Twist and turn, p.11
Twist & Turn, page 11
I deftly unfolded the note and read it. ‘You better not be playing my brother. If you're not serious about him, leave now. I mean it. I want to see him happy, but if you hurt him you're dead. Your friend, Ash’
My friend? In what world? Nothing like a little death threat after your first date to keep the relationship alive. I knew her threats were empty. If anything, the note only indicated how close his family ties were. So she’s a little over-protective of her big bro. I can handle that.
After a quick shower, I scrunched some gel into my hair, since I couldn’t locate a hairdryer. I scurried back into his room, found my purse on the floor next to the bed and scrambled to make myself decent with the few items I had packed into the small clutch.
I busted out of his bedroom, with my dress over my arm, and wandered around his house to find him. I peeked inside his office door, where I found him reclined in a chair at his desk. Music blared from his ear buds and his eyes were closed. He mumbled something unintelligible and turned his head away from me.
"Cameron!" I said rather forcefully, shaking his shoulder gently to wake him.
He nearly jumped two feet out of his chair. "I'm awake!" he shouted, as he pulled the buds from his ears.
"Well, you are now," I said with a giggle. "Sorry for taking so long."
Once he became alert he gave me a once over. "Wow, look at that. I see the clothes worked out then." He rubbed my thigh lightly, sending a refreshed sexual awareness pulsing through my veins. If he only knew I wasn’t wearing any panties.
"Thank you again. I really appreciate it. I’ll pay you for the clothes."
"Forget about it. Ready to go? You must be starving." His hand brushed across my cheek, but he made no attempt to kiss me.
I nodded and smiled, eager to get some fresh air in my lungs and slick food in my belly.
As we put on our shoes, I wondered what he might expect in exchange for the gifts he showered me with. I hardly doubted that last night was enough for full repayment. I could think of a few things I could do for him that might even the playing field. A smirk teased my lips.
Cameron opened his holly red door and waited for me to walk through. I glanced down the driveway, curious to see how I was getting home, and quite surprised to find Cameron's sleek black car sparkling in the driveway.
"How did you get your car back here?" I wondered, aloud.
"Ashley drove it home from the party. It was here in the driveway when we got home last night. Don't you remember?"
"My memory's a little fuzzy from last night," I admitted, hoping he wouldn't take offence.
He opened the passenger door for me and I shot him an appreciative smile. "Thanks."
He returned a warm smile and a nod before he swiftly walked around the sophisticated car and entered the other side. A twinge of desire stalked me as I remembered his warm lips all over my trembling bare skin.
The diner was exactly how he described it, friendly and cozy. We sat at a table for four and each of us ordered a greasy breakfast skillet even though it was nearly noon. The conversation was casual, covering nothing but random, insignificant things, including work gossip and the weather.
Just as Cameron finished with his platter, his cell phone started buzzing. He looked at the screen and apprehension immediately transformed his contentment. "I have to take this. Please excuse me," he said, standing from the table. He hurried out the door before answering the call.
I watched out the window until Cameron came back into my view. He didn't look too happy. He may have even been raising his voice. Suddenly, catching my eye, he spun away so I couldn't scrutinize him. I was a little worried and even more jealous. Who was he talking to?
While the seconds faded into minutes, I finished my meal alone. I remembered the intimacy we had shared the night before. I was extremely disappointed by the turn of events, now that we had our sobriety intact.
Since waking in his bed, Cameron had not once kissed me. Disappointment set in when I realized he had not shared a single intimate word or private detail with me all morning. In fact, today, everything seemed chummy. Maybe a little too chummy.
When Cameron finally returned to the table I must have been wearing my emotions on my sleeve. He seemed to decipher them instantly.
"Sorry about that," he said. He stood behind his chair, but didn’t take a seat, his hands gripping the back of it irritably.
"Everything okay," I pried, hoping he'd tell me what that was all about.
He didn't.
"Ready to go?" he asked, acknowledging that the plates were cleared from the table.
