The Real

“I didn’t do this.”

“You’re right. I did. Love me anyway.”

I do.

“Cameron, where is Max?”

“He’s here,” he said motioning over his shoulder. I spotted Max ordering a drink at the bar, his eyes on our table. I hadn’t even noticed him walk in.

“Abbie,” Cameron pleaded, “please talk to me.”

I looked at the love of my life and got lost in the beautiful plains of his face, the angle of his jaw, the jade of his eyes. He was the same man I fell for, but nothing made sense. We’d been torn apart by truth and lies. “I have to go.”

He reached out to touch me, and I flinched.

“I’m still angry, Cameron.” In a shaky voice, I let a little of it take over. It was the only thing saving me from fraying. “I worked with her, your wife. You made me an adulterer. You didn’t even give me the choice.” I shook my head at the memory of it. “And I told her,” I swallowed, “I told her private things about us. Kat knew about you when we met, she knew the day you told me you loved me.” I let him see my anger, my pain. I let him see the betrayal I still felt. “I trusted you and you made damn sure of it. I begged you not to and you made a fucking fool out of me.”

His face twisted unbearably.

“I have to go.”

Max looked between us as Cameron took a step forward, “Abbie, I know you still love me, I know you do—”

My eyes drifted over to Max who stopped him. “Let her go, man.”

Cameron’s eyes turned to ice, his jaw ticking as Max did his best to keep him at bay. “Let her go.”

“Is that what you want?” Cameron said, his voice gravel as Max kept us separated. “You want me to let you go?”

“Get him home?” I asked Max and he nodded.

“Don’t do that,” Cameron snapped, his eyes volleying between us. “Abbie, I’m right fucking here, talk to me.”

“Thanks, Max,” I said grabbing my coat.

“Abbie,” Cameron tried again. I ripped my eyes away and walked out of the bar, splintered.

Outside, Terry opened the door as I glanced in the window of the pub and saw Cameron was still standing where I left him, his eyes penetrating through the glass between us as Max rapidly spoke to him. I saw it then, the break in him and nothing about it satisfied me.

Terry met me at the curb. “Abbie, if you need to stay we can reschedule.” I shook my head and slid into the car as he opened the door. Swallowing several times in attempt not to sob, I apologized on a shaky breath. “I’m so sorry.”

“You couldn’t help that any more than he could,” he said with reassurance. “I have to say, I’m curious about the prison.”

I looked over at him. “He was married. Is married. Separated.”

“Ah,” he said as the cab sped away from the curb, my soul freshly ripped, I spent several minutes inwardly gasping before I turned back to Terry.

“I’m mortified.”

“Again, Abbie, don’t be. I hope you two can work it out.”

“I’ll understand if you want to find someone else to fill the position. I can recommend several others well qualified that may be able to take the contract on short notice.”

“Totally unnecessary. I have no intention of replacing you. This meeting was just a formality since I was out of the office when my assistant hired you. This has no bearing on your employment.”

“Thank you.” It was all I could manage.

A few minutes later I was still at a loss for words, my chest screaming as I finally bled out.