Only You (9 page)

Earlier, while he and Tiffany floated several feet behind Eric and Stella, Brody found that he could not keep his eyes off them. He almost felt jealous each time Stella laughed at something Eric said or each time he noticed them touching. If he hadn’t known that Eric wasn’t interested in Stella, that he was obviously happy with Camden, he would have ripped him to pieces. And that feeling did not sit well with Brody. Neither did the nagging thought that the only reason he was holding onto his current girlfriend was because of her best friend. Ouch, he realized. He was kind of a dick.

Tiffany looked up only to lock gazes with Brody. She licked her upper lip seductively, and walked boldly to him. Her hot breath tickled his ear as she cupped him discreetly and whispered, “Want to go somewhere for a little one-on-one time?”

Brody nodded. A little horizontal mambo was just what the doctor ordered to cure the strange funk in which he found himself today. He nodded, and Tiffany smirked as she gently squeezed his hardening package. “I felt a little left out last night,” she pouted. “It seemed all your attention went to Stella.”

Brody was dismayed by his body’s reaction. At Stella’s name, his dick hardened and his heart sank. He hadn’t thought that Tiffany had been paying enough attention last night to notice, but once his eyes settled on a half-naked, willing Stella, he hadn’t thought of Tiffany once. The only way Brody knew to fix the issue was to ignore it. And ignoring it with a naked, empty-headed blonde seemed like the perfect solution. As he leaned forward to whisper his reply to Tiffany, he saw the telling dirt cloud on the road.

“Shane’s back,” he stated without emotion. He didn’t miss the spark of interest in Tiffany’s eyes. “Rain check?” he asked her.

“Of course.” She smiled and turned back to Stella. “I wish we could go into Jack and Molly’s RV to watch TV. There is nothing to do around here,” she complained.

Brody stopped himself from rolling his eyes and walked toward his slowing Jeep.

***

“Hey man, where’d you disappear to? We thought you’d catch up with us on the river?”

Shane looked up at Brody’s comment. He wasn’t fuming, which could only mean Camden hadn’t told him yet. Good, Shane thought. He wanted to be with her when they broke the news. He felt suddenly exhausted as he thought about the difficult afternoon ahead. But even knowing that he would be dealing with a super-pissed big brother/best friend, and a broken-hearted man, Shane couldn’t wait to tell the world that Camden was his.

As he glanced around the campsite, however, he was filled with a sense of foreboding. Eric's and Camden’s tent was gone.

“Where is everyone?” he asked, trying to be nonchalant, hiding his concern.

“Mom and dad are in the RV ‘napping’.” Brody shivered. “I don’t even want to think about what that means, because it wasn’t quiet.” Shane's immediate
shudder was an exact replica of Brody's. Jack and Molly were like parents to him. Some mental images, you just didn’t want to have.

“Eric had some family emergency,” Brody continued. “His mom is in the hospital or something. Camden came and got him thirty or forty-five minutes ago.”

Shane froze momentarily. “He must have been upset. Was she driving him to the airport or something?”

“Nah, man,” Brody responded. “She went with him.”

The ball of tightness in Shane’s stomach grew. “Did she leave a message or anything?” Brody looked puzzled as he listened to Shane.

“Why would she leave a message, Shane? You were a dick to her all weekend.”

Shane frowned, but he knew Brody was right about that. Brody didn’t know about this afternoon, though. “Right, but did she leave a message for anyone?”

Brody continued to stare bewilderedly at Shane. “You are weird, man. She just came to the dock, and as soon as we exited the river, she told Eric about his mom. The car was fully loaded already, so Eric hopped into the passenger seat, and that was it. They left.”

Shane was beginning to panic. “What about her number?” He noticed that Brody’s brows were scrunched together, the way they looked in high school when he was trying to work through a difficult math problem. “You know,” he covered. “So I can call to apologize for my behavior. I was planning to do that tonight.”

Brody’s face immediately smoothed. “Got it, man.” When they were kids, Shane had never been able to go long with Camden pissed at him. “Umm, I’m sure she gave it to my mom or something.”

