Oceans Apart (Ocean Dreams Book 1) (24 page)

Lana had Cam set in her sights and she was strutting directly toward him. Fuck! What the bloody hell could she want? Cam asked himself. He didn’t want to show Lana he was pissed off at her presence. He crossed his arms defensively across his chest hoping Lana would get the message he wanted nothing to do with her.

Sashaying up to Cam’s side, Lana kissed him on the cheek. She seemed to know he was squirming in his suit and patted his crossed arms just to further irritate her former lover.

“Don’t look so angry, CJ. You’ll get wrinkles on that pretty face of yours. You wouldn’t want that now, would you? You make too much money off it.” Lana was smirking and Cam knew he wasn’t going to get rid of her unless she said her piece.

“What do you want, Lana? We agreed it was over months ago. You were moving on with…what’s his name?” He wasn’t about to give her an inch. He wanted her out of his life. Lana was his past and Annie was his future. The future that would be walking back any minute.

“Glen Kaplan. The baseball player. Yes. Well…what can I say? I misjudged the man.” The smirk on Lana’s face had turned to a bitter stare. Something had happened but Cam really didn’t want to hear about it.

“I’m sorry, Lana. We may not be together anymore, but I want you to be happy.”

“I guess it serves me right for cheating on you. He did the same to me.” Lana’s bitchy face fell and was quickly replaced with a sadness Cam couldn’t remember ever seeing. Lana never liked to show her feelings openly. She was always such a bubbly and positive person. Fun loving and carefree, Lana never wanted to be tied down to a relationship, which suited Cam fine. They kept their relationship purely physical. The tour could get lonely at times and spending time with a familiar face was more comfort than a random beach bunny.

She shook her head nonchalantly, as if she was waking herself up out of a dream. “It doesn’t matter,” she said quietly before composing herself with a deep breath. Looking Cam straight in the eye, Lana spoke with a business-like tone, “There is something I need to discuss with you though.”

“I’m pretty sure we said everything the last night we were together.” Cam really wanted Annie to hurry so he could get away from Lana. Seeing her, just made him remember how empty he was before Annie arrived and etched herself on his heart. Nothing could ever make him go back to living his loveless life. Cam only realized then, if he hadn’t had his passion for surfing for all those years, he would have had nothing.

“A lot was said then and I know we don’t have a future as a couple, but I really do need to tell you something.” Lana was getting more insistent. Cam, on the other hand, was trying to control his anger. He needed her to stop bothering him and keep out of his life for good.

“I don’t need to hear it, Lana. It’s all in the past. I’ve moved on.”

“Hear her out, Cam.” Annie’s sweet voice sung out from behind them. She had snuck up, surprised them, and stood there, back straight as a post, giving the thorn in her side, Lana, a chance to speak. Cam loved her even more. Annie didn’t have to give Lana anything, let alone a chance to speak. She could have been accusatory toward them both and stormed out but that just wasn’t Annie’s style.

Cam smiled at her and held his hand out for Annie to take. She entwined her fingers with his and he bought it up to his lips and kissed it lovingly. Annie looked at Lana and raised her eyebrows at her, giving her the chance to speak now or forever hold her peace. Lana looked like she was in the presence of a foul stench. Her lips were squeezed together tightly and Annie was sure she saw her nostrils flaring a little. She flicked her hair back behind her shoulder and stood a little taller, trying to intimidate Annie as much as she could.

“Out with it, Lana. We haven’t got all night.” Cam was beyond irritated now. He wanted to get back to the house and make love to his woman. Her body was in need of his attention and the sooner the better for them both.

“It’s a private matter. I really don’t think she needs to hear what I have to say.” She paused for a moment before a wicked grin spread across her face. “Then again, maybe she does.”

Cam gripped Annie’s had a little tighter as his heart pounded against his chest. He could feel his blood boiling with anger. He had no idea what game Lana was trying to play but he was over it.

