He runs the soapy cloth over my entire body, paying special attention to the tender folds between my legs. When he is done, he washes my hair before rinsing us both off. By the time he’s finished, I feel a hundred times better.
“I need to ask you something, and I need you to tell me the truth,” he warns as we are stepping out of the shower. His handsome features turn deadly, and I know whatever he has to ask me is important.
“Okay.” He grabs a towel from the rack, which I realize is heated when he wraps me in the fluffy cotton.
“Did you tell anybody about that night?” I’m taken aback by his question but answer right away.
“What? No! No, I told you I wouldn’t, and I won’t.” Why would he think that? “I just went to see Grams, I swear. I haven’t told a single person.”
He looks at me for a moment, studying me like he is searching my eyes for a lie, but there is nothing there. “I believe you,” he finally says, his eyes softening, “now we just need to make Easton believe you too.”
16
Easton
I give myself twenty-four hours to calm down because if I don’t, I’ll end up doing something horrible. I’m so enraged with Stella that I all but shoved her into Cameron’s arms. Why didn’t she just listen to us? Why did she have to go and ruin our fragile bond of trust? I’m stupid, so fucking stupid. I don’t know why I’m letting this girl get my emotions tied into a knot. I don’t know why I feel so disappointed when I should’ve expected or seen this coming.
Actually, I do know why, because my stupid fucking heart is getting involved no matter how much I tell that sucker to shut up. I’m getting attached to her, seeing her as a person, and not the fucking thing we need to keep in line to protect ourselves. That’s over with now, I’m not letting my feelings get in the way again.
I look up from my phone when I hear a knock on my bedroom door. If that’s her, I swear to god, I will lose my fucking mind. A second later, Cameron walks in, and my temper settles a little when I find the blonde-haired siren isn’t with him.
Cam doesn’t skip a beat as he enters the room, “Look, I know you said you weren’t going to watch her, but can you keep an eye on her for like two hours. I have to go make up a test I missed this morning when I took Stella to the doctor.”
“Doctor?” I was wondering where they left for this morning.
“Yeah, got her on birth control. Thought you would appreciate that,” Cam smiles. “She is on the shot, so we don’t have to keep up with her taking the pill.”
“Yeah,” I grunt, but internally I am excited like a kid on Christmas morning. I didn’t pull out like I meant to the other day, but I know I can’t keep doing that.
“I also need to go talk to my dad,” Cameron explains, “there have been more people coming to the station looking for James. I don’t understand how such a cocksucker has people who care about him.”
Part of me wants to tell him, no, and the other part knows that I owe it to him to just watch her pain in the ass. He’s going to talk to his dad about James, and since someone has to watch her, to keep her from running away or opening her mouth, I guess that lucky person gets to be me.
After a long moment of silence, I say, “Yeah, whatever. I’ll watch her, but she better keep her fucking mouth shut.” Hearing her voice grates on my every nerve. I want to beg her to keep talking, but also wrap my hand around her throat and shut her up. It’s a conundrum I can’t explain. The darkness inside of me calls to the goodness in her.
“Perfect. Now, I’m going to warn you, E, if I come home and she’s hurt, I’m going to be pissed.” Hurt?
“You’re growing a heart for a girl that doesn’t want you. She doesn’t want either of us, Cam, and she’s using your feelings against you, to make you believe that she does. We still don’t know if she is the one who told someone.”
Cam rolls his eyes, “It wasn’t her who talked, and how I feel about her doesn’t matter. I’m asking you not to hurt her.” There’s a slight plea to his voice, and that only makes me angrier. Stella has weaseled her way under his skin. I’ll have to severe that connection today.
“I won’t hurt her…” I trail off. Badly.
“Don’t lie to me,” Cam responds, his voice deadpanned, his arms crossed over his chest.