“Gave what to me?” Molly’s melodious voice carried to the boys from the RV steps. She pulled her fingers through her hair, and then smoothed her shirt as she started to walk toward the boys. They shared a disgusted glance.

“When Camden left to pick up Eric at the dock, she gave you her phone number right?” Brody asked.

Molly stopped smoothing her shirt and looked at Brody. Her face had visibly paled. “When Camden what?” she whispered.

“When she left to get Eric?” Brody was starting to become concerned.

Molly eyes began to frantically search the campsite, as if to confirm Brody’s statement.

“They…they left?” she whimpered.

"Yeah, mom,” Brody replied gently. “Someone called her and told her Eric’s mom was in the hospital. But you have Camden’s phone number, right?” Brody smiled at Shane, certain he was correct.

Molly’s lip quivered. “JACK!?!?!?” she yelled. Jack came sprinting from the RV. He ran straight to Molly and wrapped her in his arms.

“What’s wrong, baby?”

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she replied. “Camden,” she sniffled. “She’s gone.” Jack looked at her in confusion. “She told Brody that someone called her and said Eric’s mom was in the hospital,” she continued.

Jack’s eyes softened as he pulled Molly closer. Shane and Brody didn’t miss the tears that began to tumble silently from Jack’s own eyes, as he held a now sobbing Molly.

“What’s the big deal?” Brody’s voice cracked. “She DID give you her number, right?” Molly’s cries grew louder, drawing the attention of Tiffany and Stella. While Tiffany looked uncomfortable, Stella set her book down and walked to Brody’s side.

“Is everything okay?” She could obviously tell it wasn’t, but Stella didn’t know what the proper etiquette was for a situation where your host was sobbing uncontrollably while her family watched. Brody shook his head, and Stella gently placed her palm on his lower back in a show of support. Tension he didn’t know was in his body began to slip away at the contact.

“I don’t think they have her number, man,” Shane finally stated. “But she’ll be back once she takes Eric to see his mom, right?” Shane was trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince everyone else.

"She didn’t give us her number,” Jack finally spoke. He made eye contact with each boy and with Stella. “But that isn’t the worst part.”

Everyone paused and stared at Jack, before he continued.

“I don’t think Eric’s mom is in the hospital.”

Shane and Brody were both puzzled by his words, but Stella wasn’t twisted up with the grief they were all experiencing, so the realization hit her first. Her eyes locked with Shane’s, as he stood across from her and the now frozen Brody.

“The phone call,” she whispered.

Shane’s heart broke when understanding dawned.

“There’s no cell reception at the campground," he stated. "She lied.”

And his heart completely shattered once he realized that he had told her he loved her, and she had run away.

***

Chapter 11

"Guess who got Chinese food???” Eric sang as he walked into the apartment. He frowned at Camden when he saw she was still in her pajamas. At least she was taking a daily shower. He’d kill her if she gave up every semblance of respectability.

“Sweetie, it’s been three weeks,” he fussed. “You’ve got to start moving on.” Eric didn’t miss the flash of irritation in Camden’s eyes, but it was better than the dead look she’d been sporting for weeks. He had just started setting the Chinese take-out containers on the coffee table when Camden shushed him.

“TMZ has a story about Chris Hemsworth, and I’ve been waiting to see it.”

Eric laughed. “Honey, the only thing that man does that is newsworthy is looking edible. His brother on the other hand, he has drama written all over him. Gawd, Miley Cyrus germs. Blech!”

Eric felt he should receive an award for getting Camden to smile. It was the first one he had seen in days. He knew she was upset, and he knew she needed her rest. But spending her days in pajamas, wrapped in a blanket on their couch, was not going to help her stomp all over the suckiness that was her life. Eric was all over the beat down of her self-inflicted pity party.

“So the hottie from Aeropostale came into the store today,” he teased.

Camden’s interest was piqued, and TMZ was immediately muted. She looked at him, eager to get news of his love life.

“What did Jonathan say?” Eric growled.

