ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟞𝟚 #4
I smiled. "Thank you."
"You've come a long way."
I looked around the office.
I really had.
Dannah smiled, then left. The door closed.
I looked at Cameron, then I walked toward him.
Actually, I didn't walk.
I crossed the room faster than necessary and wrapped my arms around him. He laughed softly as his arms immediately came around me.
"Hey."
I buried my face against his chest. "Hi. I missed you."
"I missed you too," He kissed the top of my head. "You had a busy morning?"
"You have no idea." I groan, looking back at him.
"I heard."
I pulled back. "You heard?"
"Oh yeah," He crossed his eyebrows, smiling. "Gwen told me Ted was here."
"Gosh he was awful." I scoff.
"She didn't give me details, she just said you survived."
I laughed.
I lifted my hands and cupped his face. "I haven't seen you all day."
"It's been like six hours." He grinned.
"That's all it takes."
He laughed.
I leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips.
His hands settled around my waist. I smiled against his mouth before pulling back.
"Gosh, I've missed you." He looked at me.
I kissed him again. This time, he smiled into it. He tasted like that minty fresh gum he always chewed on the way to work.
When we finally separated, I kept my hands against his face. "How was the station?"
He sighed. "Actually...remember Brody?"
"Oh, how could I forget?" I immediately laughed.
Cameron shook his head. "After all these years, I finally fired him."
I blinked. "You fired Brody? Why?"
"Well, Dixie, being a firefighter doesn't mean you can repeatedly ignore instructions, argue with supervisors, and turn every staff meeting into a comedy show."
I laughed. "That sounds exactly like him."
"That's not even the best part. After he got fired, he tried to sue the station."
I stared at him then burst out laughing.
"He did not!"
"Oh, he did. Wrongful termination, was his words."
I covered my mouth.
"You fired him for being Brody."
"Essentially."
We both started laughing hard. Cameron leaned against the edge of my desk.
"He actually showed up with an attorney."
"No!" I playfully slapped his arm. "What did you say?"
"I asked him whether the attorney knew why he was there. The attorney said Brody believed he'd been treated unfairly."
I shook my head. "Poor Brody."
"Don't feel sorry for him. Actually, I should've done it a while ago."
I smiled. "I have a similar story. Ted came here today."
Cameron's crossed his arms, listening "What did he want?"
"To recruit me. He offered partnership."
Cameron stared at me. "After everything?"
"Apparently."
"He's got some nerve." He shook his head.
"I told him no. He also suggested our firms merge. I told him I never wanted to see him again."
"That's my wife," Cameron smiled. "I like confident Dixie."
I smiled. "Confident Dixie is expensive."
"She's worth it."
I laughed at his cheesy line.
Cameron's phone buzzed. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen.
"Speaking of family..."
"What?"
"My family wants us for lunch."
I smiled. "Your family?"
"Yep. Mom, Dad, Molly, Jonathan."
I immediately smiled. "What time?"
"Like right now. They ordered enough food to feed the entire building and don't want it to go to waste."
I grabbed my purse. "Then let's go. Can't waste food, can we?"
Cameron smiled. "You're coming?"
"Of course. I haven't seen your family in forever. I miss them."
When your parents die, it's easier to get attached to others.
He smiled. "Alright."
I reached for his hand, and his fingers slipped through mine automatically.
We had gotten very good at the little things.
Two years ago, I had been terrified that we'd never get back to this, now I couldn't imagine my life without it.
The door suddenly opened and Gwen stopped immediately. "Oh! I'm sorry for interrupting."
"What happened?"
"I have a client who would like to meet with you."
Gwen continued. "I didn't realize you were leaving."
"Oh, I actually have plans."
Gwen nodded. "Of course."
"I'll be taking my leave now."
She smiled. "We can always reschedule."
"Thank you, Gwen."
"Enjoy lunch." She nodded.
I smiled. "We will."
She closed the door behind her.
I turned back toward Cameron. "Where were we?"
"I believe you were leaving with me." He smiled.
"Oh, right." I grabbed my purse, then slipped my hand back into his.
We walked toward the door together. As we stepped into the hallway, I glanced through the glass walls at the West Law logo.
My name. My life.
Two years ago, I had thought success meant finally proving Ted wrong.
I had been wrong.
Success wasn't making him regret losing me. It wasn't the awards or the expansion or the headlines.
Those things were nice, very nice- but they weren't the point.
The point was that I no longer woke up every morning feeling like I had to fight for my place in the world.
Cameron squeezed my hand.
"You coming?"
I smiled. Only then did I realize I had stopped the both of us.
"Yeah."
I looked once more at my office, then closed the door.
"I'm coming."
~