CHAPTER Sixteen
When Camille left Eldon, she couldn’t help but notice a large, red truck following her as she pulled out onto the four-lane highway, heading back to Ross’s place.
At first, Camille was not worried, but she knew if she turned onto Ross’s remote lake road, she would not only be vulnerable, she would also be endangering Ross.
Camille tried to plan her best move. She was fairly certain that if she stayed on the main road, Shane would not be able to do anything.
There was too much traffic for him to risk it.
“So much for trading my car to be incognito,” Camille said. And just then, she realized where she was. She would be driving right past the Osage Beach Police Station in just a few minutes. “I bet if I pull in, that idiot will drive on by,” she said with a smile.
As Camille slowed down and turned on her turn signal, she noticed the grill of Shane’s truck right up on her with his engine roaring loudly.
Right as Camille began to turn, Shane whipped his truck into the passing lane, got on the accelerator, and gave her a chilling stare as he roared by.
Camille would be a liar if she said the incident didn’t get to her.
For several minutes, she couldn’t get the disturbing image of Shane Simpson’s face and menacing eyes out of her head.
And when she added the fact that this man was a killer, she nearly froze at the wheel.
She was obviously shaken when she entered the police station and told her story.
“Yes, ma’am, Shane Simpson is our main person of interest, but we have no real evidence to go on so far. We’ll nail him to the wall the first chance we get.”
“Well, I hope it’s soon. He just followed me all the way from Eldon, and I only pulled in here to get him off my tail. I’m still a little rattled,” Camille confessed. “I hate to ask you this, but could you please escort me out to Lochlan’s Point?”
“Well, I guess I can do that,” the officer agreed. Ordinarily, he would not have time to be so attentive, but he could see Camille was clearly frightened, and the last thing he wanted was another tragedy where an innocent person was harmed or killed.
When Camille pulled into Ross’s clearing, followed by Officer Banks, she couldn’t believe it. There were two extra cars there.
What in the world is going on? she thought.
She dismissed the officer, and he confirmed that they would remain on the lookout for Shane and bring him in when they found him.
He even said he would return later that night to check on things, and Camille was relieved.
Satisfied, Camille turned to walk inside.
But she was totally unprepared for what she saw.
A woman—quite pretty and distraught—was sitting at the table, and Ross was bent down with his head tucked into her neck and shoulder, his arms around her.
Janelle had relapsed and was having another bout of crying over what she’d given up for a man who was now clearly known as a killer, and Ross was consoling her.
When Ross noticed Camille staring, he suddenly felt self-conscious about his attentiveness and gently pulled himself away.
But it was too late. Camille had seen enough, and she turned to walk outside.
She was certain she knew who the woman was, and she was not prepared to compete with Ross’s ex of twelve years quite yet.
Ross was up and out the door the second he saw Camille leaving.
He knew why she was upset, and he understood.
Now he had to make Camille understand. He put his hand on the small of her back and gently tried to stop her from walking any farther.
Looking into her eyes, he could clearly see that Camille was confused and even hurt.
Janelle, whom he left behind, was also confused, watching Ross be so attentive to another woman.
“Camille, that’s Janelle. But I can tell you already know that.
She came here tonight because she’s just realized Shane is a killer.
She came here to apologize, and she has evidence to help us put him away,” he said as straight- up as he could, but he knew Camille’s mind was reeling, and those were not the details she was focused on.
Camille stood there, not knowing what to say or ask.
She was certain there had to still be feelings between them for Ross to be holding her so intimately.
She felt humiliated and out of place, and the only thing she could think of doing was to leave, so she broke free from his hands on her arms and headed for her Bronco.
“Camille! Please, come back. It’s not what you think,” Ross pleaded.
Camille turned quickly. She had found her words. “And what am I supposed to think, Ross? She’s your wife. She was the love of your life. I walk in, and you’re holding her intimately. What am I supposed to think?”
When Ross was not quick to answer, Camille felt lost. She had fallen so hard, so fast. She thought she was coming back to a man who was falling in love with her, the same way she was falling for him.
But that dream was shattered when he just stood there, looking at her, unable to give her the answers she needed.
“That’s what I thought. Goodbye, Ross!” she said curtly, unable to keep the tears from forming.
Ross knew he had to do something to stop her.
