Bait

On the third attempt, I leave a message on her mobile and tell her I’m on my way.

My foot is to the floor the entire way.AbigailHe has a son. A beautiful little boy.

My belly flutters at the thought, but there’s no pain.

Not anymore.

I guess sometimes it’s the confession itself that provides the most solace. It’s by letting our demons free that we’re able to see they’re not really demons at all, just scared children hoping to be loved.

I know I can love Leo’s broken pieces. It’s a welcome surprise to find that I believe he can love mine, too.

I roll onto my side to watch the sunrise through the window.

Fuck, this is all moving so fast. Crazy fucking fast.

But it doesn’t feel crazy at all.

I wonder if he’ll like me, Cameron. I wonder if in time he’ll ever come to love me, if we even get that far. I hope so.

For the first time in forever, I wonder if there is really any hope in surgery. If maybe my scars can heal, just like Leo’s have. Just enough to function.

For the first time in forever, I think maybe there’s a chance.

I log into social media before I attempt sleep. It makes me smile to find the barbeque pictures have been uploaded.

I flick through the photos of my new friends, grinning at their laughter and their stupid drunk expressions once the party got wilder. I’m almost sad I missed it.

Almost.

I hitch my breath as I catch a picture from earlier in the afternoon. There we are, me and Leo, completely unaware of the camera, and smiling regardless. His hand is on my back, my cheek pressed to his collarbone, staring at each other, totally oblivious of the people standing by.

It’s perfect.

It’s us.

And damn, he looks damn fucking fine in a tux.

Goodbye cathedral backdrop.

A couple of clicks and I’m done. It’s official. We’re my phone lock screen.

I guess that means I’m going to be meeting Cameron for sure. I’m laughing even at the absurdity of my train of thought.

Too long a night, too many revelations. Too much cock.

No. Never too much cock.

My parents have always been early risers. I guess that’s why my messenger pings when Mum shows online.

Are you up??

I type out a simple yes and hit send, and then I wait for it.

Who is the guy in the suit?

I take a breath. Ask myself if I’m really ready for this. Really, really ready.

I’m smiling as I call her number.

And I’m smiling even harder as I tell her about Leo Scott.PhoenixMy heart is thumping wild. My throat dry all the way home.

My tyres screech as I pull into the driveway. I don’t even bother locking the truck.

I find Serena on the terrace. It takes me a moment to realise she’s smoking a cigarette.

She hasn’t smoked since she was a teenager.

“Was it–” I begin, but she doesn’t need the question.

“Jake,” she says. “I guess I wasn’t the only person who caught you skinny dipping with Miss Pretty in the swimming pool.”

The panic flares. “Cam, is he–”

“Cam’s fine,” she says. “Didn’t even wake up.”

I breathe. Allow my thumping heart to settle. And then I ask her what happened.

She stubs out her cigarette and takes out another. I realise it ended pretty badly if he left without his smokes.

“He was drunk,” she says, as though he was likely to be anything other. I tell her as much but she shakes her head. “This was different, Leo. He’s been drunk before, this was…”

“Really fucking drunk?”

She shoots me a glare. “Desperate. He’s really desperate. I’ve never seen him like this.”

“Desperate enough to do what exactly?”

She drops her eyes. “Fuck, I don’t know, Leo. He was spouting on, about you, about Mariana, about the goddamn paternity test. He said he’d given you an ultimatum. That your time is up.”

I shake my head. “There is no fucking time limit, Serena. I never agreed there would be. He’s not getting a paternity test, and he never has been.”

“He said you’re too busy cavorting with the new girl to take care of your own family mess.”

“He’s not my fucking family.” My voice is harsh. I regret it as soon as I’ve said it.

“We’re family, Leo. All of us. Don’t forget what he did for us. Don’t forget what we did for each other.”

“A long time ago,” I say, like it needs pointing out. “The guy’s off the rails. I’m calling my lawyer back on Monday morning. We’ll get the police involved.”

She stares into the distance as she takes a drag. “How the fuck did it come to all this?”

“Mariana,” I say, because it’s the truth.

That makes her smile. “I wonder if she’d be laughing, if she was still here.”

“Probably.” I lean over the railings with her. “I told Abigail about Cameron.”

“And?”

“And I think she’ll meet him. Not yet, but soon.”

She nods. “That’s good news. A step forward for some of us, at least.”