ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟝𝟚
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I had been driving in circles around my familiar neighborhood for 30 minutes straight. The news and reporters were still on my tail.
I had considered the possibility of going back to Cameron's, but that would make me look like a big, fat, loser.
Okay, it was getting too much now. I quickly picked up my phone and called Dannah. The phone rang twice before someone finally answered.
"Hey, Dixie!"
I frowned. Whoever was on the other end of the phone was definitely not Dannah.
Oh geez, it was Josh.
"Josh...how?"
"Dannah came over and she's in the bathroom right now. Did you need something?"
I wanted to strangle someone. The news people and vans were still behind me. I wanted to call the cops, but I realized how dumb that sounded.
"Well, I would appreciate it a lot if you handed the phone to Dannah."
"Sorry Dixie, she's in the bathroom. If you need anything, you'll have to talk to me."
I ended the phone call right then and there. If I called Dannah I would expect to speak to Dannah.
Well she wasn't answering, and it was raining hard. I wasn't going to be able to get back to her neighborhood.
The rain came down harder.
I tightened both hands around the steering wheel, blinking rapidly as another flash of headlights appeared in my rearview mirror.
The news van was still there.
My stomach dropped.
They are still following me.
I made another turn, and the van turned too.
I swallowed hard. "No, no, no."
I tried another street, and they followed.
My vision blurred slightly. I was not going to cry.
I wiped beneath my eye with the back of my hand. It came away wet.
Great. Now I was crying.
I glanced at the sky through the windshield.
The storm had gotten worse in the last few minutes. Rain hammered against the glass so hard that the windshield wipers were barely keeping up.
I heard thunder roll somewhere in the distance.
I couldn't keep driving around like this. It wasn't safe, and Dannah wasn't answering.
I looked at my phone sitting in the cup holder, then I looked at the road, then the rearview mirror.
The van was still there.
There was only one place left. Cameron's.
I immediately shook my head.
I couldn't go back there.
I had left not just a couple minutes ago to get my stuff. I had spent days convincing myself I was strong enough to stay away.
Going back now felt humiliating.
Another burst of thunder shook the car. I flinched.
Gosh, I hated this weather. When was it ever like this in Minnesota? All I knew were clouds and foggy skies.
The rain became even heavier. I slowed the vehicle down.
Okay.
This wasn't about pride anymore, this was about getting somewhere safe. And whether I liked it or not, my house was the safest place I knew.
I turned the car around, and the news van followed.
My hands started trembling. "Please just leave me alone."
I drove faster.
The familiar streets blurred past my windshield.
Every turn brought back another memory.
I saw the tiny coffee shop where he'd once spilled an entire drink on my dress and spent twenty minutes apologizing.
The little park where we'd taken Jordyn when she was three.
I swallowed.
I couldn't think about Jordyn now- I couldn't even think about Cameron, I just needed to get inside.
I finally pulled into the driveway. Warm lights glowed through the windows.
I just sat there, my hands remained frozen around the steering wheel.
The news van pulled up behind me.
My heart nearly stopped. "No!"
I quickly grabbed my purse, I didn't even bother turning off the radio. I shoved the car door open and ran.
"Damn it!" Rain immediately soaked through my clothes.
I hurried toward the front door, slipping slightly on the wet pavement.
Behind me, I heard voices. "Ms. West!"
My stomach twisted.
I ran faster. I reached the porch and started pounding on the door.
"Cameron!"
The door stayed closed.
I knocked again, harder. "Cameron!"
Another flash of lightning lit up the street.
I looked behind me. A camera was already coming out of the van.
My breathing broke. "Cameron!"
The door suddenly opened. He stood there in a black T-shirt and gray sweatpants, looking completely confused.
"Dixie?"
The second he saw my face, his expression changed. His eyes widened. I must have looked awful.
I was sure I looked awful.
I just couldn't stop crying. "Cameron..."
My voice cracked.
Cameron looked ahead where the reporters were slowly coming. He didn't ask another question. He immediately reached for me.
"Come inside."
I stumbled forward. He grabbed my arm and pulled me through the doorway just as another voice shouted from outside.
"Ms. West!"
Cameron slammed the door shut. The sound echoed through the entryway.
I stood there shaking.
Cameron locked the door, then turned toward me.
"Dixie."
I tried to speak but nothing came out. My chest was rising and falling too quickly.
"They..." I swallowed. "They were..."
Now they probably posted the clip of me running back to Cameron's all over the internet.
It was already embarrassing enough that I was on the news- I don't think I could handle this.