Suddenly the waitress appeared, returning his credit card to him. When did he do that?
I nodded and forced an unauthentic smile on my face. I was suddenly uncomfortable with the whole situation. "Thank you for dinner," I said, as we walked back to his car separate and apart.
"You're welcome," he replied, then set off for his door.
I let myself in the passenger side and studied his face as he snapped in his seat belt. Something had changed. Something was bothering him. Me?
I cringed, as he drove toward my house in silence. I wondered how our relationship had so quickly taken a turn for the worse. Overall, our brunch seemed more like a friendly meeting than a second date. My stomach twisted into a treacherous knot.
When he pulled up to my house, I thanked him again. Testing the waters with a goodbye kiss, I rested my hand on his chest and leaned into him. At first he hesitated, making my heart clench painfully in my chest. Then he delivered an emotionless peck on my lips, acting as though nothing was amiss.
Stunned, I picked up my clutch from his floor and yanked my dress from the back seat. "Call me," I said, almost teasingly, as I got out of his car. I was feeling extremely confused and rather angry.
He looked so grim when I shut the door, so very distant, that I decided I would just leave it alone. I felt his eyes on me as I stalked up to my front door, but I didn't look back to confirm it. I jammed my key into the slot, whipped the door shut behind me and sunk into the back of it. Slumped there, I was seriously bent out of shape, just waiting for the tears to come.
What went so terribly wrong? Wetness started to well in my eyes. He must have regretted taking me home to meet his daughter. That could be the only explanation.
I needed my pillow. I needed to spill my tears, before I emptied my upset stomach onto the floor. But before I could concentrate on that problem, down walked another. Compared to seeing this person at this very moment, Edwin would have been a sight for sore eyes.
CHAPTER TWELVE
IT WAS AS THOUGH the sky opened up, swallowed the sun and cast me off on my own. Darkness reigned. As if my morning could get any worse. Oh, but it just did.
Seeing Jessica Sanders prancing down my hall, wearing nothing but a lacy purple bra and thong, was the last thing I wanted to deal with after being crushed by Cameron's sudden change of heart.
"Oh, hey Abby. I didn't hear you come in. I’m just grabbing a bottle of water. You want one?" Jessica asked. Her smile said it all.
I shook my head no, as the vomit rose up my throat. I swallowed it back.
Jessica sashayed to the kitchen, suddenly proud and self-assured, as though she weren’t walking around my house with her ass hanging out. If she was trying to make me jealous, she had succeeded. I tried to remain unaffected by it all, but my emotions were already on standby for an explosion and I couldn't fathom the thought of Edwin spending the night with her.
I booked it up the stairs, so I wouldn't have to face her again, and slammed right into Edwin. My hands were bunched into fists and landed right on his shirtless chest. He was fresh out of the shower, with a pair of faded jeans hanging from his hips, but he hadn’t bothered to do up the top button. Damn him.
He didn’t move, so I glared at him. We didn't exchange words. He could see I was hurting. He knew me well enough to read the pain in my eyes, but his smug, insensitive expression only twisted the dagger in deeper.
I pushed by him, rushed inside my bedroom and slammed the door out of anger and sadness. I was confused. So very confused. What the hell am I doing here? Does nobody want me, for me?
Cameron was everything I was looking for in a man. He was sexy as hell, with a good future and a loving family. Besides that, he was just an overall great guy that any woman would be lucky to date. I blew that. How? Who knows; but it’s clearly over between us.
Edwin, on the other hand, had laid it all out on the table. Me, I bitch flipped that table onto his lap. Someday just wasn’t soon enough for me, but how did I expect him to treat me now? I had yanked his heart from his chest and crushed it before him. Now I actually expect him to respect my heart?
I sighed, pinching my eyes shut with my index finger and thumb. A tear slipped down my face, while I struggled to find the right response to what I had just witnessed. Could Edwin truly like Jessica like that? She was a prime target for an easy lay, considering her long-time crush on him, but that thought didn’t make me feel any better.
