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“I've been thinking of you,” Cam said, jarring me from my thoughts. “A lot, actually.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I wanted to talk to you. About what happened. I owe you an apology. I owe you a lot.”
I sat back down, glancing around the coffee shop. The barista behind the counter kept staring at me the entire time. They were probably wondering what I was doing in here with a suitcase and a hamper full of clothes. Maybe I could tell them I was just on my way to the laundromat.
“Can we talk?” Cam asked. “Maybe we could get together. I could take you out for coffee. Or dinner maybe.”
Dinner sounded really good. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on food right now, and a hot meal would be really nice. “Sure,” I said. “Where do you want to meet up?”
“How about I come pick you up?” he asked.
I looked down at my stuff. I didn't want to start the night off by having Cam pick me up while I was lugging around everything I owned. It would be better to broach the subject casually, over dinner. After we broke the ice a bit, I could bring up the real reason I was calling him.
“Let's just meet somewhere. How about...” I looked out the window to see what was around within walking distance. There was a diner down the street from the coffee shop. I read the name off the sign to Cam.
“Sounds good,” he said. “They have a great turkey club. Meet you there in...an hour?”
“An hour is good,” I said. It would give me time to figure out what to do with my stuff, if nothing else.
I did some quick Google searches, and found a self-storage facility about a mile away from where I was. They offered the first month's storage fee for only $1.00, so I booked a reservation online, then headed out the door to walk to the facility. It took me about half an hour to walk there while hauling my stuff with me, but I didn't mind, since the brisk walk was helping keep me warm.
After taxes and fees, the $1.00 first month ended up costing me almost $15.00, but I considered that a small price to pay, all things considered. I left my clothes and the other possessions I'd salvaged in the tiny storage unit, then texted Cam to tell him I was running late, before starting on the long walk back to the diner. By the time I got there, my face felt overheated and my thighs were aching. But at least I'd saved myself the embarrassment of showing up to meet Cam looking like some kind of homeless bum.
Cam was sitting by the front door when I got there. He stood up, brushing his hands on his pants. He gave me a warm smile, his eyes lighting up. I'd almost forgotten how beautiful his eyes were.
“Hey,” he said. He looked like he wanted to say more, and he stood close to me, almost as if he wanted to pull me into a hug. But he held himself back, probably not sure how I'd react.
“Hi,” I said, forcing a smile. I wanted to let it seem like everything was okay. I didn't want him to think I was here to beg.
“You look great,” he said.
I laughed. I hadn't showered in two days, and my hair was a tangled mess. I didn't know if Cam was just trying to flatter me, or if he had his love goggles on.
“Thanks,” I said, deciding not to argue with him. “You want to sit down? I'm starving.”
“Yeah. Sure thing.”
We got a table. I ordered an appetizer platter, a salad, and a chicken stir fry. I didn't know if I'd actually eat it all, but I was hungry enough to give it a valiant effort.
“Seems like you've got an appetite,” Cam said.
“For sure.” I blushed, looking down at my lap. I didn't want Cam to think I was just trying to get a free meal out of him.
“I'm glad you came,” he said. “I wanted to talk to you. I've wanted to for a long time, actually. But Mark just—”
“Mark?” I sat up straighter, my eyes going wide. “What does Mark have to do with anything?”
“Well, he always used to block my calls. Whenever I called your house, he either hung up on me right away, or told me you didn't want to talk to me.” Cam shrugged, lowering his eyes. “I thought you hated me. But I never got the chance to explain.”
I blinked, staring at Cam. I'd never known that he even tried to call me. I'd never heard from him again after the night he took my virginity. I'd always assumed that he had lost interest in me after he'd gotten what he wanted. Finding out that he'd tried to get in touch with me...it changed everything.