He could not deny that some old feelings for Janelle were rekindled that day.
But in the end, Ross knew he could never forgive her for framing him.
And he could never understand how Janelle could be content knowing he was innocent and spending the rest of his life in prison while she was with another man.
Janelle would always hold a place in his heart, but that was the old Janelle.
Somehow, he had to make Camille understand that any love he still harbored for his wife was from a past time. There was no future with her.
“Please stop, Camille! I want to explain. I don’t want to be with Janelle!” His excitement made his voice louder than it needed to be, and when Janelle heard his words, they hit hard as any harsh sting of rejection would.
Camille stopped in her tracks because, deep down, she was hoping and praying for some kind of explanation that would save her relationship. Now, she wanted to hear him out, so when she turned toward him, Ross was relieved and began his explanation.
“She showed up frightened and just realizing what a monster Shane is. I was just trying to help her through the tough moments.”
“She’s your wife, Ross. I can’t stand here and pretend I didn’t witness a special moment between the two of you.”
Ross knew he needed to proceed carefully, but he had to be honest. “Yes, I have feelings for her. I will always have feelings for the old Janelle I fell in love with at fifteen. But too much has happened. I have enough compassion in me to console her, but that doesn’t mean I want to be with her,” he said with the utmost sincerity.
Ross moved closer to Camille, grabbed her around the waist, and pulled her to him. Janelle had not been able to tear herself away from the window, and now she was sorry she had witnessed Ross’s tender gesture toward another woman.
“Since the moment I laid eyes on you, you’ve been the only woman I’ve wanted, Camille. I’m worried about Janelle, but I’m falling in love with you,” he said, tilting her head up so he could look directly into her eyes.
After what she had just witnessed, Camille desperately hoped Ross still felt the same way she did, and now she knew. Those eyes staring into hers held so much emotion and intensity. Now Camille understood his predicament, and she no longer allowed her feelings to rule her.
“Ross, I feel like a fool,” she said, hugging him tightly.
“You’re not a fool,” he said. And when they locked eyes again, Ross kissed her in a way that left no doubt that he was hers and hers only.
While Camille was on cloud nine, Janelle was heartbroken.
She went out to the Point to apologize, but she was also going back to Ross.
She had never been without a man, and now that she was leaving Shane, she was not only afraid of what he might do to her but also of being alone.
Being secluded, she never in a million years thought he’d found someone else, and this reality hit hard.
As Ross and Camille walked back to the house hand in hand, Janelle was walking out.
She suddenly felt like an intruder and needed to leave.
“Wait a minute, Janelle. Where are you going?” Ross asked.
“I don’t know. But it’s not your problem.” She couldn’t even look at him.
It was too painful.
“You’re not leaving and running the risk of seeing Shane,” Ross said quite adamantly.
“Well, I can’t stay here all night, Ross. You obviously don’t have room for me.” Her comment had weight beyond words.
Before she could regulate her thoughts, Camille said what was on her mind.
“He has a couch.” It was bitchy, and it was bold, but it was real.
Feeling kind of like a referee, Ross intervened. “Janelle, this is Camille, my girlfriend,” Ross said without missing a beat, and Camille was puffed up with pride as she heard those words roll off Ross’s lips. “Camille, this is my soon-to-be ex-wife.”
Again, Camille was pleased, and she tried not to let her smug smile become too obvious. Janelle, however, was disappointed and humiliated.
Camille could see her comment stung a little too much, and while it sounded good at the time, she didn’t get the thrill she expected. Now she was feeling guilty and even a little sorry for Janelle.
“Seriously, you’ll be safer here, Janelle,” Camille said.
Camille was right. Janelle didn’t really have a safe home to go to.
She knew the first place Shane would look was her old house.
Other than that, she had nowhere. Janelle felt a bit humiliated being demoted to the couch, but she decided to look on the bright side.
She came there partially for Ross’s protection, and if she stayed on the couch, she would get it.
She would just have to put all that other stuff out of her head.
“I think the couch will be fine. Thank you,” she managed. “I’ll get you a blanket later,” Ross said.
“Thank you.”
She was trying so damn hard to forget that she was still technically his wife, but there was another woman in his bed. And then she remembered all that had transpired. And when that shit hit, she had a hard time blaming anyone but herself for the way she was feeling.