Path of Destruction (Broken Heartland, #2)(58)

“Sounds good.” She smiled as she watched him walk away.

“Well look at you,” a voice called out from behind Cami. A voice she could have gone the rest of the school year without hearing. “Making out with farm boy at prom then hooking up with Hayden after. My, you’re a busy girl.” Raquel’s upturned nose was being held exceptionally high as she flashed her perfect white teeth glistened from behind a smile. “Lucky for you, I took being social chair off your hands.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Cami said, turning to walk away from her former BFF. “And while I appreciate how very interested you are in every move I make, you’re the last person I feel like discussing my love life with.” Cami felt a little taller as she started to walk away. She’d wanted to tell Raquel to piss off since the first day of school.

“Whatever,” Raquel called out. “We all saw you at prom. Kissing Brantley Cooper on the dance floor, but leaving with Hayden when your dance partner ditched you. It was pathetic.”

“A lot like your attempt to get under my skin, Raquel,” she said over her shoulder. “Stay the hell out of my business.”

It felt good telling her off.

Almost as good as she felt the day before when she dumped the remaining pills of her prescription down the toilet and flushed them. For a moment, she’d thought that maybe she needed the medication, but the truth was that she wasn’t clinically depressed. She was just grieving. She was sure there would be an argument with her mother if she found the empty bottle.

Theresa wouldn’t care so much that her daughter wasn’t taking them, more that she wasted good drugs that she could have popped her for her own nonexistent ailments. Cami didn’t want to end up like her mom. She didn’t want to trick her body into needing something it didn’t. Being sad, and angry, and in denial—all part of the process. It took her a bit to figure it out, and a few sessions with Mrs. Farber, but she was starting to see clearly now for the first time since the storm.

Even as people were watching, knowing they would talk, she didn’t care. She finally understood what actually mattered. There were just a few more things that she needed to right, and maybe, just maybe, she’d be on the road to recovering.



Cameron texted beneath her desk during last period. They had a sub that didn’t seem to care what they did so long as they were quiet, so she took full advantage.



Cami: I need to see you.



Brantley: Words I never get tired of hearing. Or reading.



Cami: Haha. You’re so full of yourself.



Brantley: I’m just glad that you are still speaking to me. I’m sorry about prom.



He was sorry. Of course he was sorry. He was always sorry when he ditched Cami for Ella Jane. This was the part where being understanding and being jealous collided leaving Cami wondering where she stood. Because no matter what he had told her about Ella Jane being his friend, a little sister of sorts, she couldn’t shake the notion that there was something more between them. She had to give him the benefit of the doubt—at least that’s what she kept telling herself. He wasn’t her boyfriend, not in any official capacity. For a split second, she’d thought, no, she knew there was something more between them. Sadly, it hadn’t been enough to stop him from running after Ella Jane or enough to stop her from throwing herself into Hayden’s arms.



Cami: It’s okay.



Brantley: It’s not, but I’ll make it up to you. I promise. My brother was sick today. Had to stay home with him.



Cami: Can we meet up before school tomorrow?



She knew that the second Coop walked into school there was a good chance that rumors would be circulating, via Raquel, and she didn’t want him hearing about her meaningless hookup with Hayden from someone else. What she wanted was to officially tell him that he meant more to her than some meaningless closeted hook ups. She wanted to see if maybe there was a future with him. She couldn’t do that without coming clean...about a lot of things.





When Coop walked through the door of the utility closet that morning, Cameron was already there.

She greeted him by wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning against his chest. He held her in his arms for a minute for moving back to place a chaste kiss on her lips. The silence between them was as sweet as the minty taste of her lips. It couldn’t last though. He knew it. She’d asked him to come here for a reason and he knew it might be an “I don’t need this anymore” meeting.

“So…” He flashed her a forced carefree grin. “You said you needed to see me?”

“I did.” She nodded. “What happened at prom...I—”

Cooper groaned. “I shouldn’t have left.” He brushed his thumb across her lips, removing the smudge of lip gloss from underneath her mouth, undoubtedly from their kiss. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you. You’re important to me too.”

“Too…” Cami said quietly. “As in, also in equal measure, or as in second rate?”

“As in it’s too different to compare,” he said evenly. “I made a promise to look out for her and it’s one I’ll keep.”

“I see. She’s your best friend’s little sister and you feel you have to take his place now that he’s gone.” Pain flashed across her face but he had no idea what exactly had provoked it.