“Jonathan can take a flying leap, for all I care.”

Camden patted Eric’s arm. “Baby, he’s just a little overprotective.”

“Overprotective, my ass,” Eric huffed. “That bastard is over possessive, not overprotective.”

Camden sighed. “What did he do this time?”

The Chinese food long forgotten, Eric began to fill in Camden regarding all that she had missed in her three week fog. She was shocked to find out that Jonathan had freaked out when he saw Eric talking to the Aeropostale hottie two weeks ago, but when Eric found him in a compromising position a week later, Jonathan was full of excuses. He had even gone so far as to blame Eric for not giving him enough attention.

“So, did you dump the
jackass?” Camden queried.

“Nah,” Eric replied. “I really don’t know that he did anything with the guy. It wasn’t like they were naked. His ‘friend’,” Eric cringed at the word, “was just shirtless. And let me tell you, that man had nothing on my six-pack.”

“You are so conceited,” Camden laughed.

“I am just aware of my gifts and talents, babe, and you better not forget it.” Camden giggled.

“Now,” Eric continued. “Enough about me. Scoot over and we can have some Chinese and Thor.”

Camden began to cheer, but Eric didn’t miss her wince halfway through her mini-dance.

“Everything okay, babe?”

“My stomach has been hurting this week.” She replied. “I’m really tired, but I was kind of expecting that. I forgot about the aches and pains, though.”

“Any nausea?” Eric probed.

“Not as bad as last time.”

Eric gazed at Camden lovingly. He pulled her to him, and wrapped his arm around her. “I love you, Cam. Don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Camden smiled weakly at him.

“I remembered how things were for you two years ago, so I got you wonton soup and a couple of spring rolls. Nothing too heavy.” He ran his fingers through her hair before bringing his palm to rest against her cheek. “Think you can keep it down?”

“It’s sound delicious, so I’ll try my best,” she answered.

Eric gently chucked her on the chin. “Good girl,” he whispered.

As Eric began preparing Camden’s food, she tightened into a ball and snuggled into the corner of the couch. Eric handed her the bowl of soup and a glass of cold milk before totally bogarting the remote. Thankfully, he only changed the station to The Avengers, which was their favorite “pick-me-up” film. Camden couldn’t get over the eye candy. Maybe this was what she needed to distract her from her train-wreck of a life.

It sounded perfect. A day full of yummy men forever immortalized on film.

“Can we watch 300 next?” she asked with a smirk.

Eric chuckled at Camden. “Of course, honey. We can watch whatever you want.”

Before long, Camden had become engrossed in the film (specifically every scene containing the beautiful Thor), and she had completely finished her food (much to Eric’s pleasure). When the film ended, Eric dutifully switched the Blu-ray to 300, and then raised another disc in question.

“Magic Mike next?” He smiled and wiggled his eyebrows.

“You are the best friend ever!” Camden declared.

She began to laugh whole-heartedly, but her full-belly laughs turned into coughing and she gripped her stomach in pain. Eric hurried after her when she ran from the room, only to find her retching over the toilet seat in her bathroom.

He leaned forward and pulled her hair away from her face. Camden began to sob, still hovering over the toilet.

“Shhh,” Eric cooed. “Everything is going to be okay, honey.  We’ve been through this before, and we can do it again.” His eyes searched the counter, landing on an unused ponytail holder. He pulled Camden’s hair through the accessory, only to laugh at his unsuccessful efforts. At least the hair was out of her face. It didn’t have to look pretty, right?

Eric turned and hurried to the kitchen for a glass of water. He returned to the bathroom to find Camden exactly as he had left her. He wiped away her tears with his thumbs. Then he handed her the glass and tipped some pain medication into her open palm.

“Swallow, princess,” he said, nodding to the pills now in her hand.

“That’s what he said,” she muttered, causing Eric to laugh. He loved that she still kept her sense of humor, even when she wasn’t feeling well. He opened Camden’s bathroom cabinet and retrieved a washcloth. Once it was wet, he moved gently to Camden’s side and began to wipe her face softly.