Redeem Me (Kin #6)(11)
Author: Jennifer Foor

I tried to play it off. “This is the reason we’re talkin’. You keep assumin’ things that aren’t there. I asked you to back off, but you couldn’t leave things alone. Now I’ve got a monkey on my back, and I can’t do this anymore.” I looked down at the table when I said the last sentence. “WE can’t do this anymore, Cam.”

“Do what? Argue? Everyone argues. It’s part of normal human behavior. I don’t understand why you can’t come clean. What do they have on you, Parker? Just tell me what happened with your family. Is it something illegal?”

Of course she’d think that. She’d been raised to assume the worst in everyone. Being a lawyer was already in her blood. No matter what I did, she wouldn’t back down until she won her case. “I need time.”

“Time for what?”

I couldn’t look her in the eyes, because mine were already burning. A lump formed in my throat and I could feel the pain radiating from my heart. “I need a break from you; from us. You’re pushin’ me away, and you can’t even see it.”

She reached for my hand, but I pulled away. I couldn’t let her see my pain, so the only thing I could do was get up and walk away.

I grinded my teeth together, clenching my jaws, while standing and taking my first couple steps away from the table.

I heard her calling my name again and again, but I refused to look back. I’d broken her heart, probably ripped her to shreds, and it wasn’t even what I wanted. I did it for my family, and they didn’t even care.

For the next couple of days Cameron did everything in her power to reach out to me. She wanted answers, in which she deserved; answers that I wasn’t willing to give her. If only I could have explained how we couldn’t be together because she wouldn’t leave well enough alone.

By the time the weekend came, I’d suffered enough. I decided to go to the one place where I knew I’d find solitude.

I went home.

Actually, I went to the beach house.

I arrived around ten in the morning. The roads were deserted, and I cracked my first smile in days as I pulled into the driveway. I knew I’d be alone, and once my phone was turned off, I’d be able to clear my head enough to go back to school.

After opening the place up, I laid down on the couch and decided to take a much-needed nap. I never anticipated being woken up by my brother.

Shayne stood over me, dressed in a business suit. I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. “Shayne?”

“Do you have any other brothers with keys to this place?”

I sat up and watched him finding comfort in the chair across from me. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”

“You didn’t mention it yourself. So where’s your girlfriend? Last week it seemed like she never left your side.”

I looked down at the floor as I explained. “I had to break up with her, bro.”

“Is it because of what she was asking Ash? She told me how she was trying to figure out the big family secret.” He stretched his arms out when he said the word ‘big’.

I pinched my nose, trying to relieve the looming headache I’d had for days. “Don’t get me started.”

“Man, I thought she was good for you. Is it permanent?”

I fell back against the cushions, and spread out. “I don’t even know. Cameron’s not one to back off. When she wants somethin’ she’s used to gettin’ it. We both know that the truth can’t come out. I just needed to make sure that it wouldn’t happen on my watch. I’ve done enough damage to this family. The last thing I need is a nosey girlfriend causing more problems.”

It hurt me to talk about Cameron in a negative way.

“The only problem that I see with your plan is getting over someone you clearly care a lot about. Look, Parker, you don’t have to act tough with me. I know what it’s like to be in love. I’m just not sure the sacrifice you made is the right one. Have you even considered tellin’ her the truth on your terms?”

“I can’t.” Cameron’s all about doin’ the right thing. She’d never settle for me steppin’ back and lettin’ you raise the twins.”

“You don’t know that. She’s seen me with them. She knows they’re my kids in every way.”

I held up my hand. “Don’t get defensive. I ain’t sayin’ that I’d agree with her. Nobody’s takin’ the twins from you, bro. I swear it on my life. I hope you can trust that.”

Shayne shook his head. “Oh man, I’m sorry. I get a little overprotective when it comes to them. I’m the only dad they’ve ever known. I knew we’d have to go through this, but I can’t ever prepare for it.”

“Like I said before, you’re their dad. The only regrets I have is the way I handled things. All I’m sayin’ is that Cameron longs for some sort of family connection, since her upbringing was so absurd. She wants to be a devoted mother someday, and that tells me how much she’d disagree with what’s been done. I also know she’ll never forgive me for my part in it all.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Parker. I really am.”

“Thanks. For what it’s worth, I’m glad you stopped by.” I paused for a minute, noticing again what he was wearing. “What are you doin’ here? Shouldn’t you be headed home to your family?”

“I’ve got a meeting in the morning at the inlet. I thought it would be a good idea if I stopped by and checked on the place, since we had all that rain last week. Mom’s spendin’ the night with Ash and the kids, just in case she needs help.”

“So it’s just you and me then?”

“It appears so.” Shayne stood up and motioned toward the front door. “Come on. I’ll buy the first round.”

Chapter 8

Cameron

I couldn’t believe this was actually happening. If I would have known how far he’d go to keep me from learning the truth I might have taken a different approach. Since this was my first actual breakup, I had no idea how to handle myself. It wasn’t like I’d read a handbook on how to deal with being dumped. All of the books I’d read had nothing to do with sad endings. They were a bunch of fairytales, giving me false hope that true love happens to good people. I thought I was one of them.

Apparently I didn’t know half as much as I thought I did.

I often wondered why my parents were so hell-bent on keeping me focused. Now I knew why. They saw what I wouldn’t let myself see. They knew the inevitable.