Chapter Twelve Cameron
Chapter Twelve
Cameron
For a moment, I froze.
Then I bolted.
What the hell was Evie doing here? Was she about to cause trouble?
And worse, what would this do to Sloane?
Fuck!
I took the stairs two at a time, heart pounding, and burst into the corridor leading to the ER. I pushed past the crowd just as the doors flew open and Caleb stepped out.
“Cam!” he called, spotting me.
I rushed over, but he held up a hand to stop me.
“She’s okay,” he said quickly. “She was in an accident. The guy who hit her brought her in.”
My breath caught. “What’s her condition?”
“She had a concussion, some bruising, cuts on her forehead and arm, but nothing serious.”
“Okay.” I nodded, eyes locked on the ER doors, my thoughts racing.
“I don’t know if I should go in,” I said quietly. “I don’t want her to take it the wrong way. But at the same time, I’m worried she’ll do something reckless and drag Sloane into it.”
Caleb caught my eye. “She asked for you, you know. Saw my name on my scrub and asked if I was your brother. That’s how I know it was her.”
I felt anxiety creeping in. “What else did she say?”
“Not much,” Caleb said. “She’s been quiet. Just lying there with her eyes closed. Awake, but not really talking.”
“Is she going to be discharged soon?”
“She did lose consciousness at the scene, but briefly. Janice is with her now, doing the neuro exam. Depending on what she finds, and even if the CT comes back clean, we might still keep her overnight for observation. Just to be cautious.”
I nodded, thinking hard.
“I placed her in the Observation Unit,” Caleb said.
“I figured it was best to keep her away from the main area and give her some private space. And I’ve put Kamar in charge of her.
He’s solid and knows how to keep things quiet.
But I think you need to check on her, to make sure she doesn’t cause a scene. ”
I glanced at him. “What I’m afraid of is that she’ll cause a scene if I go in there.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” he asked.
“Okay, that’s probably best,” I said, nodding.
But then I heard Caroline’s voice from behind us. “I’ll go with him.”
My eyes widened as I turned to Caleb. He gave a small shrug. “Yeah, I texted her too. Might take a family effort to handle this one.”
I frowned. “Caleb, she’s just one woman. Harmless. Frail.”
Caroline stepped up beside me, shooting me a sharp look. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s go.”
I followed, a sinking feeling settling in my gut.
Caroline never held back when she was angry, and I had a feeling she wouldn’t start now.
She marched ahead, footsteps hard and fast, her shoulders tight with tension.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw Caleb following, the same worried look etched across his face.
When we finally arrived at Evie’s room, Caroline came in first, and I followed.
Evie was awake, and she looked at Caroline with a flat expression, probably thinking just another doctor coming in to check.
I wasn’t sure if she realized Caroline had been there too, in the parking lot, when she spoke to Sloane.
Then her eyes found me. They lit up instantly.
I walked closer to her bed, and her gaze followed me.
“How are you feeling?” I asked.
“Like I’ve been hit by a car,” she said softly, trying to smile.
“I heard they’re keeping you overnight, just to be safe.”
“Yes,” she said, and I saw her eyes start to mist.
“Caleb already did an initial exam,” I continued. “Are you in any pain? Nausea? Dizziness?”
“A little dizzy,” she admitted. “It comes and goes.”
I gave a small nod. “They’ll keep monitoring you. That’s normal with a concussion, but if anything gets worse, you have to let them know right away.”
Caroline’s presence beside me started to weigh heavily, so I said, “This is Caroline, my sister.”
Evie’s eyes shifted to her, but she stayed silent.
“I’ll get straight to the point,” Caroline said, her voice tight with restraint.
“I know you’ve been in an accident, and I’m sorry for that.
But this is my hospital, and I’m asking you to keep things calm.
Don’t make this harder for Cameron, and especially not for Sloane.
You’re an adult, and I expect you to handle this with some decency. ”
Evie frowned. “I’m not here to cause trouble. I didn’t even realize this was the hospital he brought me to.”
“Maybe,” Caroline said, folding her arms. “But I bet you told yourself the same thing last week, right before you showed up and wrapped your arms around Cam in front of everyone.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose as a headache began to form. I’d expected Evie to shrink back under Caroline’s glare, but she didn’t.
Her voice was soft, but the anger behind it was unmistakable.
“That was wrong. I know that. But I was desperate. Desperate people in love often do foolish things. I’m sorry if I caused trouble.” She looked straight at Caroline. “But I love your brother. I’m not afraid to admit that, because it’s the truth. Even if he doesn’t love me back, I still love him.”
I was taken aback; I wasn’t expecting that kind of honesty in front of Caroline.
My sister looked just as stunned.
But Evie wasn’t done.
“I won’t apologize for loving him. I know what we had was wrong, and I am sorry for that. But I don’t regret how I feel. Not for a second.”
Caroline glanced up at me, and I met her eyes. For a moment, neither of us said anything. We were both stunned into silence.
Evie took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, they were shining with tears.
“Cameron ended things with me, and I’m still trying to accept it. But having all of you here, cornering me like this, it’s not helping. Please... just go.”
Slowly, Caroline and I turned without a word and walked to the door. Caleb, waiting just outside, fell in step with us as we left the ER together.
Once we were out in the hallway, Caroline let out a long sigh.
“Damn, that was heavy, Cam,” she muttered. “This whole thing’s a fucking mess. I still can’t stand her, and I don’t think I ever will... but she’s heartbroken. And that’s on you.”
Then she marched away, and Caleb stepped in front of me. “I don’t even know what to say.” He shook his head. “Is this why you said she made you happy? Because she’s so open about how she feels? So all in?”
