Bender (The Core Four #1)(83)
She came and sat down next to me, stretching out her long toned legs and getting comfortable next to me like she’d known me her whole life. “How’re you holding up?”
“Fine I guess. Just happy that my sister is safe.”
She nodded. “Yeah, I heard about that. That must’ve been pretty scary.”
“Yes it was, more than you know.” I was fidgeting with my blankets.
There was an awkward silence that loomed between us, and neither one of us were speaking. She glanced around my room and smiled. “Like your room. I have the same colors in mine.”
I didn’t know how I felt about us sharing the same tastes. Maybe that was why Camden picked what he did. “Thanks,” was all the response I gave her.
“So this isn’t awkward at all,” she said sarcastically.
I had to give her credit, she was trying. I smiled over at her. “I’m sorry, I’m just not much for talking right now.”
“I figured as much, which is why this might be perfect timing for me to do some talking, if you’re willing to listen.”
Intrigued, I sat up a little straighter. “Okay.”
She started off by telling me about her mom, how she never was around, and how she made Bree feel like she didn’t want her. “It wasn’t like that all of the time though. We’d have moments where she’d come home with all the ingredients to bake cookies, and she wanted to spend time with me. Or we would camp out in the living room and watch cartoon after cartoon laughing. It was like she wanted to love me, she just didn’t know how. Paul, my dad, he didn’t realize she had been depressed when the courts gave her half custody. He’s told me, had he known, he would have never let me live there. Paul’s a good man. It’s where Camden gets it from. In fact that whole family is good people.”
“They’re your family too.” I pointed out the obvious.
“Yes, but as you grow older, you question things that were done to you, and how having a different life would have led you in a different direction. I don’t blame Paul or Donna for my childhood. They tried to get me to come live with them, but for some reason, I just couldn’t leave her. I’d become the parent, and she was the child I raised.”
Wow, didn’t I know that feeling? Sitting here next to her it felt like every word that was pouring out of her mouth were words that I was supposed to hear, to relate to. Our childhood stories alone were so similar you’d think we lived side by side in the same world. Except, I didn’t have a dad who wanted me. If I’d had one who was like Paul, I probably would have a lot more questions about my life and how different it could have been.
“Bree, I’m sorry for how I treated you, and the things that I said outside of the restaurant the other day. I had no idea who you were, and I’d kind of snapped. That’s never happened to me before,” I offered.
“It’s cool. He should have told you. I knew he was dating someone, though I didn’t know how serious you two were, but I should’ve known he would have kept it from you unless I gave him permission to tell you. See, that’s the thing about Camden, he’s loyal to a fault. He never spills secrets, even if it could ruin everyone else around him. I know that I have three other brothers who would drop everything for me if I asked, but Camden has always been the one who reaches out to me. He’s the one who acts more like the big brother versus the little brother. I rely on him too much, and I wished I wouldn’t have asked him to help me. It’s caused a shit storm of a mess, and I’m very sorry about that.”
I shook my head. “No, don’t blame yourself. He should have told me, just like he should have told me about a lot of things. But I guess you’re right about Camden being tight lipped about stuff. It’s just that it’s ‘mum’s the word’ with him all the time, and all I want is for him to feel comfortable enough to talk to me.”
She reached over and grabbed my hand. When I glanced up at her, I wanted to burst into tears. She looked so much like Camden, I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. How did I not see it in the photo? Well, I guess if I wasn’t looking for it, how could I have?
“He does feel comfortable enough with you. He loves you Keegan.” I was about to argue, but she stopped me. “No, just listen to me. I’ve watched him grow up and date girls here and there. Do you know how many he’s ever brought home?”
“No.”
“Zero. Do you know how many he’s stuck with for as long as he’s been with you?”
“Huh-uh.”
“Zero. And do you know how many he’s told that he loves them?”
Tears sprung to my eyes and I said, “No.”
“None, Keegan. He’s never said it to another girl.”
“But he’s never said it to me either.”
“Do you think he even needs to? Camden sees something in you that is clearly special, and I see it too. You’re different than the other girls. He pushes and tests those that he lets in, because he wants to know that they will fight for him, like he will fight for them. Oh boy did you fight.” She laughed. “He needs someone like you who’ll give him a challenge. I knew that Camden was never going to settle for a girl who was shallow or vain. He likes other qualities…qualities that are real. Give him another chance, Keegan, he deserves one, and so do you.”