Bender (The Core Four #1)(76)
Bree: Hey I’m in town. Need 2 talk….
Bree: Meet me @ Fastfreddys @….
That was all that I could see of the messages without actually opening them up. Bile was rising in my throat, and I had to swallow it back down. I put the phone back exactly how it was before and sat on the bed in a shocked state. Why was she texting him? Would he actually go meet her? The bigger question would be would he tell me about it? None of this was sitting well with me. I wasn’t a jealous person, at least I didn’t think I was, but I’d also never dated someone who made me feel jealousy. I always knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was with them, and they were with me. So now brings the question of whether I ask him what it was about, or did I even bother telling him that I saw the texts? I wanted to so bad, but I thought I’d wait to see if he mentioned it.
I heard the water cut off, and Camden came back in the room a few minutes later. He had a towel wrapped around his waist and droplets of water still clung to his skin. He saw me looking at him and a little ghost of a smile appeared on his perfect lips.
“Sleep good?” he asked.
I wanted him. Despite how I had been feeling only a few short seconds ago, I wanted him. I didn’t think I’d ever not want him. “Yeah, I needed a nap. I don’t think I’ve been getting enough sleep at night.”
“I don’t think you have either. You’ve been tossing and turning quite a bit, and you’ve been mumbling.”
“I have? What have I been saying?”
“Yes. But none of it is coherent. You’re just making little noises.”
“Oh. Hmmm…sorry if it’s been keeping you awake.”
He went to the closet and pulled out some clothes. When he dropped the towel, he was faced away from me, and I couldn’t remove my eyes from his toned ass and how the muscles in his back moved. I think I was salivating.
“You aren’t. You settle down a little when I tuck you back into me.”
My heart melted. “You cuddle me closer?”
“Mhmm.” He tugged his gym shorts up over his hips, and I pouted not being able to see all of him any longer.
I covered my mouth to stifle a yawn, and he smiled at me. Walking toward the bed, he bent down and kissed me tenderly on the lips. I wanted to yank him down and have my way with him, but both of us needed to get going. The unease was still flowing through me as I watched him grab his phone from the night stand and check it. I tried to tell if there were any differences in his demeanor or if he’d come out and tell me what was up, but he held it in. There were no changes in his expression, nor did he mention the texts. I felt myself pull away slightly, not wanting to give away that it was killing me not knowing.
“I’m going to head downstairs to get my bag ready, do you want me to make you something before you have to leave?” he offered.
I shook my head. I definitely wasn’t feeling hungry with this pit sitting in my stomach, and I wanted to scream at him to tell me what was going on.
“Nah, I’m good. I think I’ll brush my hair and teeth and take off.”
He looked at me a little funny, but nodded. “Okay.”
He turned and went downstairs. Getting up, I made myself presentable and followed after him to say bye. Everything about our movements was completely normal… until he told me he was going to be working late. Alarms started ringing in my head and I was reeling. I needed to get out of here and get away so I could try and clear my head. Words wouldn’t even form on my lips and I simply nodded at him and made my way to the door. Before I walked out, I looked back at him and saw him staring at me strangely. He said bye, and I had no response, there was nothing. Walking out the front door, I half expected him to follow after me, to question what my problem was, but he didn’t. I think I found that more disturbing that he didn’t. Now who was the one acting differently?
Once I was at work, I couldn’t concentrate. My mind kept playing over and over the text that I’d seen, and this Bree girl who wanted to meet my boyfriend at FastEddy’s. I was only thirty minutes into my shift, and I couldn’t deal with it any longer. Have you ever tried to concentrate on the job when every single thought was being consumed by something else? Not really feeling like I was lying, I went to my boss and said I was sick and needed to go home. She looked at my sympathetically and told me she hoped I felt better. As I walked out of the office, one thought occurred to me. I needed to see for myself. I had no idea what time she told Camden to meet her, but I did know where. There was another small hole in the wall restaurant across the street from FastEddy’s where I could sit inside and not be seen. My mind made up, I made the short drive and parked my car around the corner. I’d only hoped that the person serving me wouldn’t mind that I planned on staying there until I was certain Camden wouldn’t show up at the other diner.
I’d been seated for only ten minutes, and I was sipping my water when it hit me what I was doing. Had I lost that much faith in my relationship with Camden that I felt the need to resort to spying, or had I not had faith in the first place? He’d never given me a reason not to trust him. And at what point did I become this crazy person? I wanted to leave, to prove to myself that I didn’t need to be here and I could put aside my doubts. No scratch that, I needed to leave. Except every time I was going to call the waiter over to me to pay my tab, I stopped myself. My stupid head was spinning in circles and every minute that ticked by I was getting angrier with myself.