Finally Found (16 page)

“Which room would you like?” He asked as he led her down the hall.

She glanced at the three doors before her. “Three doors to choose from? Wow.” She joked.

“Well, only two, unless you plan to sleep in the laundry room,” he chuckled. He pointed to the lone door on the right side of the hall.

She walked over to it and opened it. Walking in, she commented, “And it’s still bigger than my apartment. It’s good to be your half.”

“So, between door number one and door number two?” He asked. He was currently in charge of both their bags and was ready to set it down wherever it belonged.

“Hmm.” She opened the first door. It had a big queen size bed centered nicely in a very masculine room. Dark colors on the walls, bedding, and wood made it very cave-like. The second door had a loft bed and he could tell by her reaction that it was all she needed to see.

Walking into the room, Cammie climbed the ladder and dove onto the top bunk. She reached a hand up and he saw that she could just barely graze the ceiling. She backed up to the back corner and lay on her side. He watched as she stretched her foot and adjusted the pillow to be wedged perfectly into the bed. He smiled as he saw her reaction. Finally, she flopped over and leaned toward him from the bunk. “I want this one.”

Laughing, he said, “I knew I was going to get you in my bed somehow.”

As she frowned she replied, “Well, that does dampen my enthusiasm some.” She glanced around. “But I’m staying put. It feels just right.”

“Okay, sleep well. I’ll be in Sam’s old room.” He tossed her bag on the bottom bunk and then left the room.

Within minutes he was ready for bed in the room next door. He heard her climb down from the bunk. Soon a light came on under the bathroom door. He waited for her to figure out they shared that bathroom, but that realization didn’t happen. She wasn’t as curious as he had expected her to be. The light went off once more. And despite how far away she was, he managed to fall asleep comfortably with a smirk on his face. Be careful what you wish for. He had wished for days that somehow Cammie would end up in his bed. Next time he would remember to wish that he was there with her.

Adam woke up and headed for the bathroom. He had just finished peeing. “One, two, three shakes,” he muttered before tucking and turning around. Then he jumped. Cammie was standing there looking…annoyed…already…and on a holiday no less. “Crap. What?”

He stumbled over to the sink as he prepared to brush his teeth. Still she simply stood there. “Are you going to say anything?”

“You snuck in. Are you happy now? I’m so sexy first thing in the morning?” She crossed her arms over her chest.

He sighed and spoke. “Doll, I have my own door. Sneaking is not required. Now lose t
he ‘tude or leave me in peace. This is no way to start a day.” He shoved the toothbrush into his mouth and turned to face the mirror. He caught a glimpse of a pink face as she pushed through her door and back into her room. He heard her head down the hall. Must be she was starting work in the kitchen.

By the time he made it there, the coffee was made and there was a chafing dish with an egg casserole in it. The chafing dish beside it held ham slabs. And there was a fruit salad in one of his mother’s crystal bowls to accompany it all. He was standing there in shock, sniffing and smiling with a plate in his hand. As she turned he said, “Apology accepted.” He nodded and started loading his plate.

She opened her mouth as though she wanted to say something, snapped it shut like she thought better of it, and walked out of the room.

“Enjoy your shower!” He called after her.

Within seconds she had stomped back into the room. “What makes you think I’m sorry?”

He smiled warmly at her while he set his plate down. “Come here.” She hesitated. “Really, come here.” She slowly edged toward him. The minute she was close enough, his arms encompassed her. He felt her tense for a moment, and then he spoke into her hair as he pressed his face against the top of her head. “Doll, I’m joking with you. I make funnies. I don’t know any other way to be.”

Slowly she relaxed in his arms. He rubbed her back, alternating between cuddling her close and running his hands up and down her arms. After a few minutes she melted completely into him and he smiled.

“I know. You don’t always suck,” she admitted quietly.

“Yet you are always tense with me. Why is that? What have I ever done to make you hate me so, to make you mistrust me? I know you’ve seen me take home 117 women that weren’t you. Can’t we clear the air, move on, and get past this?” He drew her close and planted a reassuring kiss on her temple. “I know I was a jerk in the past. I’m sorry that I never noticed you. But can’t we just appreciate that life has a funny way of bringing people together and run with it?”

She leaned back and gazed up at him. Cammie was silent for a moment. “Maybe,” she said carefully, “but sex has a funny way of tearing people apart.” Slowly she backed out of his arms.

“I don’t get it. The sex with you, if anything, made me feel closer to you,” he said in a strained voice. “You didn’t feel that way, too?”

Sadly, she shook her head. “For me, it only reminded me about the sex you had with my sister.” Turning, she headed out of the kitchen before he could even consider a reply.

He was still standing there in shock, picking at the egg casserole when Sam and Haley walked in, so obviously happy and in love. They took one look at him and paused.

“What happened, Adam?” Haley questioned her face full of concern.

“I slept with her sister,” he mumbled.

Looking around, she tried to understand. “Cammie’s sister is here?” He watched as she glanced up at Sam in bewilderment.

