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“Jamie?”
“He’s here, building um.” I gasp, hardly able to utter the words. Desperate for another look, I break off, body slowly propelled toward the ledge.
“Willow, stay in the house.” Camdyn orders, “I’ll—”
“Jamie, what the hell are you doing?” I call down to him.
“Making the baby a swing set. Come down. I’ve so many plans for us.”
“A swing set.” I break off. My heart collapses to the pit of my stomach. After being snatched from a park, I’d be petrified of the slightest thought of going to one. Paranoia ricochets through me.
“Yes, Willow.” Jamie drops the hammer in his hand. “Come down, or I’ll come up.”
The little guy senses a warning, and my stomach tightens. Like a lightning bolt, Jamie launches over the series of steps and over the wrought-iron railing. Fearing he’ll flip at the sight of my call, I conceal the iPhone at my side.
Eyebrows jutting together, Jamie snatches it from my hand. His thumb mashes the end call button. He taps his temple sarcastically. “I had the feeling you were tormenting yourself again. Why call him, Willow? Did you tell Cam about the baby?”
I whisper, “Jamie, let’s have this discussion in the morning.”
“We promised each other honesty. All this time, you heeded your instincts.” His face brushes the crux between my shoulder and neck, warm breath skittering across my trembling skin. “Why call him now?”
“You’re acting strange.”
“Me?” He drags a hand over his buzz cut. “I’d much rather call myself dependable, trustworthy, loving.”
Panic slams through me as I press against the stucco.
I adopt a firm stance. “Jamie, you’ve been dependable around the yard.”
“Yes. Can you even count the times I’ve been here for you? Supported you! Fought for you! Loved you!”
His cruel tone sends thoughts catapulting through my mind. “Wait! The rat from last week.”
A twinge of guilt flashes in his eyes.
“You love me . . .”
“I’d do anything for you.”
“Oh, you have.” I snort. “Such as proving that your brother’s a ruthless asshole.”
Chewing the inside of his lip, he glances away.
It all connects. “The videos at the lake house. Camdyn didn’t—”
“Yes, he did!”
Jamie catches himself and reins his emotions. The two of us are aware he responded too fast. The air between us stretches in a lengthy silence. Jamie takes that as his cue to elaborate. “He, uh, he recorded those videos.”
“Be honest, friend,” I sneer. “Cam only recorded scenes from his parties.”
Fresh grief washes over me at the sight of guilt stewing in Jamie’s eyes and anchored over his shoulders.
Speechless, I suck in air while my stomach bottoms out. My heart was demolished by the display of our most intimate moments. When I asked about the videos, Camdyn admitted to more than his faults. This entire time, he’s loved me the best way he could. “Camdyn loves me! I’ve kept him away from our baby because of these games.”
“I’ll admit, the rat was an improvisation for more of your time, Willow.” Jamie’s fist slams into the glass next to me. I grit my teeth as a few raining shards bite into my calf and foot.
I swallow a lump in my throat. Every tendon in my body is bound tighter than a clock before the strike of midnight.
“I’m here for you and the baby. Cam’s not. I love you, Willow. Let’s bypass the dramatics of me supporting you the next time he breaks your heart?”
My eyes gape at the jagged scrapes of glass embedded in Jamie’s knuckles. Sticky blood drips from them.
“Say something, Willow? Say you’ll reconsider falling into Camdyn’s web again? Say you’re mine.” He fists my phone, biting a bit of glass wedged between his knuckles, spitting it out. “He’s in Boston, Willow. He doesn’t get to play hero tonight.”
The mask I’m wearing morphs into plastic. It’s the best fucking poker face I’ve got. Somehow, Jamie’s not aware Camdyn came home to see River.
“Why would I need a hero, you-you’re my friend,” my voice wobbles.
I must not have responded with enough conviction. Sweet Jamie—who I once joked to Christian might haul off and commit mass murder—molds into a monster right before my eyes.