The more I fretted, the more I realized it wasn’t doing me any good. I needed Aliah to tell me how big of a dumbass Cameron was being and what a jerk Edwin was. Yes. I need her now.
I plucked my cordless phone from the charger and started to dial, but it didn’t ring when I was finished.
"Hello," a man said, on the other end.
What the hell? "Who is this?" I snapped.
"Caleb. Who's this?"
"Abby. Who do you think?"
"I'm on the phone, Abs," Edwin finally intercepted.
"Oh. I'm sorry,” I said sarcastically, “I thought you had a guest to tend to."
"What, I'm not allowed to have guests now?"
"No, it's fine with me, but I'd prefer that they not trot around my house bare-assed."
“Don’t get your panties in a bunch,” Edwin replied with a chuckle, ticking me off even more.
"That's it. I'm on my way over!" Caleb shouted, then his line went dead.
Edwin didn't hang up the phone. Then I heard him sigh. "She didn't know you were home," he insisted, as if he cared.
"Oh, please. You’re telling me she suddenly needed a drink when she heard me pull up out front? More like she was watching out the window, waiting for me to get home." Ugh. Why did I have to share my paranoia with him?
"Does this even have anything to do with her?" Edwin asked.
"No.” I wished that were true. “This has everything to do with you letting your slutty guests strut around my house half naked. You need to learn to keep 'em on a leash," I hollered.
"Who's that?" Jessica asked suddenly, on the other side of the phone.
"It's no one," Edwin told her.
"Whatever. Get the hell off the phone. I need it," I ordered.
"Glad to hear you enjoyed yourself last night. Love you too, mom. We'll talk later." Edwin made smooching noises into the phone and hung it up before I could scold him some more.
What an asshole. Lucky for him I had shit to do. I needed to discuss my new man troubles with Aliah. After turning the phone back on, I quickly redialed her number. It rang only twice before Aliah picked up.
"Hello," she answered.
"Ally. Thank God you're home. We need to talk."
"My company's just walking out the front door now. I'll be right over."
"Wait! Aliah, no!"
She had hung up the phone and I knew that she was likely already barreling out her door to come see me. Aliah had always been a good friend of mine. She wasn't afraid to speak the truth and if something needed said, then you’d better be ready to hear it. Was I ready to hear what she had to say?
The next 15 minutes passed slowly as I waited in my bedroom for the doorbell to ring. When it finally did, I ran downstairs and swung the door open before Edwin could get in on my business.
"Oh. Caleb. I thought you were Aliah," I said, unimpressed.
"You make me feel so welcome," he mocked, stepping past me.
"Come in," I said sarcastically, while he kicked off his shoes.
I spun around, placed my hands on my hips and hollered up the stairs. "Edwin! Caleb's here!" I didn’t dare go near his room while he had a guest.
Suddenly, there was another quick knock and in walked Aliah.
I spun around and wrapped my arms around her neck. "It's you!" I gave her a long, overly friendly hug, feeling in need of a little love.
"Why didn’t I get that kind of reception?" Caleb moaned, with a boyish pout.
"What is it, boy trouble?" Aliah asked, ignoring Caleb entirely.
"Let's go to my room to talk. Eddie has a guest." I narrowed my eyes at Caleb, but I wasn’t referring to him.
"He picked up some slut last night, did he?" she asked, as we started up the stairs.
Just then, Jessica curled around the barrister at the top. "Nice to see you too," she answered.
At least now she had clothes on. Edwin wasn't far behind her. He too was fully clothed now.
"You don't have to go to your room. I'm leaving," Edwin said.
"Whatever. Let's go," I said to Aliah. "Just lock the door when you leave."
"Got it," Edwin replied, as I shut my bedroom door.
"What the hell was that?" Aliah asked, stunned by the exchange.
I scurried over to my bed and crashed onto it, burying my head into my pillow. "I was wondering the same thing," I whined, my voice muffled by the fabric.
"Is that why you called me over? You still crushing on my brother, Eddie?"