“Right. That’s it. You had your chance to talk, Lana,” Cam’s voice whispered with gruff intensity. He tried to keep it and his emotions under control. “C’mon Annie. Time to go home.” Leaving Lana standing in the hall, Cam pulled at Annie’s hand and she followed him. His long and purposeful strides had Annie struggling to keep up with him in her high heels.

“Cam.” Annie tried to get his attention. She could see he was agitated with Lana’s presence but his actions were now worrying her. Her voice didn’t seem to register with him the first time, so Annie yelled at him, “Cam, stop.”

He stopped in his tracks at the top of the stairs outside. Annie could see he was taking some deep breaths to calm down. She released her hand from his and placed it on his shoulder. She rubbed her fingers absently over his suit jacket with the hope it would remind him she was there for him.

Cam sighed deeply and turned around to face Annie. “I’m sorry. She just…she just fucking gets on my nerves. She likes playing games and I’m so bloody over them.”

Annie moved her arm around him and drew him in to her, placing her head on his chest. She loved the feel of his hard, muscled body and wanted to get him home as soon as possible. She would make the end of their unpleasant evening disappear into a bad dream.

Cam wrapped his arms around Annie and held on to her tightly. He inhaled the sweet fragrance emanating from her neck and started to place kisses gently behind her ear. Annie closed her eyes as she enjoyed the feeling of the feathery kisses on her skin. She squirmed as they started to tickle her. Pulling back away from Cam, she gazed into his deep blue eyes. The love she had for this man had taken a stranglehold on her heart. She wanted to shout from the rooftops that this man had her love. Annie wasn’t one for public displays of affection but now understood why people did it.

“From the way you’re looking at me, I think I need to get the car and take you home to bed.” Cam’s demeanor had finally relaxed.

Annie giggled sweetly at his comment. “You’ll get no argument from me, Surfer Boy.”

Placing Annie’s arm in the crook of his, they made their way down the stairs slowly and met with the valet at the bottom. Cam handed his ticket to an eager young man who seemed to know which car was Cam’s. The couple stood arm in arm as they listened to the evening noises of the city. Cam leaned over and kissed the top of Annie’s head. “I think tomorrow we’ll head down to my travel agent and organize our trip to Hawaii. That is, if you want to come with me?”

Annie gave him a look, which told him her answer. Unfortunately, before she could utter a word to him, a familiar voice intruded on their private moment.

“You might just want to hear what I have to say before you go and make any plans.” Cam and Annie both turned to see Lana standing there. Her hands placed firmly on her hips and a no-nonsense look plastered on her face. She just didn’t know when to give up. Cam opened his mouth to give her a tongue-lashing, but Lana held her hand up at him. “Just shut the fuck up and listen to me.”

Cam was furious with his ex-lover and Annie was bracing herself for a showdown between them. She knew Cam was normally a mellow guy but his limits had been pushed to the brink tonight. If it was possible, he was sure there was smoke billowing out of his head from the burning rage he felt building up inside. Lana and Cam starred at each other, neither wanting to give the other an inch. The muscles in Cam’s jaw had tensed and he glared at her with contempt.

Her face softening, Lana took a breath in, swallowed, and said, “I’m pregnant.”

The hubbub of the city nightlife continued around the intense trio but for Annie, everything seemed to hush into background noise. Partygoers, who were milling around, late night traffic, and bright twinkling lights, all slowed in motion as Annie processed the words Lana had just spoken. Those two words. Those… two… simple… words. Two words, which can mean the world to some people and shatter the world of others. Annie was one of the others.

Annie looked up to see Cam shaking his head vigorously in denial. “No. No. No. It can’t be mine. It fucking can’t be mine. There’s just no way.”

“You’re not that dumb, are you?” Lana scoffed. “Accidents happen, Cam. The baby is YOURS,” she said emphasizing the last word.

Annie couldn’t look at Lana. She didn’t know how she would react if she dared to make eye contact with the person intruding on her relationship. So many thoughts and feelings were coursing through Annie’s mind and they weren’t slowing down. She knew if she stopped and thought about it now, she wouldn’t be able to hold herself together. Annie could feel her chin starting to tremble and bit her bottom lip in the hope of not showing any emotion. She didn’t want to give Lana any satisfaction whatsoever.

