Page 39 of Stanton Adore

“Yes, I know,” he answers.

My eyes widen. “How long?” I whisper. He stays silent and looks at me, slowly stands and moves over past the others to sit beside me. He sits down and puts his arm around me but doesn’t answer, then pulls me in and kisses my forehead.

“How long, Cam?” I repeat. He blows out a breath and shrugs his shoulders. “Please,” I beg.

“All along,” he sighs. “I’ve known all along.”

I put my hand over my mouth. Tears fill my eyes, I’m so ashamed.

“Hey, stop it.” He squeezes my shoulder, “It’s OK.”

“No Cam, it’s not OK.” I hang my head. “How do you know?” I ask, my quivering voice revealing my oncoming tears.

“We all know.” He shrugs his shoulders.

What. “Who’s we?” I ask, horrified.

“My brothers.” Oh god. “And my mother.”

What the fuck! “Your mother,” I stammer once again, putting my hand over my mouth. “How, but why, but how?”

He smiles at my babbling. “Let’s just say, Josh didn’t handle it very well when you broke up with him.”

My heart drops for the ten thousandth time this week.

“What do you mean?” I ask, as the tears once again burn the backs of my eyes.

He shakes his head. “I’ve said enough already, speak to Josh.” He gives me a sympathetic smile as if he knows what torture I am going through at the moment.

“Josh is acting weird, Cam,” I whisper.

He nods. “I know, you make him crazy.” He takes a gulp of his beer as he looks straight ahead. The next fight starts and once again the deafening music begins, and the crowd jumps to their feet. I stay seated. My mind is in a total jumble. He didn’t handle it well, what does that mean? I pinch my bottom lip as I think. Abbie climbs over the seats to get back next to me. She’s having the time of her life.

“Check this out.” She hands me the binoculars and I shake my head.

“No thanks.” I hold up my hands. “I’m good.”

“OK, you’re missing out, these guys are hot.” I roll my eyes, whatever. She really is acting like a little kid.

“Smell that testosterone!” Abbie inhales deeply while holding her stomach and Cameron and Wilson burst out laughing.

“See, I told you girls you would love this shit.”

I am totally distracted. I am not even watching what’s going on. His mother knows, bitch. I was right—she has been rubbing my face in it all these years. Bridget returns from the bar with more drinks, two for me. I look up and she gives me a sympathetic smile and a wink. She must have overheard the conversation between Cam and me. I nod as I take my drinks.

“Thanks, babe,” I whisper.

She bends and gives me a kiss on the top of my head and then wrecks it by running her hand through my hair and messing it up. I swat her away as I giggle. I am distracted from my disturbing thoughts of not handling things well by Will yelling.

“Here he comes.”

I stand up instinctively. Oh shit, my hand flies up to my mouth. I go to walk out but Cameron grabs my jacket.

“Stay,” he yells over the crowd. I swallow and nod, what a total nightmare. Joshua is wearing a black robe sort of thing and he is followed by a man who is talking to him.

“Who’s that?” I yell across to Will.

“That’s his trainer,” he yells back.