I lifted my head and glared at her. "No! There's other stuff I really need to talk to you about.” I pouted for a second, then softened a bit. “Why don’t you go first? I could use some good news." I hugged my pillow and stared at Aliah.
"You want a play-by-play or a summary?" She shared a wicked smirk and it made me smile.
"That depends on how raunchy it is."
"Well, first we went to his place. We barely made it in the house before I ripped all of his clothes off. Damn, he has a fine bod! He's well hung too!"
"Okay." I laughed. "Maybe a few less details.”
"Let's just say I put it on him right. He won't even think about any other ladies now that he knows where it's at," she said, pointing two thumbs at herself.
"I'm sure." I laughed, mostly because Aliah wasn't even joking.
"Now you!” Aliah insisted. “How was Cam and when did you get those jeans? I like ‘em."
I flung my head backwards, not ready to get into the jean thing. "Cam was great. Was being the operative word. And no we didn't do it. It wasn't like that.”
"If it wasn't like that, then how was it?" Aliah probed.
"I don't know. That's where it gets complicated. I'm so confused right now."
"I saw you two at the bar. He was all over you. Then when we were leaving there were definitely stars in his eyes. So, what's the problem?"
"It's a long story," I said.
Aliah answered with a smile. “I have all day."
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THE OFFICE HAD BEEN a vortex of gossip ever since Owen’s party. Among the rumours about Cameron and I, there was talk about Edwin's hot rebound girl. One whole week had passed and Cameron hadn't said more than two words to me. I hardly thought that ‘Good Morning’ or ‘See Ya’ even counted as a conversation.
It was a cool, cloudy Saturday afternoon and I was sitting at home alone in my quiet house. The fact that I hadn’t made any plans to go out for the evening not only saddened me, but left me incredibly depressed. I tried to focus on scrubbing my floors and ironing my laundry, but my scattered thoughts kept rushing back to the forefront of my mind.
After my talk with Aliah, we had agreed that Cameron had three days to get his shit together and make his move or we were finished. The deadline long overdue, it became crystal clear that if it wasn't for work, I would have never seen or spoken to Cameron Clarke ever again. Boy did that realization suck.
Being realistic, there was only one thing I could do and that was to move on with my life. I really wanted to ask him what the deal-breaker was, but one sort-of-date hardly made Cameron responsible to me for an explanation.
After finishing my housework and the cold left-overs in the fridge, I curled up on the couch with a blanket and turned on the boob tube. The way Edwin shuffled around the house, I figured it meant he'd be going out with his friends shortly. At least then I could wallow in my misery in peace.
After half an hour passed, with Edwin still roaming the house, I decided I was getting into my pj's. I left the TV on and headed to my room to change into my comfy clothes. I stripped down, exchanging my jeans and blouse for comfy plaid pants that hugged my curves and a hot pink v-neck shirt.
I knew I should probably leave my bra on, in case Edwin's friends decided to visit before they took off, but decided I really didn't care. It was my house too, and if Edwin could have ladies walking around in their thongs, then I could certainly walk around without wearing a bra.
As I tied my hair up into a high pony, someone knocked at my bedroom door. "Yup," I called.
Edwin let himself in. "You getting ready to go out?"
I let his eyes do the answering first. "No. I could use some down time."
"You expecting company?"
"No. Why? Is someone here?" I asked, hopeful.
"No. I was just wondering."
I nodded, hesitating near the door, waiting for Edwin to leave. His eyes trailed down to my chest and it lit my body on fire. My nipples defied me and became razor sharp under the intensity of his stare.
When he didn't move or speak, I brushed past him, walked down the hall and continued down the stairs. "I already called the TV, so you'll have to go to your buddies if you want to watch a show with them," I hollered back.
"The guys aren't coming over," Edwin said. He swiftly caught up with me at the bottom of the stairs.
"Good," I snapped. When I took my seat, I folded my arms over my unsupported breasts.
Edwin rounded the couch and held a cold eye on me. "Are you avoiding me again?"
