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I groan and swing round, expecting Keeley and Beau, but Cameron walks through the door. His eyes are big, nervous saucers of pain. Sweat stains his shirt and forehead. He ran here. Of course, a man like him, who was drunk last night, can hop out of bed and run his worries away. It’s sickening that he has so much fucking energy, sickening and hot.
“NO!” I snap.
“Holly, hear me out, please.” His palms press at his chest and despite the harsh glare I'm throwing his way, he continues inside. “I can’t regret last night, and I won’t,” he begins.
“You need to leave.”
The door clunks shut and Cameron levels me with a hard stare. I’ve seen that look before. It may have been years ago, but I remember it well. Instinctively, I stiffen, bracing myself for his retort. He straightens, and my eyes widen. “Actually, you’ll hear me out. You owe me that much.”
Owe him. I owe him. He is deluded!
Anger sweeps through me, faster than any wildfire. I’ve had enough of this man. I grab the nearest thing—a blueberry muffin—and I launch it across the room at him. “Dammit, Cameron. Just get out!” It knocks his shoulder and falls to the floor.
“You stubborn fucker. Always were.” He laughs; a nostalgic look in his eye. “It never fails to surprise me. I never expected it with your shyness, but it’s still there.” He shakes his head. I don’t want to see that look in his eyes or hear the intimate way he just spoke.
“I don’t want a history lesson, and I'm not ready to talk to you. I haven’t even decided what I need to say to you!” I spit furiously. Someone walks by the window and looks in. It’s Nadine. Her face cripples with hurt, and I open my mouth to apologise, but I haven’t done anything wrong. Oh hell, this is bad. She storms inside, the little ding of the bell that I love, hitting like a bullet.
“Are you fucking kidding me? You ignore every one of my calls, but you can come here?” she screams in Cameron’s face. He looks unfazed, and I feel for her, I really do. How can he be so callous?
“Not that you will believe me, but I was on my way to yo?—”
She holds his attention with a sarcastic glare of her own. “Oh, sure!”
“I was on my way to see you, when I noticed Holly in here, and I decided to quickly pop in and clear the air.” He is so calm. Too calm. Something is wrong. I frown at his back, conscious not to meet Nadine’s stare. I don’t want to be caught in the middleof this. I mean, I already am, but not by my doing. Oh no, it’s all down to him. This man standing right here. Unfazed. Cool as cucumber. I hate how blase he is.
Crossing her arms, she twists to me, her head tilted just so. She is livid, and rightly so. “And did you clear the air?” Her smile is insincere. “Did you swap old love stories?”
“I threw a muffin at him. I'm not sure that counts,” I mumble, scratching my neck awkwardly.
Nadine pulls a face and swings back to Cam. “You are, without a doubt,themost atrocious man I have ever met. I stood by you. Ignored all the gossip, the rumours.” Cam’s eyes flash, and his jaw ticks as Nadine stabs at his chest with her polished nail.
“Don’t throw that shit in my face. I hurt you last night, and I'm sorry,” Cam cuts in abruptly, sounding sincere. Nadine scoffs, but shuts up when he steps up and looks down at her. “What? I was good enough to fuck, but now I’ve hurt you, you're going to throw past accusations in my face!” he snaps.
“Yes!” she screeches. “I stood by you. She didn’t. She left, remember? Left you to deal with all that shit alone, shit she caused.” She slaps her chest. “I fought off all those remarks, stares. I was here.”
“Nadine, you weren’t here. You don’t even know the whole story. You know the rumours and they aren’t true. We’ve been dating for a few months. You don’t get to take credit for something you know nothing about.” Cam drags his hand through his hair, and I frown at their conversation.
What rumours?
“I deserve more than last night.”
Cam pulls her in for a hug.
“I know and I'm sorry.”
Nadine shrugs him off. “I can’t believe that after everything she did to you, you're in here.” Tears cascade down. WhenCameron tries to comfort her again, she steps away. She looks at me, all daggers and hate. “You ruined his life. Even now, people talk. I couldn’t even have a decent relationship with him because people were always talking.”
“Nadine,” Cameron warns.
She snaps to look at him. I'm confused. What rumours, lies? He throws me a worried glance, and I shake my head with uncertainty. I don't know what’s going on. “Fuck you, Cameron. She accused you of rape, then left you to fend off a ton of hate!” Nadine snarls. “How can you even be around her. She makes me sick!”
“What?” I cry, outraged. Rape. “Cam,” I croak. He turns red-faced. “I never… I’d …” Rape? I slouch down into a nearby chair. Is this what people are saying, talking about? I shake my head. Tears spring to my eyes, and through my water clogged vision, I see Cameron move.
“Oh sure, go to her!” Nadine sneers.
“Nadine, shut up. Holly never accused me of rape. Where the fuck did you even hear that?” His voice bellows, making me jump and, thankfully, Nadine goes quiet.
Rape. Rape. Rape. That word pounds around my head. I feel sick. Dizzy.
