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And then nothing.
He’s gone.
Chapter Twenty-One
Cameron
“This music is shit.” Cole laughs under his breath.
“Grace chose it,” Dan snaps and hands me another beer. I take it willingly and stare around the room.
My farewell party.
I'm still trying to dislodge the ache in my throat from earlier. Grace returned from Beau’s party with a bag of treats and high on sugar. She does a forward roll along the sofa and ends with a proud ‘ta da’ at Emily who laughs.
“So, it's serious then?” I ask Dan, nodding at Emily.
“Not quite.”
“So why is she here?” Cole wonders and smirks at Dan.
“Because she is.” Dan laughs and shakes his head at our questioning. I stare at him, forcing him to acknowledge he has feelings for Emily. “Grace invited her, and I didn't want to let her down, as she was upset this morning.” He clears his throat, and I squeeze his shoulder.
His eyes meet mine briefly, regretfully, and what I see reflected back at me is pain. Fuck. “I know you know this, but I love you,” I tell him solemnly. He knocks his forehead to mine, and we stand quietly for a minute. He’s losing his best friend,a prick of a friend who has taken up too much of his time with bullshit.
“I know, man.” Dan swallows roughly.
“I want a hug,” Cole huffs and swings his arms over our shoulders. Brant joins in with a small whoop, and I shake my head with a laugh. My chest fills with emotion, and I grit my teeth to stop from getting emotional. These men have stood by me through the most unimaginable of situations.
“You guys put up with some shit, I know that.” I laugh lightly.
“You're worth it,” Dan murmurs on a quiet breath. Little hands prise their way in, and we all stare down at Grace’s toothless grin.
“Hello.” She giggles.
“Hey, stink.” I wink, and she takes her dad’s hand. “You lot best come and visit me,” A small part of me is worried I will up and leave and, like that, I’ll be forgotten.
“Free holiday. Sign me up!” Brant chuckles and breaks away, allowing some light in.
“You can’t get rid of us that easily,” Cole croaks.
“To Cameron!” they bellow together, and my gut tightens.
A chorus of glasses clinking fills the room. “To Cameron.”
Two hours later,I make it home, and I'm not ashamed to admit I cried in the car. I asked that no one wave me off tomorrow. I plan on leaving in the early hours to save myself the pain of saying goodbye twice.
I spend the rest of the evening packing my car. Most of my belongings were shipped earlier this week or are at Dan’s garage in storage. Closing the boot with a loud clunk, I head inside and grab the last beer out of the fridge. I raise my bottle. “It’s been emotional,” I mutter to the empty room. Fuck, hasn’t it just. Fucking Sarah Daniels deserves the worst of the worst. I shut offthe lights and lock the doors. Tomorrow, this will all be over, and I can start a new chapter in my life, a healthier one.
I'm halfwayup the stairs, when a light tap on the door stops me. I take the stairs backwards and lean to see who it is. Holly’s timid and ashen face stares at me. Discarding my beer, I cross the room and unlock the door. “Is Beau okay?” Nodding, she slips inside and bites her thumbnail. Nervous eyes watch me. God, she looks gorgeous, and seeing the slight stain on her cheeks, I suspect I know what’s brought her here. “Why are you here, Holly?” I know why, because I’ve battled with the same thing constantly since I told her I was leaving. The desire to share one more night with her before I leave.
She sucks in a breath and blinks at me. “I don't know,” she whispers.
“I think you do.” She squirms under my gaze, and her eyes dart to the door.
“This was a mistake. I'm… I don't know what I was thinking.” She moves quickly, but I block her path.
“You do know. Tell me.” I search her gaze. She needs to be the one to cross this threshold. “You need to voice it, Holly.”
