Redeeming You (Before You #2)(61)

Cam looked down at her smiling as if he didn’t have a care in the world and then he winked. “Yeah, it worked out pretty well. No complaints from me.” He slid his hand down to her hip and then back up to her waist again, obviously trying to throw their relationship in Miles’ face.

Miles wrinkled his nose as a blush crept up his neck. “Glad to know Taylor is good for something. I was starting to wonder. She was a little too frigid for my taste.” Miles shrugged. “But maybe that’s your thing or maybe you didn’t have any other options. I guess she’s better than nothing. Almost.”

Dropping his hand from Taylor’s waist, Cam leaned forward, fingering the backstage pass around Miles’ neck, twisting it back and forth. “Look at this.” Cam tilted the pass in her direction. “This pass expired fifteen minutes ago.” Cam snapped the pass from his neck and waved for security. “Tay, go talk to Alec, I’ll meet you in a few minutes.”

Taylor walked backwards a few feet, but she couldn’t get her feet to move any further. They were glued to the floor.

“Taylor, what about your ring?” Miles asked over Cam’s shoulder.

Taylor shook her head, releasing a wobbly sigh. “You can keep it. Don’t contact me anymore.”

“You heard her. Now get the f*ck out of here,” Cam murmured, his face only inches away from Miles. A few more words were exchanged, but she couldn’t hear them over the sound of her blood roaring through her veins. Cam pushed Miles backwards a few feet before security grabbed Miles by the arm, escorting him out of the room. Cam followed them out the door.

“What happened?” Evelyn grabbed Taylor’s hand, her face panicked.

“Huh?” Taylor said taking in Evelyn’s short brown hair and wide brown eyes.

“With Miles. What did he do?” Evelyn asked frowning.

“Why did you bring him here?” Taylor responded, pulling her hand out of Evelyn clasp.

“I thought I was doing you two a favor.”

“Why would you think that?” Taylor snapped.

“Miles wanted to apologize and he said that you guys were working through things. I just wanted to help. You know…give you a little push to let you know it was okay to forgive him for the Natalie thing if that's what you wanted.”

Taylor nodded her understanding. How could Evelyn know? She always kept her at an arms’ length. “Natalie wasn’t the only reason I left. It was the thing that finally pushed me to accept that I needed to break up with him.”

“Taylor, I’m sorry. I really didn’t know.”

“I realize that.” Taylor waved her hand toward the party now in full swing. “I’m okay. Go have fun. I’m going to look for Cam and make sure nothing happened with Miles.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” She pasted on overly bright smile on her face. “Go have a drink. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

Evelyn hugged her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered before joining the party.

Taylor walked out of the green room before anyone could stop her. By the time she reached the end of the hall, she started running. She needed to get some air, maybe go back to the hotel. Hell, she didn’t know, but she couldn’t stay for one more minute. She had less than five minutes before she turned into a blubbering mess and it wouldn’t be pretty.

As she turned the corner, she saw Cam standing by the door. “Everything okay?” he asked grabbing her by her shoulders stopping her.

She bit her lower lip to hold back the sob threatening to escape her lungs. She was embarrassed by what Miles said about her in front of Cam and embarrassed that her so-called friend didn’t really know anything about her because she couldn’t handle the emotional aspect of having a real friendship. Miles was right. She was frigid and inadequate. Cam wouldn’t want to be with her much longer because she’d never be enough for anyone. Not when one little criticism sucked her back into a deep, dark, emotional, black hole.

“C’mere,” he said pulling Taylor into his arms, running his hand up and down her back in slow rhythmic strokes.

Blinking back her tears, she buried her face in his chest. Don’t fall apart. Don’t do it, she told herself over and over. This night was about Chasing Ruin and Cam, not her emotional wreckage.

“Did you know he was coming?”

She shook her head, still refusing to look him in the eyes.

“Tay, look at me.”

“No,” she whimpered.

He moved his hands down her arms until he held her hands in his.

She looked down at their intertwined hands and she saw his swollen and bloody knuckles. “What the hell?”

“I couldn’t let that * get away with saying that shit about the girl I love,” he said, his tone and face totally unrepentant. He wiped a tear from her cheek. “And then when I saw your face, you were so hurt, I lost it. I wanted to kill him.”

She put a hand over her mouth, shaking her head. “Wait a second. Can you rewind a minute?”

“What?” he asked cocking his head to the side.

“Did you just say you love me?” She whispered the words not entirely sure she heard him correctly.

“I know we haven’t been together for long and I didn’t want to say anything to scare you away, but I love you, Tay.”