The Return of the Bad boy

Chapter 28: Cam

Twenty minutes later, I pulled up in front of Summer's house.

I felt her arms go slack around my mid-section, and I was already missing the feel of them. It was nice to have her hugging me, especially when I sped down the empty back roads and took those bends.

Summer slips off the bike then removed her helmet. I did the same.

"Why are you smiling at me like that?" Summer asked, giving me a smile of her own.

I hadn't realized it, but I was happy. I shrugged, "You want the cliché line or the truth?"

Summer thought about it. "I'll take the truth."

"You're beautiful."

She giggled. "That sounds like the cliché line." She crossed her arms.

"I wasn't done. You're beautiful." I stepped away from my bike. "Amazing, brilliant, and I'm so dang grateful to you. You have no idea." I stood a foot away from her.

I haven't seen the salon this busy since I got back. I haven't seen my mom so happy to socialize with customers again and have her talent shine. This was a big win for her, and if we were lucky, those customers would bring in more people like Eden and her family. I already knew Dolores would talk about the whole experience once she was back at the nursing home. I wouldn't be surprised if a few nurses and doctors showed up within the next few weeks.

Summer had to crane her neck up to look at me. The humor I saw five seconds ago had been replaced by a more quizzical look. "You mean it?"

"I wouldn't lie to you."

"But that's all you've been doing."

"I've been omitting the truth. There's a difference." I corrected her, knowing I was still in the wrong. Keeping secrets wasn't something I ever wanted to do with her. I didn't know how I could have done this all differently, but I felt like my heart had been in the right place even though it missed Summer like crazy.

"They hurt the same, Cam." Summer closed the gap, wrapping her arms around me. "You can't say things like that and expect us to go back to school and be strangers again. You need to decide if you're going to let me in. Or do you want me to bust the doors down because you've been testing my patience these past few months, let me tell you?" She nearly let me go, but then I captured her in my arms, pulling her close.

I didn't want her going anywhere. I pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You're right. I just, I was afraid, and I thought...."

"Thought you were protecting me somehow." Summer finished my sentence, but she was wrong. There wasn't a 'somehow.' I was protecting her from things she couldn't see with her own eyes. "I don't care what the gossip mills want to say about us. We'll tackle it together because I hate the thought of you being alone throughout this whole thing. None of us wanted that for you, and we tried to give you space." Summer held my gaze, the color of her iris' turning into an intense earthy brown. "You made this so hard and almost unbearable. But I knew you were worth it. So I didn't give up." She took a deep breath, and her eyes dropped to the ground. "Do you want me to give up?" The question was barely a whisper, and if I hadn't been as close as I was, it would have missed my ears completely.

I tipped her chin up, needing her eyes on me and craving the connection that was far from fizzling out. If anything, our connection wasn't electricity or a simple spark. We had one of those blue flames that would burn for a lifetime.

Do you want me to give up?

I was selfish enough to say no, but that meant Summer had to see me fighting for us too. Was I ready for that? I knew the consequences, but I also knew that losing Summer permanently couldn't be an option. I shouldn't have had to choose.

I'd have to figure out another way. And maybe we could do this together.

Do you want me to give up?

My thumb brushed her jaw, and her eyelids grew heavy.

"No," I told her before my lips found hers. I planned to erase the thought from her head completely.

I exhaled like the breath was punched out of me.

"Damn..." I pulled away with my eyes glued to Summer's lips. So irresistible. My favorite temptation.

Her eyes flickered open, and confusion had her brows knitting together.

"I have to tell you something. It's the truth, and it's not pretty, and I know it won't excuse my actions, but I can't say I regret them." I dropped my arms. I didn't anticipate this taking an ugly turn, but fleeing the scene seemed like a good idea if it did.

"Tell me everything and start from the very beginning," Summer told me.