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“I can wait.” Her insincere smile gives her a menacing quality I had never seen before. Even when Holly was willingly hating me, she never once had the look Nadine is giving me. She’s out for revenge. Frowning, I nod her towards the sofas.
“Do not say make yourself at home.”
“Wasn’t going to.” I sigh, holding my hands up in surrender.
“That’s right. This place is reserved for another woman entirely.” She curls her lip and disgust swirls darkly in her eyes as she looks around the immaculate place.
Nadine wanting to make my life hell is nothing more than I expect or deserve, but if she even considers diverting that anger at Holly, I will be forced to show her a side of me she doesn’t want to meet. A side that I don’t like myself. “I was aiming for more of a family,” I bite back, angered by the possibility of me leaving a kind and unsuspecting Holly to Nadine's childish antics. I heard through the grapevine she’d been making unsavoury comments to her clients whilst we were still together.
She laughs disbelievingly, paling at the impact of my words. She shakes her head at me and slaps her palm down on the sideboard. “Could you at least pretend to care that you hurt me?” she hisses, her face contorting unattractively.
“I do care.”
“And yet you throw your readymade family in my face!” Her voice raises, and her eyes fill with tears. I grit my teeth and lean onto the opposite side of the counter, getting her full attention.
“I don't have a readymade family, Nadine. I'm leaving and renting the house out.”
“What?” She gapes. “You’re leaving, why?” She walks closer, searching my eyes frantically. “Where are you going?” Her lip wobbles, and I get the distinct feeling she will beg me to stay.
Unlike Holly, who calmly accepted my decision.
“Just away.” I raise my hand to rub the back of my neck when she moves to touch me.
“Cameron, you can’t go, please!” She cups my elbow and stares longingly at me. “We were good, weren’t we?”
“Nadine…”
“Do not say my name like that.” Narrowed eyes meet mine as she drops her hand away. “I need to know I wasn’t just someway to pass the time. I love you, I just don’t understand. We were doing so good, until she came back.”
“Good, yes.” I swallow. There, that should do it.
“Just good?” She pulls back, insulted.
“For me, yes. I enjoyed your company, and it was good—” I struggle to think of the right words to give her the closure she needs, but she picks up on the tension in my body and the tone of my voice. “I thought I was ready for more, but then Holly came back, and you and I were?—”
Shaking her head, she walks away and plops down on the sofa. “I just want my things, Cam. Please.”
“Okay.” I leave her on the sofa and go upstairs to retrieve the few things I know are up there. Twenty minutes later, I make my way downstairs to a puffy-eyed Nadine. “Anything I could find is in this bag, but I can drop other bits off if I come across them before I leave.”
“And when will that be?”
“Trying to get rid of me?” I joke, but she looks as unimpressed as she did when she first arrived.
“I don’t get it. Even if Holly wasn’t the one who accused you, she still left you Cameron,” she says spitefully.
“Look, Nadine. I'm sorry. I really am.” My hand lifts to give her shoulder a squeeze, but when her face twists in anger, I drop it quickly. Awkwardly, I step away, giving her a look I hope she recognises as apologetic. I am sorry I hurt her. But I’m not sorry for putting my mental health first.
“I know you had it handed to you shitty, but it doesn't give you carte blanche to wreak havoc on other people's lives. You need to sort your head out.” And there it is, her parting shot, another one for the stone heart. Does she think I haven’t faced constant disregard from others before? I'm a pro at deflecting.
“That's why I'm leaving.” I need to get away from all the speculation and constant emotional bombardment. I lead her tothe front door. “Take care, Nadine.” I raise my eyes and give her a blank smile. I take hold of the door as she steps through.
“Go to hell, Cameron!”
“Been there all my life, but thanks for the suggestion.”
“You arsehole!”
I slowly close the door when she makes a move to scream another insult, but stops herself when she catches me wincing sympathetically.
