ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟜𝟞 #4
I slowed slightly, then kept walking. Maybe if I didn't acknowledge them, they'd leave me alone.
That was the plan.
"Dixie!"
It was a terrible plan.
I closed my eyes briefly.
Please don't.
I heard footsteps approaching. "Dixie, wait."
I turned around slowly. Brody and Hunter were walking toward me.
Hunter had his hands shoved into his pockets, while Brody looked considerably more serious than he had earlier.
"Hey, guys." I forced a polite smile.
Brody nodded. "Hey. Are you leaving?"
"I am."
Hunter glanced behind me. "You just came out of Cam's room?"
"Yes."
"How is he?"
"He's doing okay."
Hunter looked at Brody, Brody looked back at him.
Then Hunter looked at me again. "He actually let you see him?"
"Uh, yes. What does that mean?" I frowned.
"Cam Wam didn't want us bothering him." Brody stepped in.
"Oh, really?"
Brody shook his head. "No."
"Yeah. He told us not to come back there." Hunter nodded.
I looked toward the room I'd just left. For some reason, that made my heart skip a beat..
"He didn't want you guys to see him?"
"Nope," Hunter scratched his jaw. "We're guessing he was embarrassed."
"Yeah." Brody nodded.
"Cam's weird about getting hurt."
Hunter laughed. "He's always been like that."
"So he didn't want either of you seeing the burn?" I looked between them.
"Pretty much."
I didn't know why that surprised me. Cameron had acted like it was nothing when he'd called me. He didn't want his friends seeing him hurt, but he had let me see it and he'd let me clean it.
Brody tilted his head. "So?"
"So what?"
"How bad is it?"
I hesitated. "Well it's not horrible."
Hunter nodded. "That's good."
"It is pretty irritated, though."
Hunter winced. "Yeah, burns suck."
"They sure do."
He looked at me. "I'm guessing you helped cleaned it?"
I nodded. "I did."
Hunter gave Brody a look. Brody smiled slightly. "Of course she did."
"What?" I frowned.
Hunter shrugged. "Nothing."
I didn't have the energy to argue. Brody looked at me again.
"Seriously, though. Is Cam Wam is okay?"
"Yes, he's doing alright."
Hunter nodded. "Good."
Hunter then added, "Did he tell you why he didn't want us around?"
"No." I shook my head.
Brody shrugged, nudging Hunter. "He probably didn't want us making jokes."
Hunter looked disgusted. "We make friendly jokes. He knows that."
"Hunter! How could you call his burn a barbecue injury?"
"It was a joke." Hunter smiled.
Brody started to chuckle. "Yeah..yeah, that was kind of funny."
I stared at him. "You're both terrible."
"Cam loves us.." Brody laughed.
I shook my head. For the first time since I'd left Cameron's room, I felt a little less tense.
Hunter's expression shifted as he glanced toward Cameron's room.
"You know what?"
"What?"
"He was actually asking about you earlier."
I stopped. "He was?"
My heart gave a small, unexpected beat.
Hunter nodded. "Before you came in."
"What did he say?"
"Just whether you'd been called." Hunter shrugged.
I stared at him. "Why?"
"I don't know," Brody looked at me. "He probably knew you were coming."
I looked away from the two of them. Maybe he'd wanted me there- that's why he called. Maybe the whole thing wasn't just a courtesy.
I stopped myself.
I couldn't start building meaning out of every little thing Cameron did.
Hunter suddenly spoke again. "Anyway, we're glad he's alright."
"Me too."
"Tell him we said to stop being a stubborn asshole." Brody nodded.
I laughed quietly. "I'll tell him."
"No, seriously. He needs to hear it."
"I'll make sure he does."
"And tell him if he needs anything, we're around."
"I will."
Brody looked at me. "Are you good, Dixie?"
The question caught me off guard.
"Yeah...I'm good."
He didn't look too convinced. "You sure?"
"Yes."
Hunter leaned slightly toward Brody. "She's doing that thing where she says she's fine when she's obviously not. Look at that smirk."
"I am great, for your information." My smile disappeared slightly.
Brody sighed. "That's what Cam says too."
Hunter laughed quietly. "Well, that's definitely a married-couple thing."
I shook my head.
Brody smiled. "Anyway, get home safe."
"Thanks."
I started walking again.
"Hey, uh..Dixie!"
I turned one last time. Brody pointed toward Cameron's room. "Don't worry. He's going to be alright."
I nodded. "I know. Thanks."
That was the part I was certain about. It was everything else I wasn't so sure about.
I turned and continued toward the exit, the station doors opened, letting the warm afternoon air hit my face.
Much better than today's extreme cold this morning.
I opened my car door and sat inside. The station was still visible in the rearview mirror. Somewhere inside that building was my husband.
The man I'd loved for years was also the man who had barely touched me for weeks. And the man who had booked our anniversary with a private investigator instead of me.
I started the car quickly
I didn't know which part hurt more. That he'd chosen Molly, or that I understood exactly why he had.
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