My voice broke again.
Cameron stepped closer. "Who?"
"The reporters," I covered my face. "They followed me."
"What?" Cameron's jaw tightened.
"They wouldn't leave me alone."
The words started coming out between sobs.
"I tried to drive away and they kept following me and I called Dannah but Josh answered and she wasn't there and then the storm got worse and I didn't know where else to go and..."
I couldn't finish.
Cameron's face softened immediately.
"Dix."
"I didn't want to come here...I had nowhere else." I shook my head.
"I know."
"I wasn't trying to..." My voice disappeared.
"Hey." He stepped closer.
I looked up at him. His eyes were gentle.
"I was scared."
That was all I managed. Cameron's arms immediately went around me.
I collapsed against him immediately. His arms tightened around my back.
"It's okay."
I sobbed into his shirt.
"It's okay, Dix."
"They wouldn't stop..they kept following my car."
"I know."
"I thought they were going to follow me to Dannah's."
Cameron's hand moved slowly over my wet hair. "They're not getting near you, okay?"
I clutched the back of his shirt. For a few seconds, I couldn't do anything except cry, and Cameron didn't try to stop me.
He held me exactly the way he used to, and my breathing slowly began to settle.
Cameron pulled back just enough to look at me.
"Are you hurt at all?"
"No." I shook my head.
"Did anybody touch you?"
"Mm-mm."
I shook my head. He nodded.
"Okay." His thumb brushed beneath my eye, wiping away one of the tears.
"You scared me, Dix." He laughed softly.
I looked down. "I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize."
"I didn't know where else to go."
"You came here, that's what matters."
My lips trembled, and my fingers tightened around the back of Cameron's shirt.
I didn't want to let go.
There was something about being held by him that made everything outside the house disappear. All of it became distant the second his arms went around me.
His shirt was warm against my cheek despite the fact that I had soaked it with rain. I could feel his hand moving slowly over my back, the same warm, comforting motion he'd used a hundred times before.
I hated how quickly my body had remembered that Cameron was where I went when I was scared.
My safe space.
I finally pulled back slightly after what felt like forever standing in his arms. Cameron looked down at me.
"Are you okay now?"
I nodded, then shook my head. Truth was, I wasn't sure.
He almost smiled. "That's an answer."
"I'm fine."
"You've said that before."
I looked at him. He raised an eyebrow.
I sighed. "I'm...better."
"Okay."
His hands remained around my waist for another moment, then his eyes traveled over me.
"Dixie, you're freezing."
"I am."
"You're dripping all over the floor."
I looked down. There was, in fact, a small puddle beneath me. "Sorry."
"Don't worry about it."
He gave me a look before gently taking my hand. "Come on."
"Where?"
"Upstairs."
I followed him toward the staircase. As we climbed, another crack of thunder shook the house.
I flinched.
Cameron noticed immediately.
"I forgot how scared you were of storms."
"I don't hate them."
Another thunderclap sounded, and I grabbed his hand tighter.
He glanced down. "Right."
I frowned.
We reached the bedroom. Cameron opened the door and let me walk inside.
The room looked exactly the same except for most of my stuff which was now empty. My side of the closet still had empty spaces where my clothes had been.
But the room still felt like ours- or maybe I was just refusing to accept that it wasn't anymore.
Cameron walked toward the bed. "Sit."
I sat down slowly.
He grabbed a towel from the bathroom and handed it to me.
"For your hair."
"Thank you." I took it.
He nodded, then looked toward the window. The sky had gone almost completely dark.
Cameron stared outside for a few seconds. I watched him.
I couldn't read his expression for a minute, but he seemed tired.
Then I remembered Molly.
My stomach twisted. I looked down at the towel in my hands.
"Cameron?"
He looked back. "Yeah?"
"Have you heard anything?"
"About Molly?" His expression changed immediately.
I nodded.
He shook his head. "No, not yet."
I tilted my head."I'm sorry."
He didn't answer immediately, but he looked at me.
"You don't have to be."
"I know, but..." I stopped. There wasn't anything I could say that would make it better.
Cameron rubbed the back of his neck. "Have you eaten?"
I shook my head. "I had eggs, but I've been busy."
"Doing what?"
"Trying to get away from reporters, apparently."
He laughed quietly.
He sighed."I'm getting you something to eat."
"Thank you, again. For all of this, Cam."
His expression softened. "Anytime."
Then he disappeared downstairs.
I sat there quietly. The second he was gone, my eyes burned again.