“That was pretty much the whole story. I feel pathetic! I should have known better than to believe that I belonged in a place like that and acting like I fit in. That’s not who I am.”
Camden grunted underneath me, and I lifted my head to look at him. “Who are you?” he asked.
With regret I admitted, “I’m the girl who’s always picked last. I’m overweight and act older than my age. I’ve never attempted to fit in with the popular crowd. Growing up with my mother has forced me to live a life beyond my years. Her actions required me to take on the role of mother with Sarah, and I think it prevented me from doing the normal things that kids my age were doing.” I lifted my shoulders and dropped them. “There’s nothing extraordinary about me. But I do care about people, and I love helping them. It’s pretty much why I choose the nursing field.”
He brushed his long fingers through my wavy hair. “You couldn’t be more wrong if it hit you between your beautiful blue eyes. You are extraordinary.”
“How did you know?”
“That you’re extraordinary?”
I shook my head. “No, how did you know about Luke? You warned me about him, so how did you know?”
He stiffened. “Back when I was in school, that frat house was known for doing shit like that. I’d heard of stories of them bringing the most unattractive people they could find to those parties, and they would tease them for entertainment. It’s why I never went when I was invited.”
“But yet you let me go to one knowing full well that it might have been a set-up?” I sat up, my body was half turned toward him while I leaned on my arm.
“No, it wasn’t like that at all. You aren’t anything like what they used to bring in to those parties. You’re smart, funny, stubborn, and drop-dead gorgeous, Keegan. How would I have known that they changed the game?”
“How about the simple fact that they even played games like that? You should have told me. I wouldn’t have gone anywhere near that house had I known.”
He clenched his teeth, his jaw was set in stone. “If you want to blame me for how tonight played out, then fine, I’ll take the brunt of it. But don’t think for one second that I think you deserved what happened to you. I would have fucking thrown you over my shoulder and hauled you out of there if I’d known you were a part of their game. Hell I would have tied you up and locked you in my closet and told everyone you were sick if I’d known beforehand. Like I said, I didn’t know that those assholes changed their tactics.” He leaned forward and slid his hand underneath my hair to my neck. “It’s going to stop.”
My pulse picked up at his touch, while confusion settled on my features. “What’s going to stop?”
His eyes became hard, and my tough exterior Camden was back. “I’m going to find every single one of the assholes that had the balls to do this to you, and they are going to wish they’d never joined a fraternity. They’ll be lucky if they are still walking when I’m done with them.”
My eyes widened. “Camden, you can’t go beating up everybody who hurts my feelings.”
“The fuck I can’t. This shit has been going on for years. Maybe someone needs to put the fear of God in them… or rearrange their pretty little faces.” The smile that spread across his lips was scary. “They messed with the wrong girl.”
“I wish you wouldn’t. Fighting doesn’t solve anything.”
“That’s cute, Keegan. You sound like a fucking school counselor.” He smirked. “Luke knows what’s coming for him. I bet he’s shaking in his prissy little boots, and I plan on delivering.”
“Seriously Camden. No. Just leave it alone. I want to forget this night ever happened. Okay? Let. It. Go.”
“Not gonna happen, Blue.”
I laid my head back down on him and shook my head in frustration. Yet another battle I didn’t feel like fighting with him. He chuckled at my resignation. I hated that he felt the need to fight for me. I wasn’t an advocate for using fists. He was right though, Luke better be shaking in his boots. Not only was Camden very capable of taking him on, I was pretty sure I was going to flip my shit if I saw him again. Sighing deep into Camden I buried myself into his side and inhaled his scent again. His need to stand up for me was sweet, but misguided. He’d eventually figure out that there wasn’t much to me but a plain girl who could offer a nice friendship. It pained my heart that I thought so little of myself, but it was what I felt was true. I wanted Camden. I wanted him more than my next breath, but at what expense? Sadness seeped back into me as my eyelids grew so heavy I could no longer keep them open. While I drifted off to sleep, I had the scary thought that I was becoming attached to this man. With all of the passionate fighting and sometimes gentler moments, he had become a source of comfort. The apartment didn’t just feel like home to me, Camden did.
Opening my eyes, I saw that it was still dark outside. Looking at the clock on the bedside table, it was two in the morning. I closed my eyes and stretched my still muscles. The feel of the bed was foreign. Where was I? It dawned on me that I wasn’t in my room. Grabbing the sheet I pulled it up to my chin. The scent of Camden washing over me, I moaned in contentment. I was in his bed, and I’d fallen asleep on him. Except, I glanced around and he wasn’t in the room. Where did he go? Maybe he moved to sleep in my room to give me space. I wouldn’t blame him. First I flung myself at him and bawled my eyes out, then he felt obligated to take care of me. I was the quintessential needy girl. I bet this was why Luke chose me. The events that happened only a few hours ago plowed into me like a Mack truck. The game, their words, Veronica, Luke… it was real. He must have sensed my loneliness and zeroed in on me. It was like I was a standing target who was flashing a bright red sign screaming ‘pick me, I’ll be your next victim.’ Tears welled in my eyes, and the sorrow I felt came down around me like a heavy weight. Why me? What did I do in this life to deserve this? I was a decent daughter growing up, and I took care of my little sister like she was my own. I showed up at my job on time and did what was required of me. And academically I was an overachiever. It was like the world was playing a cruel joke on me. Was I so desperate for attention that I missed any warning signs from Luke? At any point did he do anything to indicate that it was all pretend? I wracked my brain to the point of pain. A deep ache was settling in just over my eyes and made me feel queasy. I gave myself to him in every way that I could. I felt so stupid.
So where did Camden fit in to all of this? I was definitely frustrated with him for not telling me about the frat’s history. If he’d known about it, he should have said something, not just warn me away from Luke. I’d thought his only reason for doing that was because he was jealous. What a ridiculous thought. Camden couldn’t be jealous… could he? I knew we had something going on between us, but was it what I thought it was? Clearly my track record with figuring out men wasn’t very on point. But Camden had kissed me, he had pushed me to the brink of orgasm, and touched me like he wanted me just as bad. I couldn’t be that far off base.