldn’t be too careful.
“The invisibility spell I have is in its test stages, but it seems to last for a few minutes at least. If we get him alone and knock him out, that gives us enough time to get him into the trunk-”
“Cam?”
My rapidly formulating plan was interrupted by a curious voice coming from behind me. Cam’s eyes settled over my shoulder and grew wide.
Shit, shit shit. What if it’s the guy? What if he heard me?
I couldn’t tell if Cam's expression was wide with surprise or fear, but I didn’t hesitate before I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small fabric pouch.
It was either a Glitter Fun-Stun spell, Week-Old-Chili-Gas-Hex, or the Thousand-Spiders illusion, but I didn’t care which one it was in my unbridled anger.
But when I went to stand and hurl the spell at whoever the stranger was, Cam’s grip on my hand tightened, keeping me sitting. So instead, I turned in my seat.
The young man approaching us was... not what I had expected.
I knew appearances could be deceiving, but there was no way this guy was the ex-gangster who’d been imprisoned for his crimes. He looked like a strong gust of wind could blow him over. And that was coming from me, mister lean and lanky.
He was obviously shorter than me by several inches, slim but not gangly.
His short hair was dyed a deep wine red, and his androgynous face sported several piercings: one through the center of his bottom lip, two in his nose, a hoop in his eyebrow...
Even his ears were decoratively adorned.
His smile was hesitant but not unfriendly, and his eyes seemed to sparkle with familiarity.
His... violet eyes. Wow, those were pretty contacts.
My mouth would have fallen open had I not been so tense.
Fuck was he cute.
When Cam didn’t react with fury or lunge from the table to punch the guy in the face, I relaxed. But only marginally.
Cam smiled back and jealousy panged in my gut. This guy was clearly attractive, and Cam was smiling at him.
I didn’t like that combination.
Cam released my hand and stood as the man stopped next to our table. Cam towered over him and the moment he fully recognized Cam, his grin widened showing off perfect, white teeth.
“Well shit Cam, when did you get so tall?”
Cam chuckled and embraced the stranger, engulfing him within his big arms.
"Avery, it’s good to see you.”
Cam patted the man’s small back before releasing him to smile down at him. All the while, I sat there feeling slightly awkward at witnessing the – admittedly unexpected – friendly exchange. That didn’t last long before Cam turned to me,
“This is my boyfriend, Victor.”
The unsettling insecurity fizzled out in an instant as Cam returned his smile to me, bright and proud. I nearly melted on the spot.
Standing, I met the man, Avery’s, gaze and shook his hand in greeting.
“Nice to meet you,” I told him politely.