It took me a moment to answer. I raised my eyes to meet his, then finally spoke. “Until I realized it was all just an illusion. Until I finally accepted the goddamn truth—that I was cursed to love a woman who never had, and never would, truly love me the same way as I love her.”
And then I walked away.
I had five surgeries today, and it wore me down.
My feet throbbed from hours on hard floors; my head ached from intense focus.
I hadn’t seen Sloane all day. Between surgeries, I searched for her, but she was nowhere to be found. We’d likely passed through the same space, just not at the same time.
I wondered if she knew that Evie was here.
As the end of the day approached, I checked my phone and found nothing from Evie. True to her word, she hadn’t stirred up trouble.
I sank onto the locker room bench, already showered and changed, trying to figure out what to do next.
Then I decided I was going to see her before I went home.
Dragging my feet to the ER, head bowed, hands shoved deep in my pockets, I kept questioning if this was the right choice. But there was something I needed to ask her.
Before I knew it, I was standing outside her door. Evie was still awake, her eyes meeting mine through the glass.
I stepped inside, pulled over a chair, and sat down.
“I’m here to check if you’re alright. And if you need anything before I go.”
“I’m fine,” she said. “Just go home.”
But I stayed where I was, silent.
Finally, she asked, “What do you want, Cam?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. I’m just thinking.”
“About what I said in front of your sister?” she asked.
I nodded.
“I’ve said it to you many times, Cam. You know I love you. And I know you don’t love me the way I do.”
“And you’re okay with that?” I asked, trying to understand. “It doesn’t hurt you, knowing you’ll never truly have me?”
“Of course it does. But it’s better than having none of you at all,” she said softly, then sighed deeply, her gaze softening as she looked at me. “And I hoped, maybe one day, you’ll learn to love me back.”
I looked at her, and at that moment, I saw myself.
Evie was me once, long ago, loving Sloane so fiercely, blinded by hope, deaf to the truth.
I told myself the same thing. That having a piece of her was better than having nothing at all.
I sat there, turning the thought over in my head.
Then I asked myself what I would do, knowing everything I know now.
Would I have stayed away? Chosen a different path?
The answer came as easily as breathing.
No. I’d still go through with it.
I’d still propose to her.
Still spend every day trying to make sense of the strange, quiet ways she showed affection, wondering endlessly if that was her way of saying she loved me.
And I’d still wait.
Wait like a fool.
Wait for her to say the words.
And maybe when she still didn’t, I broke.
Did things I never thought I was capable of, like what I did to Sloane now.
Yeah. I was cursed.
I stood up. Her eyes followed every movement.
“Believe me, Evie,” I said quietly, “one day you’ll thank me for leaving. You’ll find someone who loves you—really loves you—and makes you happy.”
I pressed the doorbell with my elbow. Harper was already asleep in my arms, her breathing soft against my shoulder.
Sloane opened the door almost instantly. Her eyes met mine, then dropped to our daughter and softened.
Without a word, I stepped inside and headed straight for the stairs toward Harper’s room. Sloane followed quietly. Inside, she moved around the bed and pulled back the covers.
I laid Harper down gently. As Sloane tucked her in, I kissed her cheek and closed my eyes, letting the moment hold me, letting the warmth of her, the love I felt for her, settle deep in my chest.
Then I whispered in her ear, “I love you so much, baby girl. Love you for eternity.”
When I straightened up, I found Sloane watching me.
“I need to talk to you about something,” I said. “Let’s go downstairs.”
“Okay,” she replied slowly, confusion flickering across her face.
I left Harper’s room first and made my way downstairs, settling at the dining table.
Sloane followed not long after. She pulled a wine bottle from the fridge, grabbed two glasses from the cabinet, and sat across from me.
Without a word, she poured us both a glass.
I took a sip, set the glass down, and said, “Evie’s in our hospital. She had an accident. The guy in the other car brought her here.”
I watched as Sloane’s face shifted, calm giving way to quiet apprehension.
“She said she’s not going to cause any trouble,” I added. “I went to see her with Caroline and Caleb. Caroline said her piece.”
“Is she alright?” Sloane asked.
My eyes drifted shut at that.
This was what I loved about her.
For all her coolness, all the walls she put up, Sloane had a kind heart.
She felt deeply, even for those who had hurt her.
“She has a concussion and some cuts and bruises,” I said. “Before I left, I went back to check on her one more time. I believe she’ll be released tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Sloane nodded.
“I’m gonna go now,” I said. But as I rose, she stopped me with a question that caught me off guard.
“Are you still with her?”
Her eyes held mine—wide, unguarded, stripped bare. This time, I saw everything she felt laid open before me: hurt, disappointment, heartbreak. And it broke me.
I shook my head. “No.”
“Why?” Sloane asked. “Did you end it with her?”
“Yes,” I said simply.
“I don’t understand you, Cameron,” she said, her voice tinged with confusion. Her expression showed she was trying to make sense of it all. “You chose her and left me. Was it because she wasn’t what you thought she’d be?”
“She’s exactly what I thought she’d be,” I said quietly.
“Then why?”
“Because it turned out, it wasn’t what I needed after all.”
My eyes dropped to her hands, wrapped tight around her glass. I reached out and ran my knuckles gently over hers. She didn’t move, just stared past me, lost in whatever was spinning in her head.
Then I spoke. And I let it out, raw and honest.
“I’m sorry. For hurting you. For betraying you. For loving you the way I wanted to, not the way you needed me to. For all the fights and all the misunderstandings. For not seeing you the right way, the way you’ve always wanted to be seen.”
I stood, legs heavy, heart heavier, and made my way to the door. Then I left.