Adam shook his head. “Nope. Some time in the past, I slept with her sister. That’s why she hates me. That’s why she refuses to trust me.” He felt empty as though that one mistake from his past was not only going to haunt him but alter the potential course of his future.

“Who’s her sister?” Haley asked, simply blurting out the question.

Adam looked up, stared at Sam for a moment, then at Haley, and finally responded. “I don’t know.”

The morning was quiet until Ryan, Ellen, and Abby arrived. There were many uncomfortable silences while Cammie cooked and puttered around the kitchen, lost in thought. Adam struggled for a way to reach her, to regain some of the closeness they had previously experienced. It was lonely there with Sam and Haley all wrapped up in each other. It was still lonely when Ellen and her family arrived in their cohesive family unit. So, Adam found himself hiding out in the kitchen. He knew that Cammie wasn’t thrilled to have him there, but it was more comfortable than trying to be around everyone else.

Surround
ed by the sounds of cooking and the amazing smells of the meal, he sat and worked on a list. It was the most challenging work he had ever done. It was facing everything he wanted to forget so that he might be able to salvage something. If he could just figure out who Cammie’s sister was, when everything had gone so horribly wrong, then maybe he could repair some of the damage. If he could prove to her that he was a different man, then maybe she would give him a chance.

It didn’t take Sam long to figure out what he was working on. He had checked in on the kitchen to make sure Cammie had everything she needed. He wanted to remind her that the market down the street would be closing early. When Adam hadn’t even lifted his head or joined in the conversation, Sam had walked over to the table and peeked over his shoulder.

Luckily Cammie had chosen that moment to bring some snack foods out to the great room so the rest of the crew could nibble while watching the parade. Sam took that opportunity to confront his brother.

“Really, Adam,” he said in a low voice, “you don’t even know who her sister is. You think dredging up the past will make it better?”

“No, I don’t, but I think that if I don’t re-visit my history I am doomed to repeat it. If I don’t face it, then I can run from it, hide how awful and insensitive I was, pretend that it was no big deal that I have made no lasting or meaningful relationships in thirty years that didn’t involve a blood relative.” He growled as he stood and motioned for Sam to follow him out the back door as he snatched the paper off the table to take with him.

Once outside, Adam turned and started speaking once more. “You are my best friend. You…are my
only
friend. While I’m thrilled we’re finally close, I should have more friends. Really I should. Instead, I have a list…a growing list of all the women I slept with and discarded. I was so…wrong for that.” He sighed and looked down at the frosty ground. “It wasn’t even a challenge. It was just…fun. And I played it off and convinced myself that everyone was doing it, so it must be okay.” He stared at the paper he had clenched in his hand. “I don’t even remember the names for too many of these women. I don’t remember the sex. I just remember that it seemed like a good idea at the time. And I was lonely. It was nice to fill the emptiness for just a little while.”

“Okay, so you want the reminder to never be an ass again. I get that. What happens if you figure out who Cammie’s sister is? You think she’s going to want whatever details you recall of the experience? Hell, she’s probably worried right now that you are comparing the two. For all you know this is some crazy sister competition.” Sam was scowling at him.

“You’re right. And I might almost believe that, but I’m no prize.” With that admission, he turned on his heels and headed into the house.

He made it as far as the entrance to the great room before Cammie stopped him. “Hey, I hate to bring this up…” Her voice trailed off.

Adam turned to look at her and the pained expression on her face made him pause. “Did I do that?” He asked, coming over to her side as she stirred the gravy on the stove.

“What?” She asked confused. In response, he simply smoothed the worry lines on her forehead with the back of his hand and chased the frown lines away from her mouth. She slapped his hand away, but in doing so couldn’t help but smile just a bit. “No. I’m worried about court and Sam and Haley and the intense discussion last night that I felt all awkward about.”

He glanced over his shoulder and realized that Sam could walk in at any moment. While he wouldn’t just share something of such a personal nature with anyone…Cammie was not just anyone. “Can that sit a minute? Can we go to the bedroom and talk for a moment?” She wore a skeptical look. “Please, just talk…about Haley.”

She turned off the burner and nodded to him. Without giving her an opportunity to change her mind, he quickly grabbed her hand and dragged her across the great room, directly down the hall to his bedroom. He still had the list in his other hand and as soon as he closed the door behind them, he shoved the incomplete list in his underwear drawer before turning to speak with her.

“So, I don’t know how much you know about our recent history. I’m guessing you may have missed me at more than a few parties?” He watched her for a reaction.

She smirked and nodded. “There were one or two that I was sure you would have been at.”

“Did anyone mention what was going on with me? Where I was?” He studied her.

Looking off into the corner of the room, it was obvious she was trying to remember. She scrunched up her face. “No, I don’t recall anyone mentioning you.”

“And Sam wonders why I think I don’t have any friends,” he muttered. “Okay, well this all started nearly a year ago. Haley was living in Philly and engaged to a not so nice guy. From what I understand, they were at a New Year’s Eve party when he disappeared to hook up with someone, since Haley was saving herself for marriage. When she went to look for him, his best friend cornered her and raped her.”