Finally, Cam looked at her but he didn’t utter a single word. He was still in shock at the revelation he was going to be a father while at the same time petrified at what it was going to do to his relationship with Annie. He tightened his grip on her hand, hoping she would return it, showing him everything between them was okay. Instead, her fingers loosened and she shook her hand freeing it from his.

“Nashville?” he said to Annie as she took a step back from their little group. “Nashville?” Still no response was given to him. Cam grew more concerned at the pale and vacant stare on Annie’s face. He had no idea what she was thinking. God, he had no idea what he was thinking. He only knew that he needed Annie, now and forever.

“Annie,” Cam raised his voice at her to shake her out of her thoughts. She looked up at him. A lone tear had escaped and was slowly running down her beautifully made up cheek. Cam reached out to brush it away with his thumb but before he could touch her, she took a step back.

“It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay. I’m going to take you home.” Cam was trying his best to reassure Annie, which only drove Lana to speak up.

“Cam, we need to talk about this.” Lana’s tone was sharp and insistent. She had crossed her arms and started to tap her red satin Louboutin pump on the pavement. Lana didn’t care if she was making a scene in public. She wanted to talk about this now and no blonde country girl was getting in her way.

“Just back the fuck off, Lana.” Cam’s head snapped up in her direction as he narrowed his eyes at her. “We will talk but right now I need to get my girl home and I need to clear my head.” Control. He needed it. At this moment, he craved it. He had to control his feeling of disdain for Lana and try to keep control of this whole fucked up situation he had just been plunged into. Cam reached his arm out for Annie but she took another step backward. She was shaking her head slowly. Annie looked down at her feet and muttered something quietly.

“C’mon, Nashville. Time to go home.”

“No,” she whispered. “No, Cam. I can’t go with you.”

“The hell you can’t.” He was angry.

Annie knew his annoyance wasn’t because of her and didn’t get mad with him. She straightened her back and wiped the tears away from her face. She needed to go and she needed to go…now.

Annie moved to Cam’s side and placed a loving kiss on his cheek. Cam had closed his eyes at the soft touch from his Nashville Angel. She quietly said, “I’m sorry.” Before Cam had opened his eyes, Annie had hurried to the line of waiting taxis behind her and got in the nearest one. “Just drive,” she instructed the driver before he could even ask her for her destination.

“No, Annie! No. Come back!” he yelled at the taxi as it pulled away. Annie could hear Cam from the backseat of the cab. She couldn’t look back. It would only weaken her resolve to stay strong. The worry and pain in his voice only served to make the tears fall from her eyes like a waterfall instead of a dripping tap. She rummaged around in her purse for a tissue and wiped them away, leaving only hurt and despair.

“Sorry, love,” the taxi driver said, “I need to know where you’re going. Are you okay? Have you got somewhere to go?”

Shit! Where am I going to go?
Annie forgot everything she owned was at Cam’s and there was no way on earth she was going there… not tonight anyway. What was she going to do? There was no money for the taxi even because her wallet was left at Kirby’s house. That’s when the light bulb went on in her head and she told the driver, “Clovelly, please, sir.”

“Kirby? Kirby? Can you hear me? Oh, please say you can here hear me?” Annie sighed while she knocked frantically at Kirby’s front door. The driver was waiting in the taxi while Annie tried to arouse Kirby from her restful slumber.

Annie stopped knocking when light illuminated the interior of the house and footsteps were heard coming down the hallway. Believing Kirby was looking out the peephole, Annie pleaded, “Kirby, it’s Annie. Can you let me in?”

Within a few moments, the locks were being undone and the door flung open. Kirby, dressed in a black and white striped nightshirt and with a black mask sitting atop her head, looked at Annie with surprise and concern. “Annie, what on earth are you doing here?”